Boycott threat for primary exams

Head teacher John Hayes said teachers are fed up with the exams

Teachers in Hertfordshire have backed a boycott of next summer's Sats exams as they claim they are too stressful on staff and pupils.

A meeting at Fairlands Primary School in Stevenage took place on Thursday to decide if its teaching staff would agree to boycott next May's exams.

The move is part of nationwide action being taken by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) which has balloted its members on the issue.

Headteacher of Fairlands School and NUT member John Hayes said the exams are not indicative of what actually goes on in schools and get in the way of teachers doing their job.

Professional judgement

"They are simply there as a number crunching exercise," he said.

"Teachers are now fed up of their professional judgement being eroded by a need to constantly improve the exam percentages that the school achieved in previous years."

The tests include English and maths which are taken by seven and 11 year olds.

The meeting on Thursday evening backed the boycott.

Results from the nationwide NUT ballot on a boycott were expected in December.