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| Teachers back a boycott of Sats | Teachers back a boycott of Sats |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| One of the main classroom teachers' unions has voted for a ballot on a boycott of Sats in England next year. | One of the main classroom teachers' unions has voted for a ballot on a boycott of Sats in England next year. |
| The National Union of Teachers' annual conference backed a proposal to ballot "once all other reasonable avenues have been exhausted". | The National Union of Teachers' annual conference backed a proposal to ballot "once all other reasonable avenues have been exhausted". |
| Any action could start in September, as schools begin preparing for next year's round of Sats tests. | Any action could start in September, as schools begin preparing for next year's round of Sats tests. |
| The government has said a boycott would be unlawful and has appealed to the union to think again. | The government has said a boycott would be unlawful and has appealed to the union to think again. |
| Other classroom teachers' unions are not in favour. | Other classroom teachers' unions are not in favour. |
| But the National Association of Head Teachers is to debate a similar motion at its annual conference next month. | But the National Association of Head Teachers is to debate a similar motion at its annual conference next month. |
| League tables | League tables |
| The motions call for a ballot of members on a boycott of the statutory national curriculum tests at Key Stage 1 and 2 (ages seven and 11), for the academic year 2009-10. | The motions call for a ballot of members on a boycott of the statutory national curriculum tests at Key Stage 1 and 2 (ages seven and 11), for the academic year 2009-10. |
| The tests that seven-year-olds take are relatively low-key and marked internally within schools, to inform teachers' assessments of children's progress. | The tests that seven-year-olds take are relatively low-key and marked internally within schools, to inform teachers' assessments of children's progress. |
| It is the Key Stage 2 tests taken by about 600,000 children every year at the end of primary school that are more high-stakes, as the results form the basis of the league tables. | It is the Key Stage 2 tests taken by about 600,000 children every year at the end of primary school that are more high-stakes, as the results form the basis of the league tables. |
| If there were any serious question about the lawfulness of action involving a boycott of Sats we wouldn't be proposing it Graham Clayton, NUT solicitor Have your say: Sats debate | If there were any serious question about the lawfulness of action involving a boycott of Sats we wouldn't be proposing it Graham Clayton, NUT solicitor Have your say: Sats debate |
| These tests, and those taken by 14-year-olds, were mired in delay and confusion last year because of problems at the private firm contracted to administer them, ETS Europe. | These tests, and those taken by 14-year-olds, were mired in delay and confusion last year because of problems at the private firm contracted to administer them, ETS Europe. |
| The government scrapped the 14-year-olds' tests - although most schools will still be doing them this year on an optional basis. | The government scrapped the 14-year-olds' tests - although most schools will still be doing them this year on an optional basis. |
| But ministers have insisted a measure of attainment is vital at the end of primary school. | But ministers have insisted a measure of attainment is vital at the end of primary school. |
| Speaking ahead of the NUT conference, the union's chief solicitor, Graham Clayton, said: "If there were any serious question about the lawfulness of action involving a boycott of Sats we wouldn't be proposing it." | Speaking ahead of the NUT conference, the union's chief solicitor, Graham Clayton, said: "If there were any serious question about the lawfulness of action involving a boycott of Sats we wouldn't be proposing it." |
| 'Essential for standards' | 'Essential for standards' |
| Proposing the boycott motion, Hazel Danson, a member of the NUT executive, said testing narrowed the curriculum and did not raise standards, but damaged children's learning. | Proposing the boycott motion, Hazel Danson, a member of the NUT executive, said testing narrowed the curriculum and did not raise standards, but damaged children's learning. |
| "It is educationally barren." | "It is educationally barren." |
| She said that as a primary school teacher she spent her life trying to ensure that every child achieved their full potential, and she could be trusted to know what needed doing. | She said that as a primary school teacher she spent her life trying to ensure that every child achieved their full potential, and she could be trusted to know what needed doing. |
| The league tables, derived from the results, forced schools to focus their efforts on developing pupils who were just below the required attainment level. | The league tables, derived from the results, forced schools to focus their efforts on developing pupils who were just below the required attainment level. |
| They were "tantamount to wholesale government-funded cheating", she said. | They were "tantamount to wholesale government-funded cheating", she said. |
| About 600,000 11-year-olds are preparing for Sats in May | About 600,000 11-year-olds are preparing for Sats in May |
| But a spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, responsible for education in England, said the tests were essential to raising standards. | |
| "They give parents and the public the information they need about the progress of every primary age child and every primary school," he said. | "They give parents and the public the information they need about the progress of every primary age child and every primary school," he said. |
| "Independent research shows they are valued by the clear majority of parents. | "Independent research shows they are valued by the clear majority of parents. |
| "The motion proposed by the NUT leadership calling for a boycott of next year's statutory tests is irresponsible, it is unlawful and it is out of touch with what parents and teachers want. They should think again." | "The motion proposed by the NUT leadership calling for a boycott of next year's statutory tests is irresponsible, it is unlawful and it is out of touch with what parents and teachers want. They should think again." |
| We want to scrap the Sats now. We know they're bad for children NUT member Sara Tomlinson | We want to scrap the Sats now. We know they're bad for children NUT member Sara Tomlinson |
| He said head teachers had a statutory duty to administer the tests and teachers would be in breach of their contracts if they failed to comply with instructions to do so. | He said head teachers had a statutory duty to administer the tests and teachers would be in breach of their contracts if they failed to comply with instructions to do so. |
| The NUT's acting general secretary, Christine Blower, has said the whole debate might have been headed off by the report of the government's expert group on testing, which had been due in mid-February but has been postponed to May. | The NUT's acting general secretary, Christine Blower, has said the whole debate might have been headed off by the report of the government's expert group on testing, which had been due in mid-February but has been postponed to May. |
| She said Schools Secretary Ed Balls had said "quite helpful" things about Sats "not being set in stone" - though there have been problems in the pilot versions of new single-level tests which Mr Balls had held out as a possible replacement. | She said Schools Secretary Ed Balls had said "quite helpful" things about Sats "not being set in stone" - though there have been problems in the pilot versions of new single-level tests which Mr Balls had held out as a possible replacement. |
| She added: "We absolutely do want to talk to government." | She added: "We absolutely do want to talk to government." |
| Some NUT members say Sats make children nervous | Some NUT members say Sats make children nervous |
| Some of the NUT delegates held a small demonstration in the Cardiff sunshine outside their conference venue, wearing red T-shirts with the slogan No Useless Tests (NUT). | |
| One, David Clinch from Devon, said: "Sats are like cigarettes. They've got no benefit to the human body whatsoever. | One, David Clinch from Devon, said: "Sats are like cigarettes. They've got no benefit to the human body whatsoever. |
| "What they do is make children very nervous about their learning in fact they are not learning they are being coached to do particular tests which have no benefit to them at all," he said. | "What they do is make children very nervous about their learning in fact they are not learning they are being coached to do particular tests which have no benefit to them at all," he said. |
| "The key benefit is to the state to make schools compete against one another and to put schools into league tables, which is not what we think, we believe in collaboration and innovation in teaching." | "The key benefit is to the state to make schools compete against one another and to put schools into league tables, which is not what we think, we believe in collaboration and innovation in teaching." |
| Another, Sara Tomlinson from Lambeth in London said: "We want to scrap the Sats now. We know they're bad for children. | Another, Sara Tomlinson from Lambeth in London said: "We want to scrap the Sats now. We know they're bad for children. |
| "Every report, every survey that's done by expert groups says they are damaging to children." | "Every report, every survey that's done by expert groups says they are damaging to children." |
| She said there was no problem with having a bank of materials to assess children, but there was a problem with the top-down imposition of test targets. | She said there was no problem with having a bank of materials to assess children, but there was a problem with the top-down imposition of test targets. |