Press Release

KEY STAGE 3 TESTS- FINAL RESULTS

28 February 2008

Commenting on the results Steve Sinnott, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Europe’s largest union said:

“These results show that teachers in secondary schools do a tough job incredibly well. Young teenagers are both demanding and have high expectations. Those who want to criticise should look at the improvements in pupil achievement over the last few years.

“Jim Knight is right to emphasise the importance of encouraging a love of reading and a deeper understanding of maths. One reform which he should introduce is the removal of the current testing and performance table regime. It is a regime which pressurises teachers to teach to the test and which undermines teachers’ ability to instil enthusiasm for the love of learning”.