Commenting on the release of the latest Key Stage 2 SATs
results, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of
the National Education Union, said:
“Today’s announcement means that, despite the hard work of
teachers and pupils, over a third of 11-year-olds will arrive in
secondary schools in September labelled as ‘below the expected
standard’. This devastating outcome is the result of
policy-makers’ delusion that to measure the performance of our
school system it is necessary to test each individual pupil, and
to prepare pupils relentlessly to be tested. The stress this
causes for children and their schools is building up.
“In a survey of their experience of primary assessment in 2018,
published yesterday (1), over 90% of NEU members reported that
SATs adversely affected pupils’ well-being, with 86% saying
preparation for SATs squeeze out other parts of the curriculum.
“The real story of SATs isn’t the headline figures, it’s the
damage that our test-driven system is inflicting on primary
schools day in, day out throughout the school year. A
narrow curriculum, stressed children, over-worked teachers: these
are the signs of an assessment system that needs root and branch
change.”
ENDS
Editor’s Note:
(1) SATs do
not benefit children’s learning and are bad for their
well-being, 9 July 2018: https://neu.org.uk/latest/sats-do-not-benefit-childrens-learning
