SATS

GET READY FOR A SATS BOYCOTT !

The NUT and the National Association of Head Teachers are campaigning to end SATs because:

·       They are stressful for children, parents and teachers.

·       They are an unreliable way of assessing pupils’ progress.

·       There is an unacceptably high level    of inaccuracy in test results – teacher   assessment has been proved to be  more reliable.

·       They can narrow what is taught at   primary school, squeezing out time   for creative subjects and sports.

·       They encourage “teaching to the test”.

·       They undermine the morale of too many children.

·       Unreliable data is used to unfairly judge school performance putting colleagues’ jobs at risk.

·       The rest of the UK does not have SATs. We don’t believe that England needs them either.

The Government says we need SATs to give parents, teachers and the public the information they need about the progress of children and primary schools. We believe that parents can get much better information from their child’s teacher.

Key Stage 2 tests are used to produce league tables of schools. The NUT and NAHT believe these league tables of test data are misleading. Many good schools are in the bottom half of these tables because, for example, they are serving disadvantaged communities.

So what’s the alternative to SATs?

The NUT and NAHT believe that  assessment at Key Stages 1 and 2 should be based on teacher assessment which is moderated, to make sure standards of   assessment are the same within and between schools. There should also be a national sampling test system, as in KS3, to provide information about national  standards in English, mathematics and science so that trends in performance can be monitored over time.

Will abolishing SATs increase my workload?

Both the NUT and NAHT are committed to reducing workload for teachers and head teachers, not increasing it.

Replacing SATs by Assessing Pupils’  Progress (APP) would not be acceptable. APP is voluntary not statutory. Neither union will sanction an alternative form of assessment that will increase workload.

·       See the latest advice from the Union on APP in the "Advice Corner"

·       Call a meeting in your school to discuss & prepare for a SATs boycott.