SATS tables finale?

EAST Crompton St James’ is at the top of the borough’s primary league tables after half of Oldham’s schools boycotted this year’s tests.

Every seven-year-old at the Church of England school reached the required standard for their age in English and maths SATS tests.

Its results are in the top 200 in the country and thrilled head teacher Mauren Barnett said: “We are all delighted with our results, but we appreciate that this work goes on in many schools.

“It reflects all the hard work and dedication of staff and children alike and we are also admirably supported by our school governors and parents.”

Alexandra Park had the biggest year-on-year improvement for its combined results in the two subjects, up from 43 per cent in 2008 to 78 per cent.

Head teacher Irene Barratt said: “The results were down to the hard work and dedication of the children to do their best and enjoy their learning.”

The top value added scored — which measures individual pupils progress — was been chalked up by St Martin’s, Fitton Hill, while pupils at Thornham St James’s achieved the highest average points score in the national tests.

This year’s league tables do not include science results after teacher assessments replaced tests in the subject.

But opponents said that the move did not go far enough and hundreds of schools in England boycotted the SATS in May.

Oldham is ranked 61st out of the 132 local authorities which managed to submit results.

Tony Harrison, Oldham branch secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: “The league tables are so misleading in any case that the boycott will not make any difference to them.

“I think the tide is changing now; members of the government have started to realise that testing as we have done it isn’t the way forward. I am confident that we will be able to get some more positive movement from the government on this in time for next year’s SATS.

“The answer is to use more reliable assessment techniques which puts the teacher at the centre of the process and which doesn’t narrow the curriculum because teachers are forced to teach to the test.”


Stoneleigh solutions
ENGLISH and maths results at Stoneleigh Primary dropped from 67 per cent last year to 29 per cent.

The results are the 25th worst in the country and Councillor Jack Hulme, cabinet member for children and families, said: “Stoneleigh is one that battles the well-established link between deprivation and educational achievement. However, this set of results was particularly disappointing and we acted swiftly to address this.

“We underwent a thorough process to appoint a new headteacher with the requisite experience and she is being supported at all levels within the school and the local community.”

Head teacher Sally Heap added: “There can never be a quick fix in a scenario like this but we are already implementing a very careful and controlled improvement programme.”

Today’s figures show that 963 primaries in England that would be classed as failing under tough new targets announced by the Government last month.


FULL league table: see tonight’s Evening Chronicle or the online E-Chron (subscription required).