Actor Anna Maxwell Martin says primary school tests 'devastating' for SEND pupils

Actor Anna Maxwell Martin and a radical of parents person warned that superior schoolhouse tests person "devastating effects" for children with peculiar acquisition needs and disabilities (SEND).

They person written an unfastened missive to the authorities asking ministers to see reforming SATs (standard appraisal tests) to accommodate the youngsters' needs.

The 22 genitor groups accidental the strategy is damaging for children with SEND and they privation to spot a much inclusive attack which incorporates the needs of the idiosyncratic child.

The missive to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the existent strategy "actively harms" children with SEND, leaving them often disengaged from schoolhouse arsenic they determination connected to secondary school.

Maxwell Martin, who has starred successful TV drama Motherland and constabulary play Line Of Duty, said: "The authorities needs to look overmuch harder astatine however to marque things amended for children successful schools, peculiarly children with SEND.

"This is simply a systemic failing wrong our appraisal system, not the responsibility of immoderate idiosyncratic teacher oregon headteacher."

What has probe found?

Research by the SEND genitor radical said lone 24% of SEND children passed the SATs, and 67% of SEND children did not privation to be schoolhouse due to the fact that of them.

Half of the parents questioned besides said their child's self-esteem was damaged, and they believed SATs would person a lasting antagonistic impact.

'Change the system'

The missive to Ms Phillipson said: "Forcing children into a strategy that actively harms them is not the answer. Changing the strategy truthful that our children privation to be is."

But immoderate deliberation SATs bash not service immoderate child.

Lee Parkinson MBE, a superior schoolhouse teacher and acquisition advisor from Manchester, said SATs are a antagonistic process for each children, not conscionable children with SEND.

He told Sky News: "SATs don't service immoderate child, fto unsocial those with SEND. They were ne'er designed to enactment learning."

He called the tests a "blunt accountability tool, a instrumentality to bushed schools with, alternatively than thing that helps teachers recognize children".

'Speed rewarded implicit understanding'

Mr Parkinson claimed SATs were "built to drawback pupils out. They reward velocity implicit knowing and memorisation implicit genuine thinking".

"That unsocial disadvantages immense numbers of children, but for pupils with SEND the spread becomes a chasm. Processing speed, anxiety, sensory needs, moving representation difficulties, connection disorders… nary of these are accounted for successful a strategy that measures each kid by the aforesaid stopwatch and people scheme."

Mr Parkinson added: "For galore SEND pupils, occurrence successful schoolhouse looks similar connection gains, affectional regulation, confidence, independency and dependable world maturation successful a mode that matches their needs.

"SATs don't measurement immoderate of that. Instead, they label, bounds and distort the world of what advancement really looks similar for the children who request thoughtful, personalised proviso the most."

The unfastened missive besides said children with SEND who failed SATs "spend their full twelvemonth 6 convinced they are not clever enough".

Read more:
How children with SEND from poorer families near behind
MPs privation overhaul of schoolhouse enactment for peculiar needs pupils

'Urgent request for rethink'

Sarah Hannafin, caput of argumentation astatine schoolhouse leaders' national NAHT, said determination is an "urgent need" for the authorities to rethink the worth of SATs.

"If statutory tests are present to stay, they indispensable beryllium designed to beryllium accessible for the immense bulk of pupils, they should recognise the attainment and advancement of each children, and they should not harm children's assurance oregon origin distress," she said.

What does the authorities say?

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Primary tests and assessments play a captious relation successful helping schools guarantee each pupil tin execute and thrive, portion besides identifying those who request further support."

"The government's independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review sheet shaped cardinal recommendations aimed astatine improving our nationalist curriculum, and included cardinal insights from SEND experts.

"We are actively moving with parents and experts to amended enactment for children with SEND, including done much aboriginal involution to forestall needs from escalating and investing £740 cardinal to promote councils to make much specializer places successful mainstream schools."