Union calls for end to 'high-pressure' exams for primary school children

The National Education Union (NEU), the UK's largest education union, has made a strong case for the removal of "high-pressure" tests in primary schools and a reduction in end-of-course GCSE and A-level exams.

The NEU is also advocating for the scrapping of the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which measures school performance based on five core GCSE subjects.

In its response to the Government's request for input on the curriculum and assessment review, the NEU has suggested students be given more time dedicated to physical education, outdoor activities, and climate change education.

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The consultation, overseen by Professor Becky Francis, concluded on Friday, with an interim report expected early next year and a final report with recommendations anticipated in the autumn.

The NEU's contribution to the review said: "In primary, all high-pressure government testing should end and good practise from the early years should be better considered."

Currently, Year 6 pupils in England undergo national curriculum tests (Sats) in maths and English, with the outcomes often used to evaluate primary schools. Additionally, Year 1 students take a phonics screening and Year 4 students a times table test.

The union added: "In secondary and post-16, a shift towards multi-modal assessment must take place and the damaging, unevidenced default of exclusively terminal exams for GCSEs and A-levels must end."

Colin Hughes, the chief executive of examination board AQA, has suggested a possible reduction in the number of GCSE exam papers for certain subjects such as maths to alleviate the strain on students.

speaking to the PA news agency, Mr Hughes called on the government to re-evaluate GCSE English, citing feedback from teachers who find the current curriculum lacklustre.

The National Education Union (NEU) and school leaders' associations have aired their support for ending the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), advocating for reforms that guarantee all students have access to arts education. Established as a school performance indicator in 2011, the EBacc mandates that pupils take GCSEs across a spectrum of core subjects including English, maths, science, humanities, and a foreign language.

A House of Lords committee recommended the discontinuation of the EBacc last December, amid concerns over the dropping interest in creative and technical disciplines.

The NEU critiqued this system, saying: "Results of tests are misused for school accountability, leading to damaging, perverse consequences to curriculum breadth and student and staff wellbeing."

Further criticising the current framework, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the NEU, branded it "outdated and unfit" for what youngsters necessitate.

He said: "It is accountability which is driving assessment decision-making and this isn’t the right way round.

"The EBacc should be ended because of its limiting impact on young people’s curriculum options.

"Preparation for GCSEs dominates far too much of secondary school life and the intense exam factory culture that has been created isn’t working for students or teaching staff."

Last week, the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) proposed allowing students to spread their GCSE exams over two years to ease the pressure of assessments at the end of Year 11.

In a related move, the National Association of Head Teachers highlighted an "urgent need" to review statutory tests in primary schools across England, including those on phonics, times tables, and grammar and punctuation.