RM Compare Newsletter - August 2025

By Mark House

We are already preparing for 'back-to-school', but no need to think about that right now. For many educators' summer is a time for much needed rest and recuperation. It is also a time for reflection. This bumper summer edition of our newsletter mixes quite a few opinion pieces with some product updates.

How RM Compare Empowers Schools to Meet the Government’s New Writing Framework - RM Compare offers a powerful, research-backed assessment platform that aligns with the framework’s principles and helps every pupil succeed.

Beyond Formula: The New Frontier for Assessment in an AI World - As AI-powered marking becomes more common in education, we must confront a critical risk: the “washback” effect, where the method of assessment shapes how and what students learn.

Rekindling the Spark: What the APPG 'Loss of the Love of Learning' Report Means for Education—and for Assessment - If you work in education today, you've probably felt it: a narrowing of joy and curiosity in classrooms, a relentless pressure to cover content, and a worry that we’ve lost sight of what really matters. The latest All-Party Parliamentary Group for Education (APPG) report diagnoses these symptoms with honesty and urgency.

Curriculum Reform: Seizing the Moment for Change—And How RM Compare Fits In - The conversation around curriculum reform is picking up pace across the UK and globally. From government reviews to international frameworks, there’s a growing recognition: our education system needs to evolve to meet the future.

The Tyranny of the Algorithm: When Every Café—and Classroom—Looks the Same - Step into nearly any city in the world and chances are you’ll find a “hipster coffee shop” with familiar elements: white walls, subway tiles, massive wood tables, plenty of plants, and a cappuccino with elaborate latte art. This isn’t a global chain at work, but the subtle hand of algorithms and online platforms shaping what success looks like and nudging independents, often unconsciously, toward conformity.

RM Compare DataShare - Enabling Safe, Collaborative Assessment - RM Compare DataShare enables organisations to collaborate at any scale, with privacy and compliance built-in at every step. Your data is kept private and protected by default; nothing is ever shared unless you make the decision to do so. Our approach means you get the best of both worlds: powerful, scalable digital collaboration and ironclad data security.

When I create a session, who can see my data? - Putting users in control of their data is a fundamental principle behind how we build RM Compare - it is part of the over-arching approach of building data protection by design and default. At its heart RM Compare is a collaborative system. Our technology brings people together safely to make better decisions.

Time to Write 2025 - simply wonderful - I have just received the wonderful books from this years ISEB | Independent Schools Examinations Board and IAPS Time to Write competition. We are very proud to support this annual event which goes from strength to strength.

System Level Administration - System Level Administration refers to a situation where there are multiple child Licence Centres connected to a Parent Licence Centre. In such a case the Parent requires System Level Administration capability.

The Power of “One to Many”: Transform Enterprise Value with high levels of configurability and flexibility. - Our Features and Functionality page sets out the entitlement for our standard plans - for many customers this configuration meets their requirements. We recognise however that in some cases there may be the need to set things up differently - this is where our Enterprise Plan comes in.