Labour government would scrap primary school SATs, Jeremy Corbyn tells teachers' union

Speaking at the National Education Union's (NEU) Conference in Liverpool, Mr Corbyn set out proposals to scrap the "regime of extreme pressure testing" under a Labour government.

A union leader said the move would 'make sense to parents and teachers', while Schools Minister Nick Gibb said abolishing the tests would be a 'terrible, retrograde step'.

However, Mr Corbyn said the policy would relieve pressure on a schools system forced to cope with overcrowded classrooms, and an ongoing crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.

The Labour leader said: "We need to prepare children for life, not just for exams.

"Sats and the regime of extreme pressure testing are giving young children nightmares and leaving them in floods of tears.

"I meet teachers of all ages and backgrounds who are totally overworked and overstressed. These are dedicated public servants. It's just wrong."

Mr Corbyn also announced that a Labour government will scrap baseline assessments for reception classes.

He said Labour would consult parents and teachers on an alternative that "prepares children for life, not just for exams".

PLEDGE: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn

The conference heard: ""Our assessment will be based on clear principles. First, to understand the learning needs of each child, because every child is unique.

"And second, to encourage a broad curriculum aimed at a rounded education.

"When children have a rich and varied curriculum, when they're encouraged to be creative, to develop their imagination, then there's evidence that they do better at the core elements of literacy and numeracy too."

Mr Corbyn said his party trusts teachers and will raise standards by freeing them up to teach.

He added: "Teachers get into the profession because they want to inspire children, not pass them along an assembly line."

Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: "Jeremy Corbyn gets it - he recognises the damage that a test-driven system is doing to children and schools; he understands what needs to change; he sets out ideas for education which will make sense to parents and teachers.

"The NEU has long advocated an assessment system that has the trust of teachers and school communities - one that will support children's learning and raise standards of attainment in our schools.

"We look forward to the return of a broad and balanced primary curriculum and to the rekindling of the spirit of creativity in our schools. We welcome Labour's commitment to work with the profession in order to develop these ground-breaking policies further."

BACKING: Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU

The Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, condemned Jeremy Corbyn’s plan to end school testing.

He said: “These tests have been part of school life since the 90s. They have been pivotal in raising standards in our primary schools. That’s why Labour governments led by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown supported them.

“Abolishing these tests would be a terrible, retrograde step. It would enormously damage our education system, and undo decades of improvement in children’s reading and maths.

"Labour plan to keep parents in the dark. They will prevent parents from knowing how good their child’s school is at teaching maths, reading and writing. Under Labour, the government would simply give up on ensuring all our children can read and write by the age of 11.”

The pledge was also welcomed by Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT.

He said: "We welcome Labour's approach here. NAHT has long campaigned for less testing overall in primary.

"While it is important to measure a child's progress, this can be done through every day teacher assessment and classroom tests, rather than through high stakes national assessments.

"In reality, SATs do not tell teachers or parents anything they didn't already know about their child or school, but have the negative unintended consequences of distracting from teaching and learning and narrowing the focus of the curriculum.

"Fewer tests would leave more time and space for a broad range of subjects and activities in the school day so that children’s opportunities are not limited.

"NAHT's independent Assessment Commission and Improving School Accountability reports contain the principles and recommendations that should underpin any assessment system, and we would urge Labour to use these as a starting point when developing theirs."

Primary schoolchildren undertake national tests and teacher assessments in English, maths and science at the end of Year 2 when aged six to seven, and national tests and teacher assessments in English and maths and teacher assessments in science at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6), aged 10 to 11.

Last year the Government announced that Key Stage 1 Sats would be replaced with a new baseline assessment in reception beginning in 2020.