Parents and teachers have spoken in support of a headteacher who criticised SATs papers for bringing her pupils to tears.
Within hours of children sitting a reading paper on Wednesday, Kerry Forrester, head of Tarporley C of E Primary School in Tarporley, Cheshire, wrote a letter to her MP calling for the assessments to be scrapped.
After sharing a copy of her letter for other professionals and families to see online, thousands of people have reacted, most of them agreeing the tests for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils should be abolished.
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M.E.N. readers have also reacted with fury to the tests, with teachers saying the reading paper in particular was much harder than any practice paper.
"I have supported children for many years during SATs week and the reading paper this year was really hard," said Joann Neilson, responding to the article on our Manchester Family Facebook page.
Mum Sarah Leona Smith added: "My daughter got home from school yesterday, the one test she wasn’t going to struggle with because she was on greater depth for reading. She cried. She didn’t even finish the paper because it was so hard."
And Sonia Stockton said she agrees the SATs for both age groups should be scrapped.
"Yes agreed, 100% they should be scrapped," she said. "These kids are put through this stress year after year and for what? They are already stressed thinking of transition to high school, enough is enough.
"And as for the 6 and 7 year olds, well they are too young to be put through any exam or test."
Hundreds more reacted on the MEN's Facebook page, including Emma Benton, who said: "My daughter who is very capable was in tears today too and she couldn't understand why she couldn't finish the paper.
"These children have lost so much education with Covid and strikes and this is totally unfair. Always said SATs should go. We should be building resilience in our young people because the government and society have failed them so far and they will pay the price if we don't invest in their mental health."
In her letter, the Tarporley 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 a snapshot from an inappropriate test."
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Key Stage 2 assessments play a vital role in understanding pupils’ progress and identifying those who may have fallen behind, so they can be provided with extra support if needed.
“It’s important that schools encourage pupils to do their best but preparing for these exams should not be at the expense of their wellbeing.”
Has your child been sitting the SATs tests this week? Do you agree they are unfair? Are you a teacher who feels the same as the head? Let us know in the comments.
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