Headteacher blasts SATs exams after pupils brought to tears
10.05.2023 - 20:37
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The headteacher of a primary school has criticised SATs tests after watching pupils break down in tears.
Year 6 children are sitting the tests this week, which are statutory assessments taken by youngsters at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.
They have previously come under fire from both parents and teachers, who feel it's unnecessary to test children at such a young age and not a fair assessment of their overall abilities.
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Now, after watching how pupils at Tarporley C of E Primary School in Tarporley, Cheshire, reacted to the tests on Wednesday, headteacher Kerry Forrester, has written to her MP saying 'SATs must go'.
She also shared a copy of her letter for other professionals and families to see online and within a couple of hours it had been shared more than 40,000 times.
Posting it on Twitter, she said: "Today was not acceptable. I cannot believe what we put our 10 and 11 year old children through for the government. SATS must go. Today I have written to my MP and urge you to do the same."
In the letter, the head said: "Today really was my 'road to Damascus moment'. My year 6 children, all capable readers who love reading, opened their reading test paper and were broken!
"Tears flowed from our most capable readers and stress levels rose amongst all others. For what, I found myself asking, for no other reason than to sit a test for the government DFE accountability measure.
"This was the most challenging reading test I have seen in my 29 years as a teacher and my 14 years as a headteacher.
"Since Covid we have spent time supporting our children to catch up and to believe in themselves as learners. Today saw so much of that work destroyed by