Jon Barr, headteacher at Meadowbrook Primary School in Bradley Stoke, is today quoted by a local paper as praising the benefits of boycotting SATs (national tests) for Year 6 children.
According to the Bristol Evening Post, 63% of eligible schools in South Gloucestershire failed to submit test results for 2010 to the Department for Education.
The boycotts were backed by teachers’ unions representing heads and deputy heads.
Mr Barr told the paper:
“The boycott has allowed us to report on our Year 6 children’s achievements this year accurately. We have not had to wait for poorly marked papers and re-mark them.”
Read more: Bristol Evening Post
Not sure I agree with this. Without the official SATs results surely the reports given by schools can be misleading and fail to identify a childs needs, especially under exam conditions? or even worse it could mean the system is wide open for failing schools to change things to ensure they look better than the SATs results would actually show?
We need proof our kids are receiving the best education possible and the schools league tables also allow us to make educated decisions on where best to send them. It would be great for parents to have the opportunity to rate their kids schools via an offical route to ensure all concerns are heard, which from experience is not the case if you go to the schools direct !