The Association of School and College Leaders has commented on the Conservative proposal for English and maths tests for 11 year olds to be held at the start of year 7 instead of the final term of year 6.
ASCL general secretary, Dr John Dunford, said: ‘Michael Gove’s suggestion that Key Stage 2 SATs should be held at the start of year 7 is an interesting contribution to the thorny issue of testing at the end of primary school. I am pleased that he has put this forward, not as a concrete proposal at this stage, but as an idea for discussion. Most secondary schools give 11 year olds a test in the first term as a means of assessing the potential of the child and to provide additional information beyond that given by the primary schools and the key stage tests. The Conservative idea has merit in removing some of the problems from year 6 of primary school and may make the transition to secondary school smoother. However, the administration and marking of the tests would produce considerable additional workload for secondary schools, which are already feeling burdened by the weight of other initiatives.’
