Statement Agreed by Teachers at LATE Conference on 29th November 2003

If you are involved in English teaching in any way please print this statement, fill in your details, sign it and post to John Wilks, 20 Vanbrugh Hill, London SE3 7UF. The list of signatories is on this website and will be mailed to colleagues.

"We have no faith in the KS3 English SATs to provide valid or reliable information for parents, teachers or pupils. We know that moderated teacher assessment would be a far better alternative.

We are concerned about the damage done by the narrowing of the curriculum and about the constraints on our professional judgement. We believe that the publication of separate KS3 league tables in 2004 will further limit and distort the curriculum.

We deeply resent the fact that millions of pounds are wasted on the SATs each year.

We do not believe that the KS2 English SATs provide useful or accurate information about Year 7 pupils and therefore fully support the current NUT campaign for a boycott of KS1 and KS2 SATs.

We call on NATE and all teaching unions and associations to campaign vigorously for a boycott of KS3 English SATs in 2004 and would wholeheartedly support such a boycott ourselves."

Name (please print):

Signature:

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School:

L.E.A.

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