Assessment in the National Curriculum in England and Wales is an example of a different model. The report of the government-appointed working group on assessment, Task Group on Assessment and Testing (1988), states that assessment: (1) is an integral part of both teaching and learning; (2) should not determine what is to be taught and learned; and (3) should inform teachers and provide feedback on success of teaching, and inform future teaching plans. The national system proposed by the working group would be a combination of teachers' own records and assessment results, together with the results of Standard Assessment Tasks. This combined information will act in four distinct ways: diagnostic, evaluative, formative, and summative. In 1990 600,000 7-year-olds were the first to be assessed nationally. Results will go through a process of moderation to establish the feasibility of the whole exercise, and to begin to establish baselines of achievement by which standards can be monitored. Examples of Profile Components for reading/writing illustrate the procedures by which teachers gain information about pupils' achievements by engaging them in a number of different activities. Teachers have welcomed the activities designed for their use, and have been stimulated to reflect critically on their own practice. However, teachers are finding it difficult to conduct the assessment within the context of busy classrooms. The whole experience of assessment for teachers of 7-year-old pupils has been one of great pressure. At this writing, it is not possible to evaluate the outcomes of this process of national assessment. (SR)