Balls backs secret exams

Primary school children should not be told that they are sitting exams in order to prevent "stressing" them out, Ed Balls has said.

The schools secretary accused some headteachers of putting pressure on pupils and said the most effective way of eradicating anxiety was by keeping details of SAT tests a secret from six and seven year-olds.

In an interview with the New Statesman magazine, Balls said: "It doesn't happen in every school. It's totally the wrong way of doing things. No seven-year-old should ever know they are doing SATs."

Presently the SAT tests are taken by pupils at ages seven, 11 and 14 to provide a gauge of schools' performances.

Balls added: "The best headteachers will ensure that no six or seven-year-old knows they are doing SATs. I promise you that is the case.

"If you are telling pupils in Year 2 that they are doing SATs next week then that's the wrong thing to do. You should not be stressing the children."

The schools secretary explained that in his opinion the exams need not take the form of traditional, formal tests but could take place "as part of the school day".

However, the Liberal Democrats accused Balls of hypocrisy.

Schools spokesman David Laws said: "Teachers and parents will find it laughable that the secretary of state is attempting to blame the schools for what is quite clearly a problem of the government's own making."

"Many headteachers feel that they are one set of bad test results away from dismissal so it is hardly surprising that they take the tests so seriously."