Call for testing system overhaul

12 April 2012

Teachers called for an overhaul of the national testing system as figures showed four in 10 children leave primary school without mastering the "three Rs".

Ministers hailed the latest national curriculum test results as the "best ever", after a one percentage point rise across English, maths and science.

But only 60% of 11-year-olds left primary school having reached the level expected of their age group in reading, writing and maths. For boys, the pass rate was just 56%.

Teachers warned that the Government's target-driven approach was backfiring, with children drilled to pass tests instead of receiving a broad education.

Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "We surely must be able to come up with a better system than one which encourages the hot-house pressures of 'teaching to the test' and unrealistic national targets. I urge (Schools Secretary) Ed Balls to initiate an independent review of testing."

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said the improved results were "being achieved at a high cost".

"Teachers consistently tell us about the negative impact on pupils and teachers as a result of excessive national testing which forces them to stick to a narrow curriculum," she said. "More use should be made of teacher assessment to build up a picture of children's achievements while allowing pupils to enjoy a broad curriculum of subjects and activities."

The national figures, released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, showed results in reading this year were no better than two years ago. The proportion of children making the grade in writing showed no improvement from last year.

Overall, only 60% of the 585,000 11-year-olds who took the tests in England's primary schools reached Level 4 in all three Rs - reading, writing and arithmetic. This suggested that more than 230,000 children fell short of Level 4, the standard expected of 11-year-olds, in the basics.

Schools Minister Lord Adonis acknowledged that there was "more to do".