Teachers have very little time to deliver interesting, varied lessons, as they have to ‘teach to the test’, which means largely focusing on English and maths. Pupils and parents also feel the stress that comes with fear of the stigma of failure – children believe that SATs represent a judgement of their abilities. Worse, more than a third of children taking SATs in the last few years had to be told they had failed just as they were about to start secondary school.

What purpose do these tests serve, anyway? Absolutely none, other than to judge schools against each other. Children become data points and their education is sacrificed to a system obsessed with league tables. It may have been designed to measure schools’ progress, but it’s not working out that way. With such a narrow curriculum, SATs can’t paint a true picture of all that a school has to offer.

According to research from YouGov, the majority of parents disagree with the government’s policy of using SATs and other formal tests to judge primary schools.

• Only 16% believe it is fair to use SATs and other formal tests to measure a school.
• 81% feel that their children’s happiness is more important than formal test results.
• Only one in four consider SATs results when choosing a primary school – it ranks 8th in a list of factors, and league tables are ranked 10th.
• 73% think that standardised tests put too much pressure on their children.

In the interests of our children’s wellbeing, mental health, and their broader education, join our campaign and demand that this over-testing regime is changed urgently.