Following a successful ballot of both unions’ leadership members, the NUT and NAHT executives have decided that the boycott of this year’s SATs will go ahead.
Clear majorities in both unions voted to support action.
This is categorically not strike action. Schools will be open and children will be taught.
Members taking industrial action will not administer the 2010 SATs. SATs are scheduled to take place in schools from May 10 – 13.
SATs in their current form disrupt the learning process for children in Year 6, and are misused to compile meaningless league tables which only serve to humiliate and demean children, their teachers and their communities.
The NUT and NAHT are supportive of a system of assessment that highlights what children can do rather than focusing on failure.
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the NUT, said: ‘I am very pleased that we have reached this decision.
‘Not only are we boycotting SATs but we are saying to schools that this is finally the opportunity to do the exciting things you always really wanted to be doing in the classroom.
‘We can make sure SATs week is a really brilliant week, a creative week, which is what we would want every single week of the year to be.’
Mick Brookes, General Secretary of the NAHT, said: ‘The government missed the opportunity to reform the assessment for pupils in Key Stage 2 when they abolished the same tests in Key Stage 3 in 2008.
‘We cannot continue to have our colleagues and their school communities in the Primary sector disparaged on the basis of a flawed testing regime.
‘We guarantee that children in Year 6 will leave with accurate information about their achievements that will be both broad and positive.
‘We are determined, for all the right reasons, to see positive change. This protest is a significant mark of that determination.’
The Spring 2010 edition of the union magazine NUT News asks readers ‘Facing an Ofsted inspection?’
It says: ‘The NUT has been successful in gaining assurances from Ofsted on the new framework, particularly on the key issues of attainment and achievement and safeguarding [of children].
‘On safeguarding, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert has confirmed that “safeguarding grades of satisfactory or good do not limit the overall effectiveness to those grades . . . a school judged to be satisfactory in its safeguarding arrangements may still be judged to be outstanding . . .”
‘Some members had told us that, despite their school having met the statutory requirements for safeguarding, it had been downgraded to “inadequate”.
‘Ofsted are clear that such a judgement should not be made in those circumstances.
‘On attainment, Christine Gilbert has said: “A school may be judged to be outstanding if attainment is average, or even low, provided that learning and progress are outstanding . . .
“all schools, whatever their circumstances, have the opportunity to be judged outstanding for their overall effectiveness. . .
“There is nothing in the evaluation schedule or the guidance we have issued to inspectors which suggests otherwise.”
‘Members and school representatives should contact their division/association or their regional office if they do not think that inspectors are taking sufficient account of children’s actual progress in their learning.
‘It is important that Members of Parliament are aware of the problems with the new Ofsted framework.
‘The NUT drafted an Early Day Motion, which was tabled in Parliament on February 9th.
‘Please go to www.teachers.org.uk/ofsted to email your MP and ask them to sign EDM 845 “Ofsted’s new inspection framework for schools”.
‘If your Ofsted inspection paints a picture of your school that you don’t recognise, we want to know.
‘Please contact your NUT association/division secretary or your regional office. Also, please keep your views coming to: .’
The magazine quotes NUT general secretary Christine Blower as saying: ‘The NUT is determined to raise members’ concerns with Ofsted.
‘We want a school evaluation system that supports schools, rather than punishing them.
‘Ofsted has made it absolutely clear that a complaint by a school against unfair judgements or the conduct of inspectors will not be detrimental to the school.
‘If your Ofsted inspection paints a picture of your school that you don’t recognise, we want to know.’
l Meanwhile, public sector union Unison warned on Wednesday: ‘Shocking statistics released in a Unison survey today show that 70 per cent of further education colleges are planning for job cuts.
‘In some colleges hundreds of jobs are under threat, with those targeted including lecturers, cleaners and nursery staff.
‘The findings also reveal that 76 per cent of the colleges surveyed will be cutting courses and 23 per cent of colleges that have nurseries say these facilities are under threat.’
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said: ‘This survey reveals the real extent of the crisis in further education colleges.
‘Staff are facing an uncertain future with jobs cuts across the country.
‘Staff and students will be hit if courses are cut and nurseries close.
‘Job cuts will also lead to lost skills and professionalisation.
‘This will have a huge impact on all those who have already lost their jobs during the recession and are trying to re-skill and this will have a knock-on effect on the opportunities available for the “lost generation” of young people, who are among those hit the hardest.
‘Now is not the time to be making cuts, it is the time to invest in education.
‘Financial cutbacks to adult education funding have been serious, but they do not justify the huge number of redundancies and course cuts planned across the sector.
‘These figures make a mockery of the Tory claims that they can make millions more cuts in 2011 and not affect frontline services.’