Exam papers found strewn in road

The exam papers have now been taken to the police

Hundreds of exam papers, sat this week by primary school pupils at four schools in Hastings, have been found strewn across a road in St Leonards.

A teacher, who does not want to be identified, found the papers and took them to Sussex Police.

Parcelforce, which collects the secure packages and takes them to the examiners, has begun an investigation.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) said the exam papers have now been sent to markers.

High security

Papers for the Standard Assessment Tasks (Sats), taken as part of the national curriculum, were found from Blacklands, Elphinstone, Hollington and Silverdale primary schools.

The teacher who found them in King Edward Avenue said: "It's not every day you see a pile of several hundred Sats papers lying in the middle of the road.

"I just want them to get safely to their destination."

Phil Stephenson, head teacher of Silverdale, said exam procedures were subject to high security and the tests were important because the children had one opportunity to take them.

"The children cannot resubmit the papers, nor could they resit the tests," he said.

Papers 'with markers'

Parcelforce confirmed that items of dumped mail had been found in St Leonards.

"We are currently investigating the cause of this incident and are liaising with the police," a spokesman said.

He said a van driver hired from an agency was no longer working for Parcelforce.

A QCA spokesman said: "We have received a full report from Parcelforce about how these papers went missing.

"All of the papers are undamaged and will now be sent to markers to be checked."

The post service watchdog, Postwatch, has called for measures to ensure such incidents do not happen again.