National Association for the Teaching of English

PRESS RELEASE (26 November 2002)

Tests and Tables

NATE welcomes the recent media attention given to problems linked to examinations from KS1 through to post-16. These shortcomings, though important in themselves, highlight a badly flawed assessment system dominated by external testing.

NATE is particularly concerned about the domination of the curriculum at Key Stages 1, 2 & 3 by SATs. We do not believe that SATs benefit children. They take up much valuable teaching time and do not provide teachers, children or parents with the most appropriate information about pupils' progress. Teachers are capable of making professional assessments about a child's progress; all teachers use tests, in the right place and at the right time, to help them make these judgements and to inform their teaching.

The status given to SATs results puts pressure on teachers to teach to the tests. There is a real danger that the curriculum will become increasingly narrow and the experience of children severely limited if this continues.

We would like to see the government phase out the tests in their current form and introduce a system, which includes properly moderated teacher assessment. NATE condemns the use of published League Tables because, as with SATs, they do not provide a true assessment of what schools are achieving.

The problems which have now been revealed prompt NATE to reiterate its call for a major review of the way pupils are assessed in our schools.