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Primary school pupils during a lesson
‘We ask for the present system of primary assessment to be reviewed and for the welfare and learning of children to be placed at the heart of whatever arrangements replace it,’ write Philip Pullman, Sara Tomlinson, Wendy Scott, Beatrice Merrick, Wendy Ellyat and 79 others. Photograph: Barry Batchelor/PA
‘We ask for the present system of primary assessment to be reviewed and for the welfare and learning of children to be placed at the heart of whatever arrangements replace it,’ write Philip Pullman, Sara Tomlinson, Wendy Scott, Beatrice Merrick, Wendy Ellyat and 79 others. Photograph: Barry Batchelor/PA

Sats have troubled England’s children for too long: they must go

This article is more than 7 years old

We, as teachers, educators, parents and grandparents, are writing out of huge concern for the deteriorating experience of children in England’s primary schools – and the part played by assessment models in this distressing process.

A year ago over 80 of us signed a letter to the Guardian saying why we opposed the baseline assessment for four-year-olds. We welcome the decision to withdraw that, in the light of experience, and note that the proposed key stage 1 grammar has recently been cancelled due to errors in administration.

The problems of assessment are not limited to mismanagement, spectacular though these effects have been. Primary assessment in its present form contributes to a great range of problems – a narrow curriculum, an approach to maths and English that reduces these to right or wrong answers, intense pressures on teachers, stress on pupils, neglect of children with special needs.

Parent groups have sprung up around the country and many are calling for a “pupil strike” on 3 May. We welcome the opportunity to unite parents, teachers and support staff, educational academics and all concerned about the future of education in a movement to stop the current testing system.

As Sats week, the dismal “highlight” of the primary assessment year, approaches, we call for 2016 to be the final year of primary assessment in its current form. The Sats have troubled our country’s children for too long: it is time for them to go. We ask for the present system of primary assessment to be reviewed and for the welfare and learning of children to be placed at the heart of whatever arrangements replace it.
Philip Pullman Author
Sara Tomlinson Teacher and NUT member
Wendy Scott President, Tactyc
Beatrice Merrick Chief executive, Early Education
Wendy Ellyat Chief executive, Save Childhood Movement
Michael Rosen Author and broadcaster
Neil Leitch Chief executive, Pre-Schools Learning Alliance
Christine Blower General secretary, NUT
Jonny Crawshaw Founder member, Rescue Our Schools
Liz Bayram Chief executive, Pacey
Caroline Lucas MP, Green party
Alan Gibbons Author
Alasdair Smith Secretary, Anti Academies Alliance
Alex Kenny Teacher and executive member NUT
Alison Emmett Parent
Andrea Sprenger
Brian Oosthuysen Labour county councillor
Bridget Chapman Teacher
Carole Oosthuysen Retired teacher
Caroline Russell Primary school teacher
Carolyn Poulter Trustee and Vice-Chairman, Early Education
Councillor Kate Bielby, Mayor of Frome
Councillor Pippa Goldfinger Frome town council
David Tazzyman Parent
Dawn Taylor Teacher and NEC NUT
Dr Holly Smith Parent
Dr Margy Whalley Director, Pen Green Research
Dr Pam Jarvis Senior Lecturer, Leeds Trinity
Dr Richard House Chartered psychologist, author of Too Much, Too Soon
Dr Simon Boxley University of Winchester
Dr Terry Wrigley
Dr David Whitebread University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
Dr Verity Campbell-Barr Lecturer in early childhood studies, Plymouth University
Elizabeth Carruthers Executive head, Redcliffe Nursery School and National Teaching School
Emeritus Professor Aline-Wendy Dunlop Vice-president, Early Education
Emma Mort Teacher
Eve R Stone Light Parents Defending Education
Fionna Martin Junior doctor and parent
Fran Byrne Primary teacher
Grethe Hooper Hansen Former head of SEAL
Hannah Solley Teacher
Helen Moylett Early years consultant, trainer and writer
Hilary Bills Labour councillor and retired teacher
Jackie Schneider Teacher
Jan Neilsen Teacher
Jane Joyce Senior early years lecturer, Winchester University
Jean Saliah Parent and teacher
Jennie Jones Teacher
Jess Edwards Teacher and coordinator, Primary Charter
John Coe NAPE
Kayleigh Pickard Teacher
Kevin Courtney Deputy general secretary, NUT
Kierna Corr Early Education board member for Northern Ireland
Kiri Tunks Junior vice-president, NUT
Lesley Stagg
Louise Legg
Louise Regan Senior vice-president, NUT
Lucy Cox Parents Defending Education
Marion Dowling Early Education
Matthew Russell Concerned parent
Melanie Charnock Parent
Michael Holland Primary teacher
Michelle Hendry Parent
Nancy Stewart Vice-chair, Tactyc
Paula Champion Nursery teacher
Peter H Reeve Retired primary school teacher
Professor Chris Pascal Director, Centre for Research in Early Childhood
Professor Jayne Osgood Middlesex University
Professor Tony Bertram
Rafael Frias-Robles Chair of governors
Sally Kincaid Teacher
Sarah Vallois Parent
Sasha Elliott Teacher
Shirley Brooks Senior lecturer, University of Winchester
Sian Bloor Teacher
Simon Murch Teacher and executive member, NUT
Simon O’Hara Teacher
Terry Wrigley Reclaiming Schools
Tina Humphries Parent
Tom Meumann Parent
Warren Chambers Teacher
Francesca Haimes Parent
Amy Johnson Teacher
Charlotte Crow Parent

More on this story

More on this story

  • Primary school Sats paper that upset pupils used text from New York Times

  • Sats exams ‘designed to be challenging’, DfE tells aggrieved parents and teachers

  • Headteachers express concern over Sats amid claims a paper left pupils ‘in tears’

  • Gap in academic skills of girls and boys widens, show Sats

  • Sats results show slight rise in pupils meeting targets in England

  • Primary school teachers want to see Sats scrapped

  • Poorer primary school students narrow Sats test gap

  • KS2 results show widening gulf between strongest and weakest primary schools

  • Highly rated academy gave Sats pupils too much help – inquiry

  • Take our Sats maths quiz to see if you're smarter than an 11-year-old

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