Seven-year-olds could have to take formal tests in a proposed shake-up of primary school assessment which Tory MP for Eddisbury Antoinette Sandbach says she ‘absolutely’ supports.
Education secretary Nicky Morgan announced a raft of measures to fight underachievement today (November 3).
Explaining the planned move towards reintroducing national testing at Key Stage One, Mrs Morgan said: “To be really confident that students are progressing well through primary school, we will be looking at the assessment of pupils at age seven to make sure it is as robust and rigorous as it needs to be.”
Currently, pupils aged seven are assessed on literacy, writing, maths and science by their own teachers.
Ms Sandbach said she is supporting the ‘important’ measures because she does not want to see pupils ‘left behind’.
“If you do not hit the standards of reading, writing and being able to add up at that age, it affects your chances for the rest of your life,” she added.
But Chris Keates, general secretary of teaching union NASUWT, said that the announcement shows ‘muddled thinking’.
Teachers' views
He said: “Today’s announcement on testing and the promised review and consultation staggeringly seems set to sideline the views of those who actually teach the pupils in favour of simply taking a management perspective.
“Teachers’ views must be at the heart of the consultation.”
Mrs Morgan also revealed a new scheme to second 1,500 high-achieving teachers to struggling schools – the National Teaching Service.
A pilot launched in the North West today to enlist up to 100 teachers and leaders to start work in primary and secondary schools in September 2016 for a period of up to three years.
