Commenting following the announcement that 2023 Key Stage 2 test
results will be delayed by a week, Tiffnie Harris, Primary and
Data Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders,
said: “This unfathomable decision will cause more workload and
disruption for schools when they are already under intense
pressure on multiple fronts.”
“For reasons outside of schools’ control, Key Stage 2 test dates
have been moved back by one day. It's extremely frustrating that
this is leading to results being sent to schools an entire
week later than planned. The decision to move the test dates was
made months ago and it is extremely discourteous that it has
taken so long for this latest announcement to be made. The lack
of warning means many schools are likely to have already made
plans for this week, including residential trips and other end of
year activities. This is going to cause significant disruption.
"This decision will be particularly problematic for schools in
areas such as Leicestershire, which will have finished the school
year before they receive these results. We presume that leaders
and teachers in schools in this position will be expected to
spend the first week of their holiday checking these results,
writing reports and liaising with families. It is currently
unclear whether the government anticipates providing any
financial recompense for this. Either way, this is another
example of a decision being made without due consideration of the
impact on teacher workload.
“We have made all these points to the Department for Education
and it is disappointing that they have fallen on deaf ears.”
