"It was a no‑brainer": How Gorsewood Primary School is reducing teacher workload with NFER Online Assessments

Gorsewood Primary School has been working with NFER for many years, first adopting NFER’s paper tests in 2016 before transitioning to NFER Online Assessments (NOA) for KS2 in Autumn 2025. Headteacher, Emma Jackson saw an opportunity to modernise the school’s assessment approach and make better use of their strong Chromebook provision.

Why Gorsewood made the switch to online

Emma first learned about NOA through attending an NFER webinar demonstration, with environmental impact and the potential to support staff wellbeing top of mind. 

"Thinking of the environment, there’s an awful lot of paper involved for paper tests and from a workload point of view, it has reduced the workload of staff."

The school began with a mixed model, and since the launch of the full KS2 NOA suite, they have been able to move fully online for years 3, 4 and 5 assessments.

Reducing marking to make more time for teaching

Marking was a major consideration. Teachers previously spent hours marking full test papers and inputting the results manually. Emma sees this as one of the most meaningful benefits of the online assessments. 

"For many of the questions, it marks it online for you. It’s reduced their workload significantly."  

With NOA, teachers only mark 30% of the questions, a balance Emma believes is exactly right. It keeps teachers connected to the assessments without overwhelming them. 

"30% compared to 100% is huge. They still need to have eyes on the test, absolutely." 

This shift means staff can focus their time on what matters most: planning and responding to pupil needs rather than processing paperwork.

Faster access to data and clearer insight

For senior leaders, the impact of NOA is felt in the simplicity and immediacy of data access. Reports that once took far longer to compile are now available quickly, which helps the school build a more responsive assessment cycle. 

"Now it’s all on the platform, it’s just a couple of clicks and you can get the reports up. I can go on and I can look at all the data. It’s easy for me." 

Teachers value having a range of reporting options, especially question‑level analysis, which helps them drill down into pupil understanding. 

"It’s good to have a range of reports you can dip into."

Pupil experience: A natural fit for digital natives

Pupils at Gorsewood were already familiar with using Chromebooks, so they adapted quickly to completing assessments online. Emma describes NOA as an intuitive experience for digitally confident learners. 

"Children are just used to having technology all the time, it’s almost a natural progression. They click on that link and then they’re on."

To ensure pupils still have access to working‑out space during maths tests, at Gorsewood each child uses either paper or a whiteboard - something that has worked smoothly.

Advice for other schools: check your tech!

Emma encourages schools to think carefully about device availability and scheduling. Reliable access to technology makes the process straightforward, but even schools with shared devices can plan effectively with the right approach. 

"Just check your tech and make sure you’ve got enough devices or a plan in place. You might just start off with one year group using the online tests."

Where devices need to be shared, Emma recommends creating a wider testing window so all pupils can be accommodated smoothly. 

"If you haven’t got enough devices, it’s worth deciding how you’re going to plan your timetable for your assessments. It might be that you have a three‑week testing period so you can share them."

Find out more 

Visit the NFER Online Assessments page for more information on using NOA in your school or MAT.