A school principal is calling for sats to be scrapped after saying her elementary school students were “broken” by the latest test.
Kerry Forrester, from Tarporley CE Primary School in Cheshire, said many children cried.
She wrote an open letter to her local MP Edward Timpson and said in an accompanying tweet: “Sats have to go.”
The assessments played an “important role” in tracking students’ progress, a spokesman for the Department of Education (DfE) said.
Ms Forrester’s post on Twitter was retweeted more than 900 times and drew hundreds of comments, many of which were supportive and one described it as a “heartbreaking” letter.
Sixth graders at the school took their reading tests on Thursday and Ms Forrester described them as “all able readers”.
But when they opened it, “they were broken,” “tears flowed,” and “stress levels rose,” she said.
“This was the most challenging reading test I have experienced in my 29 years as a teacher and 14 years as a principal,” Ms. Forrester wrote.
Sats are a series of tests in English, Science and Maths that measure how well children do in Years 2 and 6 in English primary schools.
Pupils put “immense pressure” on themselves to perform well in them and this has “negative effects” on their mental health and well-being, the headmaster added.
Ms Forrester said she wanted a “more balanced approach” to education and urged Mr Timpson, the Conservative MP for Eddisbury, to take action on the matter.
Mr Timpson said he had been contacted by several local school leaders about the difficulties children were facing reading the 6th grade school magazine.
“[I] have sent their correspondence directly to the Minister of Education as I know this is a more widespread problem,” he added.
The assessments were used to identify students who may be lagging behind in their education and need additional support, the DfE spokesman said.
“It’s important for schools to encourage students to do their best, but preparing for these exams shouldn’t come at the expense of their well-being,” they added.
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