The school will go up the league table. At the same time, the quality of the education such schools provide will fall and their children s preparation for secondary education will diminish. This is not a doom-monger s prediction. It is already happening. There are primary schools who switched almost entirely into SAT revision mode, several weeks before the actual event.
All schools test their children.
Wise schools get them used to the quiet formality of a structured test situation through regular spellings, tables and the like. The bravest and most honest of schools still regard the SATs as merely a double check on the teacher s long term assessment. These children will be relaxed, untraumatised and should achieve a reasonably accurate assessment of their true abilities. It was agreed unanimously that Mr. Richards has voiced the deepening concern felt by a large majority of primary school communities. The Association calls on HMCI to take a fair and unbiased line in any comments on primary education.