Teachers in Bristol and South Gloucestershire have threatened to strike if education secretary Michael Gove decides to go ahead with Sats for 11-year-olds, Bristol’s Evening Post has reported.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and National Union of Teachers (NUT) voted to boycott the National Curriculum Sats in English and maths this year because of the workload and stress they cause.
Nina Franklin, Bristol divisional secretary and national senior vice-president of the NUT, said plans were being made to ballot members. “We remain firmly of the view that the tests are damaging and of no use,” she said.
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Government figures show that 52 out of 83 eligible schools in South Gloucestershire did not submit tests to the Department for Education, and in Bristol, 20 out of the 101 eligible schools boycotted the Sats.
Bristol Primary Heads’ Association said there was great pressure on schools, and added the tests were “distorting the educational experience” for children.
