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Berkshire school misses SATs deadline as head teacher ill | |
(about 14 hours later) | |
The government has been urged to help a group of Year 6 pupils in Berkshire who cannot take their SATs tests because their head teacher has been ill. | The government has been urged to help a group of Year 6 pupils in Berkshire who cannot take their SATs tests because their head teacher has been ill. |
Rob Wilson, Conservative MP for Reading East, told the Commons the application deadline for the tests had been missed. | Rob Wilson, Conservative MP for Reading East, told the Commons the application deadline for the tests had been missed. |
Education Secretary Michael Gove said it was a "widespread issue". | Education Secretary Michael Gove said it was a "widespread issue". |
After the session, Mr Wilson declined to name the school because he did not want to reveal the identity of the teacher concerned. | After the session, Mr Wilson declined to name the school because he did not want to reveal the identity of the teacher concerned. |
SATs are the National Curriculum assessments of Year 2 and Year 6 children, aged about seven and 11 years old. | SATs are the National Curriculum assessments of Year 2 and Year 6 children, aged about seven and 11 years old. |
'Silly bureaucracy' | 'Silly bureaucracy' |
During the Commons debate earlier, Mr Wilson said the "sudden, serious illness" of a head teacher in his constituency meant "the names of a number of children who were due to sit the level six SATs were not submitted in time". | During the Commons debate earlier, Mr Wilson said the "sudden, serious illness" of a head teacher in his constituency meant "the names of a number of children who were due to sit the level six SATs were not submitted in time". |
He called on the Department for Education to "intervene in this rather silly bureaucracy and allow the children, who have worked very hard to take the test". | He called on the Department for Education to "intervene in this rather silly bureaucracy and allow the children, who have worked very hard to take the test". |
Mr Gove told the Commons it was "difficult to make exceptions". | Mr Gove told the Commons it was "difficult to make exceptions". |
Mr Wilson told the BBC: "I think there are a number of schools around the country that have been late in submitting their Year 6 class for SATs, so there is clearly a difficulty that goes beyond the school in my constituency, but I felt that my school had exceptional circumstances and, therefore, that should be taken into account." | Mr Wilson told the BBC: "I think there are a number of schools around the country that have been late in submitting their Year 6 class for SATs, so there is clearly a difficulty that goes beyond the school in my constituency, but I felt that my school had exceptional circumstances and, therefore, that should be taken into account." |
Mr Wilson said he had been in touch with the STA (Standards and Testing Agency) but had been told it would not make an exception for the school. | Mr Wilson said he had been in touch with the STA (Standards and Testing Agency) but had been told it would not make an exception for the school. |
He said: "I detected room for manoeuvre in the answer I got this afternoon (from Mr Gove) and I intend to press-on on behalf of the school. | He said: "I detected room for manoeuvre in the answer I got this afternoon (from Mr Gove) and I intend to press-on on behalf of the school. |
"The head teacher's illness is not the fault of the children and it happened at just the wrong time in terms of submitting the application." | "The head teacher's illness is not the fault of the children and it happened at just the wrong time in terms of submitting the application." |
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