Children in England are the most tested and reported on in Europe. End

of Key Stage tests are taken by 1.8 million seven, 11 and 14 year olds

every year. A child will take up to 105 national tests during the first

eleven years.

National Curriculum tests were introduced by the Conservatives in

1988. They dominate our children’s education. Most teachers see them

as unhelpful. They don’t help children to learn. They don’t help

teachers to teach. They don’t provide the most valuable information for

parents. They aren’t good for children.

These tests are set at national level and have no bearing on the needs

of individual schools or pupils. Marked against national standards, the

results, school by school, are published annually in national school

performance tables.

Parents and the public are encouraged to judge schools by these

"league tables". Parents use them to choose schools. They are led to

believe the results show how well or how badly their children are

learning.

Teachers are under great pressure to "teach to the test". The tests, not

the needs of children, dominate the curriculum and the work and life

of schools.

In Scotland, school performance tables similar to those in England have

never been published and there are no tests similar to those in England.

In Northern Ireland, school performance tables have been abolished

and there are no end of Key Stage tests for seven year olds. In Wales,

school performance tables and tests for seven year olds have been

abolished. Only in England are there school performance tables for 11,

14 and 16 year olds and National Curriculum tests which are imposed

Nothing. Teachers use their own assessments and tests regularly to

assess pupils’ progress and needs and to adapt their teaching. Teachers

test so that they can report to parents on their children’s progress. Such

teaching or children. They become the ends instead of the means.

• "Teaching to the test" is what happens when teachers are forced not

to teach to the needs of the children but to train pupils to do well in

National Curriculum tests.

• Revising for and sitting the tests takes up valuable teaching time.

• Testing rather than the needs of individual pupils now drives the

curriculum in schools.

• So much time is spent on preparing for and taking the tests to

achieve national targets that many other enjoyable and beneficial

learning activities are reduced or cut out.

• Schools give information to parents in the form of National

Curriculum levels obtained through the tests. This technicality makes

it much more difficult for parents to understand.

• Understandably, parents become convinced that only what is tested

is important.

• Rising parental anxiety is shown by recent media reports and by

commercially produced revision guides for parents moving into the

top ten of non-fiction book sales.

• Many children become very stressed by the tests losing confidence

and dreading school, rather than enjoying it. For these youngsters,

the national tests are harmful not helpful to their education.

• The confidence which teachers, parents and pupils gain from a good

school inspection report is undermined if, because of factors outside their

control, their school gets a low ranking in school performance tables.

Parents should rely on the professional judgement of teachers rather

than draw conclusions from the outcomes of tests which do not

properly show the achievement of their youngsters.

National Curriculum tests are not helpful to teaching. They are not

helpful for learning. They are not good for children!

They should be abolished.

To support the campaign against National Curriculum tests

• write to the local newspapers;

• write to your MP; and

• tell your children’s headteacher how much you disagree with

them.

"NOT GOOD FOR CHILDREN" is published by the National Union of

Teachers as part of its campaign against National Curriculum testing.

For further information please visit: