News

SATS flawed but assessment should stay, says leading expert

(9 April 2009)

Professor Peter Tymms

Key Stage 2 tests are problematic because of the way results are used in league tables, says a Durham University expert.

Professor Peter Tymms makes the comments about SATs for seven and 11-year olds as the National Union of Head Teachers and the National Union of Teachers are asking their members to boycott next year’s SATs in primary schools at their conference starting tomorrow (10 April). Professor Tymms has written influential reports on assessment and is Director of the Curriculum and Evaluation Management Centre at Durham University. He says: "The main problem with the Key Stage 2 tests is their publication in league tables which is having a serious, negative impact on the education system. Parents can judge schools based on these league tables which do not portray an accurate picture of the quality of the teaching or pupils’ progress over time. Neither do they give a rounded picture of a school’s success. “We do however need assessment. Assessment is needed at a high level to monitor standards across the land and the best way to achieve this is by using a sampling approach. This would enable schools and the Department for Children, Schools and Families to measure pupils’ achievement over time. “Schools should monitor pupils’ success with objective measures which do not have to be statutory tests. They would also benefit from the use of computer-based diagnostic assessment which enables teachers to identify particular strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils and give focussed support.” The National Union of Teachers Annual Conference opens on Friday 10 April. NUT and National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) last month announced a decision to issue joint motions at their 2009 annual conference for a boycott of the 2010 Key Stage 1 and 2 National Curriculum tests for 7 & 11 year olds.