Ministers’ call to pause primary school tests

Education ministers are being urged to pause SATs and all statutory assessments in primary schools to give children time to catch up on lost learning.

The Government plans to assess four and five-yearolds in their first few weeks of school from September, but a More Than A Score campaign group survey – a coalition of head teachers, parents and MPs – suggests that only 15% of parents think spending time preparing for SATs should be included in a "catch-up" programme.

SATs in primary schools have been cancelled for a second year in a row but the statutory rollout of the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) - a new one-to-one assessment for pupils - is due to take place from September, after being delayed by a year due to Covid-19.

The More Than A Score report calls for statutory tests to be dropped during the 2021-22 academic year to give primary schools and pupils the time to bridge any learning gaps caused by the pandemic.

Alison Ali, a spokeswoman for More Than A Score, said: "Everyone's talking about catch-up and lost learning. We say there's a simple solution for primary schools: don't bring back SATs and the other assessments children have to sit in five out of seven years.

"Keeping them out of schools will give teachers and children the time they need to bridge learning gaps and focus on wellbeing.

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesman said: "Assessments are designed to enable teachers to track pupils' progress, helping to make sure they stay on track to fulfil their potential throughout school.