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| Education Secretary Nicky Morgan heckled at NAHT conference | Education Secretary Nicky Morgan heckled at NAHT conference |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has been heckled at the National Association of Head Teachers' conference in Birmingham. | Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has been heckled at the National Association of Head Teachers' conference in Birmingham. |
| Her words about government academy plans for England and testing agenda were met with cries of "rubbish". | |
| She told the conference: "I hear the strength of feeling in the hall." | She told the conference: "I hear the strength of feeling in the hall." |
| An emergency motion was passed pledging to use all options to oppose plans for forced academisation by 2022, including industrial action. | |
| Incoming NAHT leader Kim Johnson is an academy head but says the benefits of the government's plan are uncertain. | |
| There has also been opposition from Labour politicians and from some Conservative MPs and councillors. | There has also been opposition from Labour politicians and from some Conservative MPs and councillors. |
| Mrs Morgan's appearance at the conference also comes as primary schools are grappling with a new set of tests for seven and 11-year-olds. | Mrs Morgan's appearance at the conference also comes as primary schools are grappling with a new set of tests for seven and 11-year-olds. |
| One million children or more are due to sit these national tests in the next two weeks. | One million children or more are due to sit these national tests in the next two weeks. |
| 'A lot of changes' | 'A lot of changes' |
| The education secretary apologised for the accidental publication of the key stage 1 Sats spelling paper on a government website, revealed last week, as she addressed the conference. | The education secretary apologised for the accidental publication of the key stage 1 Sats spelling paper on a government website, revealed last week, as she addressed the conference. |
| And she said she understood how much change primary heads had been dealing with this year. | And she said she understood how much change primary heads had been dealing with this year. |
| "I recognise there have been a lot of changes - there's a new curriculum, a new way of assessment and new tests," she said. | "I recognise there have been a lot of changes - there's a new curriculum, a new way of assessment and new tests," she said. |
| In a question-and-answer session after her speech, Mrs Morgan was asked if she would tweak the wording of the new English assessment, to be taken by half a million 11-year-olds, so that fewer children would be deemed to have failed. | In a question-and-answer session after her speech, Mrs Morgan was asked if she would tweak the wording of the new English assessment, to be taken by half a million 11-year-olds, so that fewer children would be deemed to have failed. |
| Simon Kidwell, head teacher at Hartford Manor Primary School, Cheshire, called for writing assessments to be judged more leniently by a category known as "best fit", rather than the new "secure fit". | Simon Kidwell, head teacher at Hartford Manor Primary School, Cheshire, called for writing assessments to be judged more leniently by a category known as "best fit", rather than the new "secure fit". |
| He said: "If you make this positive move you will demonstrate that you are listening to the profession, and you will empower the teachers to make a judgement that will reflect a child's true ability." | He said: "If you make this positive move you will demonstrate that you are listening to the profession, and you will empower the teachers to make a judgement that will reflect a child's true ability." |
| When she said she was not minded to make the changes, Mr Sidwell called out: "Are you in charge of the department or is Nick Gibb?" | When she said she was not minded to make the changes, Mr Sidwell called out: "Are you in charge of the department or is Nick Gibb?" |
| Mrs Morgan replied angrily: "I am not going to dignify that sexist question with a response." | Mrs Morgan replied angrily: "I am not going to dignify that sexist question with a response." |
| This was met with gasps and grumbles from heads gathered in the hall, who had previously been clapping the questioner. | This was met with gasps and grumbles from heads gathered in the hall, who had previously been clapping the questioner. |
| Mr Gibb is the schools minister, and testing and accountability are part of his brief. | Mr Gibb is the schools minister, and testing and accountability are part of his brief. |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News education editor | By Branwen Jeffreys, BBC News education editor |
| With an audience of head teachers it was never likely to be a highly rowdy affair. | With an audience of head teachers it was never likely to be a highly rowdy affair. |
| But with their complete silence as Nicky Morgan walked on stage, low cries of "rubbish" and then loud outraged laughter as she answered questions, head teachers here at the NAHT conference in Birmingham made clear quite how disillusioned they're feeling. | But with their complete silence as Nicky Morgan walked on stage, low cries of "rubbish" and then loud outraged laughter as she answered questions, head teachers here at the NAHT conference in Birmingham made clear quite how disillusioned they're feeling. |
| It's not just the plans to force all schools to become academies, which will affect primary schools most, as few have chosen to go down that route. | It's not just the plans to force all schools to become academies, which will affect primary schools most, as few have chosen to go down that route. |
| It's also the changes, delays and uncertainty around primary testing which have left the Department for Education looking ham-fisted. | It's also the changes, delays and uncertainty around primary testing which have left the Department for Education looking ham-fisted. |
| Read more from Branwen | Read more from Branwen |
| The education secretary said the tests were a vital part of raising standards, criticising plans by some parents to keep their children out of school on Tuesday. | The education secretary said the tests were a vital part of raising standards, criticising plans by some parents to keep their children out of school on Tuesday. |
| Thousands are planning to take part in the protest, according to the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign which represents parents of six- and seven-year-olds. | Thousands are planning to take part in the protest, according to the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign which represents parents of six- and seven-year-olds. |
| It says primary pupils are being asked to learn concepts that may be beyond their capability and that children's mental health is at risk. | It says primary pupils are being asked to learn concepts that may be beyond their capability and that children's mental health is at risk. |
| "What are the limits placed on a child's imagination when they cannot write down their ideas for others to read?" Mrs Morgan told the conference. | "What are the limits placed on a child's imagination when they cannot write down their ideas for others to read?" Mrs Morgan told the conference. |
| "That is why the campaign led by some of those who do not think we should set high expectations, who want to keep their children home for a day next week, is so damaging. Keeping children home, even for a day, is harmful to their education." | "That is why the campaign led by some of those who do not think we should set high expectations, who want to keep their children home for a day next week, is so damaging. Keeping children home, even for a day, is harmful to their education." |
| Let Our Kids Be Kids said in response that "the testing regime is what is damaging to millions of children, not a one-day protest". | Let Our Kids Be Kids said in response that "the testing regime is what is damaging to millions of children, not a one-day protest". |
| 'Challenging questions' | 'Challenging questions' |
| Heads have been concerned that the toughening of Key Stage 2 tests, the results of which are used to hold schools to account, would lead to thousands more schools being labelled failing. | Heads have been concerned that the toughening of Key Stage 2 tests, the results of which are used to hold schools to account, would lead to thousands more schools being labelled failing. |
| But Mrs Morgan gave ground on this, saying the department would hold the percentage of schools to be deemed failing virtually flat, at only 1% more. | But Mrs Morgan gave ground on this, saying the department would hold the percentage of schools to be deemed failing virtually flat, at only 1% more. |
| NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby told reporters afterwards: "That's very significant. There's a lot of people who will have been thinking that tens of thousands of schools are going to fail." | NAHT general secretary Russell Hobby told reporters afterwards: "That's very significant. There's a lot of people who will have been thinking that tens of thousands of schools are going to fail." |
| But this did not pacify head teachers and there was much vocal anger at Mrs Morgan's reluctance to acknowledge standards had been made too hard. | But this did not pacify head teachers and there was much vocal anger at Mrs Morgan's reluctance to acknowledge standards had been made too hard. |
| "You're not listening," one delegate shouted, while others called: "How can you say that?". | "You're not listening," one delegate shouted, while others called: "How can you say that?". |
| Mr Hobby brought the session to an end a few minutes early, thanking Mrs Morgan for her time, and adding: "There were some very challenging questions there. | Mr Hobby brought the session to an end a few minutes early, thanking Mrs Morgan for her time, and adding: "There were some very challenging questions there. |
| "I am worried at the moment about the gap that's widening between the profession and the government over a number of issues. | "I am worried at the moment about the gap that's widening between the profession and the government over a number of issues. |
| "The two key issues it revolves around are assessment and academisation." | "The two key issues it revolves around are assessment and academisation." |
| 'Trust in us' | 'Trust in us' |
| Kim Johnson warned in a letter to the Daily Telegraph that the academy plan was costly. | |
| He wrote: "I will happily persuade my colleagues of the merits of autonomy and freedom. But I have doubts about forcing every school in England to convert to academy status." | He wrote: "I will happily persuade my colleagues of the merits of autonomy and freedom. But I have doubts about forcing every school in England to convert to academy status." |
| The cost of turning every school into an academy was "high" and the benefits "uncertain", he said. | The cost of turning every school into an academy was "high" and the benefits "uncertain", he said. |
| He told the BBC many schools had made the decision that working within a local authority structure worked for them and their community. | He told the BBC many schools had made the decision that working within a local authority structure worked for them and their community. |
| "Why change that? If the choice is become an academy because you know that actually you can improve the quality of what's going on, then that would seem the right thing to do. | "Why change that? If the choice is become an academy because you know that actually you can improve the quality of what's going on, then that would seem the right thing to do. |
| "So give the choice. Trust in us. We do know what we're doing," he said. | "So give the choice. Trust in us. We do know what we're doing," he said. |