Appeals rise over schools tests

More schools have appealed this year against the results of the national tests taken by 11-year-olds in England.

The further increase comes despite a record rise seen last year, when there were major problems with the tests.

Requests for remarks were made in relation to 50,257 test papers - about 3% of the total number marked and 3,000 more than last year.

But the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) says fewer appeals resulted in changed grades.

In total, 6,532 test papers were given new grades after an appeal - fewer than 0.5% of the scripts marked.

The QCDA added that year-on-year comparisons were unreliable because of changes in the way data had been collected.

Most appeals were made against the marking of English papers - and this is also the area where numbers rose the most.

English is always the area where there is most dispute about grades because with maths and science - the other two subjects tested in Sats this summer - there is usually a right and wrong answer.

The number of schools that asked for a re-mark known as a "clerical review" of English papers this year was 1,714 - up from 431 last year.

More schools - 5,105 - asked for individual scripts to be checked, up from 4,630 last year. This involved 27,322 papers and just under one in 10 (9.4%) of those was eventually upgraded.

Last year there were just over 25,000 requests for individual English papers to be re-marked (there were 14,500 the previous year). In one in six of those cases, a higher mark was awarded.

'Quality assurance'

QCDA director of education Mick Walker said: "If a school requests a review, we ask one of our most experienced markers to review the original marking for the particular aspects of a pupil's script where concerns have been raised, so that we can have confidence in the outcomes of the reviews.

"While general conclusions about the quality of test marking cannot be drawn from this report, it does show marking consistency and suggests that the quality assurance processes are working."

North Ealing Primary School in West London is one of those that appealed against the results of the English Sats tests.

Head teacher Robert Fletcher said the results were "unbelievable". His school is often at the top of the local league table.

This year, all but two children were awarded a level 4 in English - the level the government expects 11-year-olds to reach - but he had expected many of them to get the highest grade, level 5.

"We have the same teachers, a similar cohort. I know they have got this wrong"

Many of the year group are "beautiful writers", he said.

The problem, he said, was with the writing paper, because in the reading paper two thirds of pupils had been awarded a level 5.

He sent all the papers back for remarking - and they were all returned with no alterations to the marks.

He was so incensed, he paid for independent markers to re-mark the scripts.

This time, he said, 22 pupils had been marked at level 5.

"We are still confident that our writing will compare with the best practice in any area at any school in the country, which is why we have not let this injustice go," Mr Fletcher said.

He added: "66% of our children got level 5 in reading, and just 2% got it in writing.

"We are used to getting 55% at level 5 in writing. We have the same teachers, a similar cohort. I know they have got this wrong."

The QCDA confirmed the school had appealed against the results and said the final results would be given later this month.

'Lack of confidence'

Many head teachers and teachers are opposed to the tests, which are used to draw up the local league tables.

Members of National Association of Head Teachers and National Union of Teachers are being canvassed about whether they would support their associations boycotting this year's tests.

NUT general secretary Christine Blower said: "There will always be schools rightly discontented with the Key Stage 2 test results, and the reason is that Key Stage 2 tests themselves have such serious implication for schools".

"It is clear that the government's incompetence last year has seriously dented schools' confidence in the whole system"

Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws said: "These figures reveal the lack of confidence that schools have in the quality of marking. It is shocking that the number of appeals is even higher than last year, when we knew that the marking was a complete fiasco.

"It is clear that the government's incompetence last year has seriously dented schools' confidence in the whole system."

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said it was reassuring that the number of grades changed as a result of a re-mark was low.

"This is down to the expertise of markers, many of whom are practising teachers who mark tests each summer - providing parents with the externally validated information about their child's progress that we know they value.

"Independent experts have made it clear that tests are important, and we're clear that they're here to stay.

"The Expert Group on Assessment categorically said current English and maths tests are educationally beneficial, vital for public accountability, and a key part of giving parents objective information on their child's progress after seven years in publicly funded education."

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