SATs are critically flawed - ATL

Primary assessments and the way they are used to hold schools to account are critically flawed and our children deserve better, says Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL).

Commenting on the Education Select Committee report on primary assessment, Mary Bousted, said: “Primary assessments, including SATs, and how they are used to hold schools to account are critically flawed and our children deserve better. 

“We are pleased the Education Select Committee’s report raises so many of the concerns that we have highlighted. ATL agrees that the Key Stage 2 (KS2) spelling, punctuation and grammar test should be made non-statutory. We hope the incoming Government will accept the report’s finding about the potential harmful consequences of introducing a reception baseline assessment for school accountability and decide against reintroducing it. 

“We also hope that the new Government will listen to the concerns raised about the high stakes nature of assessment and accountability, and the negative impact that this can have on the school curriculum, pupil well-being and teacher workload. It is important that schools are accountable for the learning and well-being of their pupils, but the current narrow assessment system is not fit for purpose. The core role of assessment should be to support teaching and learning, we hope that the incoming Government will seek to make this the priority.”