SATS boycott

The National Union of Teachers’ (NUT) conference has endorsed a joint statement with head teachers’ union the NAHT, giving notice of a boycott of primary school national curriculum tests (SATS) in 2010, if the government insists on retaining them.

The requirement for SATS at age 14 (key stage 3) has already been abolished and the unions insist that the same should happen for tests at ages seven (KS1) and 11 (KS2). NAHT delegates are due to consider the same motion at their conference this month.

The NUT’s acting general secretary Christine Blower, said that disruption to the curriculum would be removed if the tests were discontinued.