8.5 GL Assessments Explained: A Guide for Parents
GL Education assessments are widely used in British independent schools and high-performing international schools because they offer something classroom tests cannot: a clear comparison to age-matched peers across the UK and around the world. Classroom tests tell you whether a child has understood recently taught content. GL tests, by contrast, provide a stable measure of underlying skills such as reasoning, comprehension, vocabulary, and mathematical thinking. For internationally mobile families—particularly those moving in and out of Jakarta—this consistency makes GL a reliable anchor in a changing educational landscape.
"GL Education assessments... offer something classroom tests cannot: a clear comparison to age-matched peers across the UK and around the world... For internationally mobile families... this consistency makes GL a reliable anchor in a changing educational landscape."
These assessments are typically introduced from Year 3 onwards in English, Maths, Science, and Reading, and they help schools understand whether a child is developing at a typical rate, accelerating, or showing signs of needing further support.
Understanding the Standard Age Score (SAS)
The Standard Age Score (SAS) is the backbone of GL reporting. It places a child’s performance within a large, statistically normed population of same-age students. Because of this, the SAS is far more stable than raw percentages or grades, which can fluctuate depending on what has recently been taught or how a class was assessed.
The key SAS bands are:
• 100 = the exact average for the age group
• 85–115 = the typical range in which most children fall
• 115–120+ = significantly above average
• Below 85 = below typical expectation
The stability of SAS is one of its greatest strengths. A child’s score does not fall from 120 one year to 102 the next because the questions were harder. Instead, the test is re-normed every year against tens of thousands of pupils so that difficulty shifts to maintain comparable outcomes. This allows families to track a child’s underlying development rather than their response to a particular curriculum or teacher.
Parents often find SAS more helpful than traditional school grades because it reflects broader cognitive and literacy development, not just what happened to be covered in class that term.
What GL Tests Actually Measure
GL assessments are not tied tightly to a specific curriculum. Instead, they measure the concepts that underpin academic success across systems.
The Progress Test in English (PTE) assesses reading comprehension, grammar knowledge, vocabulary depth, inference, and the ability to understand more complex texts. The Progress Test in Maths (PTM) focuses on number sense, reasoning, multi-step problem-solving, data interpretation, and early algebraic reasoning. The Progress Test in Science (PTS) samples understanding in biology, chemistry, and physics, with an emphasis on conceptual grasp and experimental reasoning rather than memorising facts.
"Classroom tests tell you whether a child has understood recently taught content. GL tests, by contrast, provide a stable measure of underlying skills such as reasoning, comprehension, vocabulary, and mathematical thinking."
Two additional early literacy tests are widely used in international settings: the New Group Reading Test (NGRT) and the New Group Spelling Test (NGST). NGRT examines reading accuracy, comprehension, and processing speed, while NGST assesses phonics knowledge and applied spelling patterns.
Because these tests measure underlying skills, they sometimes produce a different picture from classroom attainment. A child who performs strongly on taught material may reveal weaker foundational skills, while another who seems quiet or hesitant in class may demonstrate strong reasoning or comprehension once working independently.
Why International Schools—Especially in Jakarta—Use GL
Jakarta’s international school sector is unusually diverse, with British, IB, American, Australian, and hybrid curricula operating side by side. Families frequently move between these systems, and schools need a way to establish baselines and monitor progress that is not tied to any single programme of study. GL offers a common language.
For British schools, GL aligns with long-standing practices of using standardised assessments to maintain academic rigour. For IB schools, GL provides a form of external validation in areas such as reading comprehension or mathematical reasoning. And for families relocating, GL scores help receiving schools interpret a child’s attainment without needing to decipher unfamiliar grading schemes.
In markets without national standardised testing, GL also acts as one of the few objective measures of school effectiveness. Schools use aggregated data to evaluate teaching, identify curriculum strengths and weaknesses, and ensure they are performing in line with international benchmarks.
How Schools Use GL Data in Day-to-Day Practice
High-performing British independent schools tend to use GL data in four interconnected ways.
First, they track progress over time. A child’s SAS should remain broadly stable year on year or improve gradually as skills deepen. When a score dips, teachers look closely at patterns in classwork, reading habits, and conceptual understanding to see what may be driving change.
Second, schools use the sub-scores to identify strengths and gaps. PTE might show that a pupil excels in inference but finds vocabulary challenging, or that grammatical understanding lags behind comprehension. PTM might reveal strong number reasoning but weaker spatial or data-handling concepts. In each case, teaching can be tailored to the learner, rather than offering broad whole-class remediation.
Third, GL supports teacher judgement. Good teachers know their pupils well, but quiet children, highly articulate children with weaker decoding, or socially confident children with gaps in foundation skills can sometimes present an incomplete picture. GL provides a second reference point, helping teachers calibrate their impressions against external data.
Fourth, GL is invaluable for transitions. Receiving schools in the UK, Singapore, Europe, and elsewhere understand SAS scores, making mobility smoother. Families benefit from knowing that their child’s progress is measured against an international standard, not simply the internal expectations of a single school.
Interpreting Changes and Trends Over Time
One of the most common mistakes parents make is focusing on one-off scores rather than trends. Because SAS is designed to be stable, short-term fluctuations are normal—especially if a child is tired, anxious, or encountering unfamiliar vocabulary. What matters is whether the general pattern over several years shows growth, stability, or gradual decline.
Multilingual children in particular often show slower growth in vocabulary-heavy assessments in the early years, followed by rapid acceleration as linguistic competence solidifies. Parents should expect this pattern and avoid over-interpreting early dips; vocabulary and comprehension develop unevenly for bilingual learners and typically even out by Year 5.
More concerning is a downward trend across multiple years, especially when accompanied by challenges in classwork or reading. This is where teachers will dig deeper to determine whether the root cause is conceptual understanding, attention, reading fluency, organisation, or something else entirely.
How GL Compares to Other Assessments (MAP, IB, Classroom Testing)
Parents in Jakarta often encounter MAP testing, especially in American or IB schools, and wonder how it compares. The MAP test is adaptive and focuses strongly on growth within a school year. GL, by contrast, prioritises comparison to external norms. MAP supports continuous progress monitoring; GL supports stable benchmarking and deeper analysis of underlying strengths and weaknesses.
IB schools often rely on teacher-designed assessments, portfolios, and formative feedback. GL adds external calibration to these internal measures and can provide reassurance about literacy and numeracy foundations, which are harder to compare across contexts.
Classroom tests remain valuable for understanding mastery of taught content, but they cannot replace the cross-school comparability of GL.
What the Tests Look Like in Practice
Parents often gain confidence when they understand the nature of the test questions. PTE might ask pupils to infer meaning from a short text, identify grammatical structures, or interpret figurative language. PTM might present multi-step word problems that require careful reasoning, rather than straightforward calculations. PTS examines conceptual understanding through short scientific scenarios rather than recalling isolated facts.
In NGRT, younger pupils may read aloud or identify correct words in a sentence, while older pupils read increasingly complex passages and answer comprehension questions. NGST asks children to recognise patterns, rules, and applications of spelling rather than memorising lists.
These assessments do not reward rote learning. They reward secure foundational understanding, broad vocabulary, and the ability to apply reasoning to unfamiliar contexts.
Multilingual Learners and GL: What Parents Should Expect
In Jakarta, multilingualism is the norm. Many children speak two or three languages before they enter school, and English may not be the strongest of these. GL tests are fair for multilingual children, but parents should expect a slower early trajectory in vocabulary-heavy areas such as reading comprehension and spelling.
This does not indicate lower ability. It reflects exposure. Once vocabulary catches up, SAS scores often climb sharply. In Maths and Science, where language demands are lower, multilingual children often perform at or above their monolingual peers from the outset.
Understanding this pattern helps prevent unnecessary worry and encourages parents to focus on long-term development rather than early numbers.
How Families Can Support Stronger GL Outcomes (Indirectly)
GL cannot be “prepared for” through tutoring. The tests measure underlying reasoning and comprehension, not recall of specific content. However, children who speak, read, and reason regularly at home generally develop the skills that lead to stronger outcomes.
Reading widely—especially a mix of fiction and non-fiction—builds vocabulary and comprehension. Discussing stories, explaining events in detail, and asking children to justify their thinking strengthens inference and reasoning. In mathematics, parents can support development through everyday situations that involve estimating, comparing quantities, interpreting data, or talking through multi-step tasks. And in science, simple conversations about how things work, what might happen next, or why a phenomenon occurs help children develop the conceptual habits measured in PTS. The most effective support is consistent, routine, and embedded in daily life.
Three Example Scenarios That Help Parents Interpret Results
A child in Year 4 might achieve very high classroom grades but a flat SAS across several years. This suggests they are performing well on taught material but not deepening underlying skills. Another child—sometimes an EAL learner—may show modest SAS scores early on but a sharp rise between Year 4 and Year 6 once vocabulary accelerates, demonstrating that early low scores were a language artefact, not a cognitive one. A third child may show very uneven sub-scores: strong non-verbal reasoning but weak reading comprehension, or strong vocabulary but weaker problem-solving. These patterns help teachers design targeted support.
Why GL Matters for Families Choosing International Schools
For mobile families, GL provides consistency at a time when school systems, grading structures, and curricula may vary dramatically. It offers continuity across borders, predictability about future academic pathways, and clarity about how a child compares to peers beyond the walls of one school.
For schools, GL supports honest communication with families and a research-informed approach to teaching. And for parents, it provides a practical, comprehensible lens through which to understand their child’s academic development—not as a single number, but as part of a wider narrative of growth, strengths, and emerging needs.
About the author
Simon, PGCE, QTS, BMus (Hons)
Simon is an early years specialist with a global teaching career across Europe, North Africa and Asia. He has led whole-school phonics and music initiatives and is known for advancing approaches that place child agency and inclusive language development at the heart of learning. Drawing on his parallel career as a published arranger and former professional musician, Simon brings a distinctive blend of creativity, structure and pedagogical depth to early childhood education.
FAQ: GL Assessments and SAS Scores
What is considered a “good” SAS score?
Most children fall between 85 and 115. Scores above 115 indicate performance well above age-level expectations.
“Assessments in British Schools.”
Do GL scores change if the test is harder one year?
No. Norming protects stability, so SAS reflects relative performance, not raw difficulty.
“How We Teach: Evidence-Based Practice.”
Why might a child perform differently on GL tests compared with classwork?
GL measures underlying skills—reasoning, vocabulary, comprehension—rather than recently taught content.
“What Makes a Strong Primary School.”
Are GL tests fair for multilingual learners?
Yes, though multilingual children may need more time to consolidate vocabulary. Schools interpret results with this in mind.
“Admissions Considerations for Parents with EAL Children.”
Do British schools use GL data for selection?
Many do, particularly for benchmarking and assessing fit, though it is one part of a broader decision-making process.
“UK Senior School Entry Explained.”
How often should children take GL assessments?
Once a year from Year 3 onwards is typical.
Can parents improve scores through tutoring?
Not meaningfully. GL rewards reasoning and comprehension, not memorisation.
“Choosing an Early Years Programme.”
What should parents discuss with the school after receiving results?
Trends, strengths, and next steps matter more than one-off scores.