Sats ‘nightmares’ are the teachers’ fault, says minister

ONE in three children has not mastered the three Rs, it has been disclosed as the schools minister blamed teachers for pupils’ exam “nightmares”.

The Sats results, used in annual school league tables, showed that 36 per cent of primary school pupils in England failed to meet the Government’s expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

More than half a million 11-year-olds took tests based on a “tougher” curriculum and marking standard in May.

Teachers have complained about the stress and anxiety that pupils have suffered as a result of Sats, including some having nightmares and vomiting.

However, Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said that if children were feeling stressed, it is teachers who are to blame rather than the tests and that if any children are having nightmares, it is “a reflection of the school, not a reflection of the Sats”. He told The Daily

Telegraph: “Schools should not be put- ting pupils under any kind of pressure when they take these Sats.

“These aren’t about qualifications for individual children, these are about holding schools to account. They have no impact on the future of the children.

“These Sats ensure we can identify schools that are underperforming and are not delivering this high quality education. That’s the purpose of the Sats.”

Nine in 10 primary schoolteachers said the Sats were detrimental to children’s wellbeing, according to a poll of 1,200 teachers conducted by the National Education Union.

“Pupils at our school have cried, had nightmares and have changed in behaviour,” one teacher told the poll.

Figures released by the Department for Education showed 64 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in 2018, up from 61 per cent in 2017. This means 36 per cent failed to reach the expected standard across all three subjects of reading, writing and maths.