The government has confirmed it is to introduce a new type of test for four- and five-year-olds at the start of their school career in England – but will allow an elite group of primary schools to opt out of the tests if they are confident of meeting tougher targets in later years.

The Department for Education says it will introduce a new assessment of children's abilities entering reception classes – when most will be four years old – from 2016, designed to give a baseline measure of each child's abilities when they enter formal education.

But schools will be able to skip the new test, assuming they are then able to achieve top results in key-stage two for their year-six pupils at the end of their primary school career, starting from 2023.

The DfE said that the reception "check" would be taken at "the earliest possible point in school", with schools able to choose from a number of approved assessments, which have yet to be announced. It will then be used to measure how much progress pupils have made between the start and end of primary school, with the aim of meeting a progress target to be set.

Those schools that don't apply the baseline check in reception years will need to reach an 85% floor target in reading, writing and mathematics in year six – well above the current floor of 65%. Only around 10% of primary schools in England currently reach the 85% target.

Schools that fail to meet their targets will be deemed to be failing by the government, and in the case of local authority maintained schools, vulnerable to being converted to academy status.

Russell Hobby, head of the National Association of Head Teachers – which represents a majority of primary school heads, and took part in consultation with the DfE – said schools would be advised to opt in to the new baseline tests, to take the pressure off having to meet final year targets.

"Although controversial, I believe the profession should take seriously the proposal to baseline performance in reception. The first three years of education are arguably the most important and they are currently ignored in the accountability framework, punishing those schools who serve the most challenging communities," Hobby said.

But Hobby said he was concerned that much of the detail was still unclear, leading to concerns about implementation of the plans.

"The new measures have yet to be designed. Until they do, we don't know how many schools will be placed below the floor or how valid the tests will be. We reserve our judgment on that point."

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said his organisation had serious concerns over the introduction of the baseline assessment.

"This announcement is another indication of the ongoing schoolification of the early years. It is deeply concerning that policymakers appear to attach little value on childhood and the basic right of our young children to play, explore, and experience the wonders of the world they are growing up in," Leitch said.

In a further set of measures, all state schools and colleges will have to publish information about their performance and the progress of their pupils and students.

Schools minister David Laws said that colleges and school sixth forms would for the first time have to publish new accountability measures, and show that they are getting their students into employment, further study or apprenticeships.

"The new system will mean higher standards, no hiding place for under-performing schools and coasting schools, and real credit being given to schools and colleges which may have challenging intakes but which improve their pupils' performance," Laws said.