Scrap science SATs, says expert group
No.353 ISSN: 1741-9867 Friday 8 May 2009
Key Stage 2 science tests should be replaced with teacher
Assessment and national sampling, but dropping SATs for English and maths would be
代写ESSAY a “backwards step”, according to the Government’s Expert Group on
Assessment. Its report concluded that current tests are
Educationally beneficial, but “do not provide the bestincentive for schools to offer a broad and balanced curriculum” and should not be the sole basis for schoolsto be publicly accountable. It endorsed single-level tests for English and maths in principle, but wantedcurrent trials of the tests to be extended to judge whether they could improve school accountability as apotential alternative to current tests. The Group also said that the School Report Card System should bedeveloped and introduced as soon as possible, to provide more complete information than primary and
secondary league tables.Other recommendations from the Group included: strengthening and monitoring the reliability of teacher
assessment, to judge whether a move away from externally marked national tests might be viable at a futuredate; moving KS2 English and Maths tests back by a month to the middle of June, “to stop children falling
back over the tail-end of the summer term and long holiday before starting secondary schools”; and issuingnew guidance to ensure that preparation for tests is “proportionate, educationally appropriate and does notput undue pressure on pupils”. The Government accepted all of the Group’s recommendations.The NUT and NAHT remained unimpressed by the Group’s conclusions, and still intended to boycott
SATs in 2010 if the Government did not abolish them completely. NUT General Secretary ChristineBlower described the report as “fraught with contradictions” and said there was no logic in getting rid of
some SATs and not others. Voice General Secretary Philip Parkin was also disappointed, saying: “Now thattests at 14 have gone, there seems little point in continuing with those left at 11. The current system of
‘accountability’ is for the benefit of the Government rather than providing information for parents and
taxpayers.” But ASCL General Secretary, Dr John Dunford, disagreed, saying: “There is a great deal of
good sense in the report and I welcome it. In particular I welcome the recommendation to retain objective
external assessment for 11 year olds in English and maths. This is essential to create a firm baseline for
secondary school accountability.”
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Gordon wants parents to trigger LA school interventions
Parents should be the driving force in getting local authorities to intervene in unsatisfactory schools, the
Prime Minister has said. He wants parents to rate schools in their area in mass surveys, the results of which
could be used to create a federation of schools, an expansion of good school places or, in some cases, the
establishment of entirely new schools. Mr Brown admitted that the role of central government in the
English education system had become “overly large”, saying that good schools should have more autonomy
and that there should be greater collaboration between parents and schools.
But the Association of Teachers and Lecturers were sceptical about his sentiments. Head of Education
Policy Nansi Ellis said: “In theory giving teachers and schools g
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