How NFER Online Assessment is saving teacher time in The Oaks Community Primary School
We spoke with Stephen Potter, Deputy Headteacher at The Oaks Community Primary School in Ellesmere Port, about the school’s move to NFER Online Assessments (NOA); why they chose to go digital, how it’s changing day‑to‑day practice for teachers, and the role assessment now plays in leadership decisions.
Choosing digital assessments for efficiency and standardisation
When Stephen joined three years ago, he wanted a more robust, standardised approach that would also let leaders benchmark against national averages.
“Our assessment processes were not as standardised as desired, which limited our ability to make comparisons with national averages.”
A key factor in the school’s decision was the desire to give teachers more time and autonomy while making the most of their digital resources:
“Every child has access to a laptop, so when I learned about NOA and tested the platform, I recognised its potential to save teachers’ time.”
“A considerable amount of time was saved in relation to printing, organising, handling paperwork and marking. Much of the analysis is completed automatically, so teachers can administer the test and receive an overview of the data almost immediately which is really useful.”
Consistency that leaders can act on
For senior leaders, the value of NOA is not just faster marking - it’s the consistency of data that supports targeted action.
“We take the outcomes of the assessments and use that to inform our interventions and guides our strategic movement forward.”
Crucially, the school protects time so assessment isn’t a bolt‑on task but a meaningful part of improvement cycles.
“We make time for what is important. We allocate staff meeting time so that teachers can carry out the analysis thoroughly.”
Advice on implementing online assessments in your school
Stephen’s practical advice is to treat implementation as a team effort and to schedule analysis time from the outset:
“Make sure that time is allocated appropriately – both for completing the assessments and for staff to analyse the results. Any new digital process is most effective when colleagues work together rather than in isolation.”
At The Oaks, that means building routines around NOA windows and ensuring colleagues look at the data together, so insights translate into planning and interventions - not just dashboards.
Find out more
Visit the NFER Online Assessments page for more information on using NOA in your school or MAT.