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Just 1% of school leaders and 8% of parents surveyed
strongly agree that SATs are the best
indicator of standards
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Parents opt for a broad curriculum and
good mental health as better measures of
standards than SATs
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Parents and school leaders agree that SATs
results do not show whether children
areready for secondary school
As the government continues to link its ‘levelling-up’ agenda to
SATs results in primary schools, new research reveals that
politicians are at odds with the opinions of parents and school
leaders. In two new surveys, both groups reach the same
conclusion: SATs are not a good measure of high standards in
primary schools; the government tests do not demonstrate whether
a child has received a high standard of education; and they are
not a good indicator of whether a child is ready for secondary
school.
Campaign group More Than A Score surveyed parents with YouGov and
heads and senior teachers with Teacher Tapp for their views on
how high standards are measured in primary schools. The groups
were asked whether SATs results are a key indicator of high
standards and whether they believe there aremore accurate ways to
represent the quality of a child’s education. They are unanimous
that SATs resultsare not a good way to illustrate either
children’s educational achievements or high standards in primary
schools.
SATs are not a good indicator of the quality of a child’s
primary education
Of the parents surveyed just 17% believe good SATs results are
the best demonstration of whether their child has received a high
standard of education, with only 3% of heads and senior teachers
sharing this view. School leaders selected love of learning
(63%), independent thinking (56%) and a good grasp of a range of
subjects as the best indicators. Parents echoed these sentiments,
with 55% choosing 'a good grasp of a range of subjects, not
limited to English and maths', and 50% selecting 'independent
learning' as the best indicator.
SATs results are not a good indicator of high
standards in
schools
When asked specifically if SATs results are the best measure of
high standards, the surveys found just 8% of parents strongly
agreeing. Heads and school leaders feel just as strongly. Only 1%
strongly agree that SATs are the best indicator of high
standards.
How should high standards be measured in
schools?
The collective opinion is that there are far better ways to
measure high standards in primary school. 70% of heads and
teachers surveyed say that a broad and rich curriculum covering a
range of subjects would be a better indicator of standards, with
47% of parents agreeing. Meanwhile a mere 4% of educators and 12%
of parents say SATs results are the best measurement.
Do SATs results indicate whether children are
“secondary-ready”?
Politicians often refer to SATs as a measure of “basic maths and
English” but parents and heads recognise that this is far from
the reality of the tests themselves. Year 6 SATs test children on
topics including fractional equations, ratio and proportion,
fronted adverbials and subordinating conjunctions. Perhaps
because of this, two-thirds of parents believe that children who
do not meet the government’s ‘expected standard’ still have the
knowledge required for the next phase of their education.
Two-thirds of heads and school leaders agree, a number which
rises to 76% among those working in primary schools.
Nigel Attwood, headteacher of Bellfield Junior School
in Birmingham comments, “High stakes accountability is strangling
the education sector and the lives of children. SATs are an
accountability measure that does not benefit pupils at all. SATs
do nothing to move children forward in their education - in fact
for many, it causes such stress and anxiety, it has the opposite
effect and can make them lose some of their love of
learning. Accountability is important, of course it is, but
it needs to be fair and balanced. Education should be about
fostering a lifelong love of learning - SATs do the complete
opposite.”
Michelle Sheehy, headteacher of Millfield Primary School in
Walsall comments, “For children to be secondary ready, they need
to be resilient, independent and to have a level of emotional
intelligence to enable them to enjoy their experience and their
social interactions. SATs give no indication of these
essential qualities.”
Alison Ali from More Than A Score adds, “If just 12% of parents
surveyed think the best measure of high standards is SATs,
compared to 47% who think a broad curriculum and good mental
health of children is a superior indicator, isn’t it time we
stopped using SATs as shorthand for quality education. Policy
makers need to listen to parents and school leaders, those who
know children – and their learning –best.”
To read the research in full visit More than a
Score
