This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36108449
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Sats primary school spelling test scrapped after blunder | Sats primary school spelling test scrapped after blunder |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The government has been forced to cancel its controversial new spelling and grammar test after it was accidentally put online by officials. | The government has been forced to cancel its controversial new spelling and grammar test after it was accidentally put online by officials. |
| Schools Minister Nick Gibb said the incident was "clearly regrettable". | Schools Minister Nick Gibb said the incident was "clearly regrettable". |
| Half a million seven-year-olds in England had been due to take the tests next month, as part of their Sats. | Half a million seven-year-olds in England had been due to take the tests next month, as part of their Sats. |
| Head teachers' leaders had called for the test to be scrapped as it had been used as practice by an unidentifiable number of schools. | Head teachers' leaders had called for the test to be scrapped as it had been used as practice by an unidentifiable number of schools. |
| On Thursday, the BBC News website reported that a spelling test from this new additional paper had been available on a Department for Education website, for use as practice material, since January. | |
| 'Human error' | 'Human error' |
| The blunder was initially spotted by a teacher at one of 700 schools that was carrying out an official trial of the test, using the paper that was to be taken by pupils around England. | The blunder was initially spotted by a teacher at one of 700 schools that was carrying out an official trial of the test, using the paper that was to be taken by pupils around England. |
| Russell Hobby, the leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "We have no way of knowing how extensively it has been used by schools and parents." | Russell Hobby, the leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "We have no way of knowing how extensively it has been used by schools and parents." |
| Mr Hobby said the schools minister had acted "quickly and appropriately" in cancelling this part of the Sats tests for seven-year-olds. | Mr Hobby said the schools minister had acted "quickly and appropriately" in cancelling this part of the Sats tests for seven-year-olds. |
| Mr Gibb issued a statement saying: "To remove any uncertainty and clarify the situation for schools, I have decided that we will remove the requirement on them to administer the Key Stage 1 grammar, punctuation and spelling test for this year only." | Mr Gibb issued a statement saying: "To remove any uncertainty and clarify the situation for schools, I have decided that we will remove the requirement on them to administer the Key Stage 1 grammar, punctuation and spelling test for this year only." |
| He said that no other test papers for Key Stage 1 pupils appeared to have been affected. | He said that no other test papers for Key Stage 1 pupils appeared to have been affected. |
| The schools minister also announced there would be a "root and branch inquiry" into the Standards and Testing Agency, an agency of the DfE that sets tests. | The schools minister also announced there would be a "root and branch inquiry" into the Standards and Testing Agency, an agency of the DfE that sets tests. |
| Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Standards and Testing Agency, said the blunder had been caused by "human error". | Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Standards and Testing Agency, said the blunder had been caused by "human error". |
| 'Mockery' | |
| "We were made aware on 20 April that sample guidance material published by the STA, to be used with the modified version of the Key Stage 1 spelling test, contained the live test words rather than the sample test words. | "We were made aware on 20 April that sample guidance material published by the STA, to be used with the modified version of the Key Stage 1 spelling test, contained the live test words rather than the sample test words. |
| "As soon as we were made aware, we removed the document from the website." | "As soon as we were made aware, we removed the document from the website." |
| The test, known as the SPAG, was being introduced this year for children in Year 2. Teaching unions criticised the move saying it introduced a technical approach to language for children too early. | The test, known as the SPAG, was being introduced this year for children in Year 2. Teaching unions criticised the move saying it introduced a technical approach to language for children too early. |
| Hundreds of thousands of papers, amid high security, will have been sent to schools in readiness for the statutory test to be taken in the first week of May. | |
| Teacher Charlotte Smiles, who spotted the error when one of her pupils seemed to know all the questions before they were asked, said the mistake showed a "lack of management" and had made a "mockery" of the system. | |
| "We received our papers last week and they are currently locked up in a secure location where only one person is allowed the key - and the spare key has got to be locked away in the safe as per all the guidance," she said. | |
| "We are subject to quite a few security rules and if we don't follow those... we can have maladministration proceedings brought against us. | |
| "That can spark an Ofsted [visit], and teachers and head teachers can lose their jobs. | |
| "Yet the DfE have published it online anyway and I just wonder are they going to be suffering the same proceedings that we would." | |
| A guide to Sats | A guide to Sats |
| Key Stage 1 Sats are taken by six- and seven-year-olds in England at the end of Year 2. | Key Stage 1 Sats are taken by six- and seven-year-olds in England at the end of Year 2. |
| Pupils take tests in: | Pupils take tests in: |
| The Key Stage 1 test results are used by teachers to reach an overall judgement of the standards pupils have reached in these key subjects. | The Key Stage 1 test results are used by teachers to reach an overall judgement of the standards pupils have reached in these key subjects. |
| Parents also receive a teacher assessment for science, though there is no science test. | Parents also receive a teacher assessment for science, though there is no science test. |
| A second set of tests are taken by 10- and 11-year-olds at the end of Year 6. These Key Stage 2 tests are used as a measure of school performance. | |