‘Teachers are doing as much as they can to support children at this time’

• THIS is a very unsettling and uncertain time for pupils, particularly those working towards exams.

The National Education Union (NEU) acknowledges how stressful this is for all children and their families, particularly those in Year 10 and Year 12.

Teachers are very aware of this and are doing as much as they can to support children in Camden and their families at this time.

This time last year we ran a national campaign against high-stakes testing in primary schools.

The response from the government was that it wouldn’t be fair on Year 6 students to not have the SATs because they were important to assess their knowledge and learning throughout primary school before they go to secondary school.

Now, because of the Covid-19 crisis forcing the government to close schools, all exams have been cancelled.

GCSEs and A-levels will still be issued, with teachers assessing grades. The NEU believes that pupils in Camden will not be disadvantaged by this.

We know that most have worked hard towards their exams and can assure pupils and their families that as teachers we know how to assess.

We know what grade you were capable of getting and hope that the process from here will allow that to be recorded.

What is interesting is that no similar process is being followed for SATs.

The government has confirmed this week that SATs will simply be not awarded and that there will be no published league tables of primary schools next year.

Surely this proves our point all along; that SATs were not for children, but simply a means to scrutinise and rank schools.

We hope that this acknowledgement will lead to a fairer system in years to come.

If Year 6 children this year can go to secondary school without being told whether they’re “ready” or not, then they can every year. And we will expect it.

GERALD CLARK
Secretary
Camden branch, NEU