The Department for Education has confirmed that schools selected for the new National Reference Test (NRT), will have no choice but to participate.

This decision follows a consultation which sought views on whether legislation should require maintained schools, most academies and free schools to take part in the new NRT.

The NRT is being introduced to provide additional information to Ofqual to support the awarding of GCSEs in English Language and maths with a random sample of year 11 students being asked to take the test each March.

The legislation will come into force on 1 September 2016 and the first full NRT will take place in March 2017.