Writing for The Leaders Council, Andrew Clowes, headteacher of Hey with Zion Primary School in Oldham, Lancashire, criticises failings in how government agencies are handling the processing and marking of SATs.
I was looking forward to receiving my school’s exam results last week. The children, the staff and the children’s parents had worked so hard.
After the experiences in schools of the last few years, it felt like we were in a historic moment. We had lived through a time of crisis; how had we fared?
This was a cohort who had not had a full year in school since Year Three but had persevered tremendously through the lockdowns. The Dunkirk spirit had been at play in Oldham, as parents juggled roles to support their children’s home learning while schools were closed to many, and teachers learned to deliver online lessons. Teaching assistants covered classes of key workers’ children while we waited for vaccines to arrive. We carried on.
The children adapted too; they did all they could to do their best in their SATs.
Then at 07:32 on the morning the results were due, I received an email from The Standards and Testing Agency [STA], the executive agency for testing appointed by the Department for Education.
“Dear Headteacher,” it began, “for one or more pupils at your school we are unable to provide a test outcome across one or more subjects. There are several reasons as to why this may be the case.”
Except, the real reason why the paper of one of my pupils was missing was not listed.
The real reason is that STA lost it.
I knew that it had been sent off - the papers are always handled under dual control in schools - that is the rule, and we follow rules. I packed the papers myself, in the company of our head of Maths.
The STA had lost his paper.
I tried emailing the STA - I received no reply. I tried telephoning them - after an hour-and-a-half waiting for somebody to speak to, I gave up.
“Is this because they do not care about wasting teachers’ time?” I asked myself. “Or are they inundated with phone calls from cross headteachers?”
It became apparent that the latter, at least, was the case. There have been widespread failings in the handling and marking of primary school SATs by the government agencies appointed to manage the process.
Only in May the government’s own blog told us that SATs were necessary. “The data will provide vital information to parents about their child’s attainment,” said the government’s blog. It also added that the data would “support the transition to secondary schools, and identify where additional support is best targeted to individuals.”
Except they won’t.
Because large numbers of papers have gone missing. Hence the data analyses - at national, local authority, school, and pupil group level - will now all be suspect.
Another email arrived from STA today - again, a generic one. “We would like to reassure schools, trusts, and local authorities [LAs] of the commitment to learning all the necessary lessons from this year to improve the service in future.”
Well, that is all very well, but SATs have been going since the early 1990s. The young civil servants processing SATs then will be close to retirement now.
It is time they got it right.
So far, I have spoken only about data analyses, which are rendered fragile when based on incomplete data. There is a personal cost, too.
What about the child?
This is the effect on my pupil, from the perspective of his mother:
“My child suffers from ASD and has had a difficult time engaging in learning and staying on course with his schoolwork, Over the past two years he has worked extremely hard with the school to overcome this and has started to enjoy his learning and has improved to a higher level in his Maths and English.
“He is a child who needs to be continuously challenged in his learning to help him engage and stay on course with his ASD throughout the day. This settles him and allows him to deal with his anxiety in a healthy manner.
“As a parent I have a number of concerns in relation to his lost paper and the impact it is having on him mentally. He is constantly asking me and the school if the paper will turn up? What will happen if they don’t find it? This for a child who suffers from ASD can become quite obsessive and causes worry and impromptu outbursts.
“I am also concerned that it will impact his transmission to secondary school and the class placements he will receive in Maths.
“Maths is a subject he enjoys the challenge of and without the challenges he will not engage in the lesson, become withdrawn and act out.
“School have tried multiple ways to get these results as they too understand the situation for him and wish to be able to provide the care and comfort and trust they have built up over the years with him.
“I find it appalling that no one is taking responsibility for this or offering any form of explanation. A child’s educational future is at risk and yet again they are being failed by those who just tick the box.
“I cannot thank the school enough not only for the hard work and support my son has received especially over the past two years and the support they continue to give each and every child that attends.
“Mr Clowes I would like to personally thank you for taking this matter as seriously as you are and fighting for not only mine but all our children to ensure they are not just numbers but individuals who need to be heard.”
“No one is taking responsibility…” Damning words.
I wonder who in government would come forward to take responsibility for this.
My children overall, by the way, had really good results- way ahead of national norms; but what should have been a time for contentment and satisfaction at a job well done has been spoiled by administrative failings at the STA.
Excitement and anticipation at the prospect of moving up to secondary school have been replaced, at least for one pupil, with anxiety.
