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SecEd: On Your Side
You cannot dismiss
20,000 exam papers
“Immediately it becomes
transparent that all the SATs
Pete
have once again not been
Henshaw,
consistently, professionally
Editor,
marked with basic errors
SecEd
occurring in each exam.”
The words of a Worcester headteacher who wrote to
SecEd last year at the height of the SATs results debacle
that eventually led to the exams being scrapped.
This week the culmination of this fiasco came with
the publication of reports from the Qualifications and
Curriculum Authority (QCA) looking into the quality of the
marking for last year’s SATs (see In response below).
The reports revealed that in 2007, the number of schools
requesting reviews of key stage 3 SATs papers was 412
for English, 384 for maths, and 590 for science. However,
in 2008 these figures rocketed to 1,001 in English, 764 in
maths, and 1,255 in science. For actual exam papers, in
2007 reviews were requested for around 5,000 key stage 3
papers – last year it was around 20,000.
Given this, I feel that the statements from both the QCA
and the exams watchdog Ofqual this week missed the point.
Andrew Hall, QCA acting chief executive, said: “The
QCA report into marking quality confirms that there are
robust processes in place to ensure accuracy and agreement
What not to wear
in test results.”
Kathleen Tattersall, Ofqual chief, said: “Based on our
THE CASE of Adrian Swain, the Elsewhere, Mike Griffiths, head
extensive monitoring, all the evidence presented – including London maths and science teacher Dress codes for teachers have been at Northampton School for Boys,
the reports published by the QCA today – and the views
dismissed in December for wearing
thrust into the limelight over the
takes a no-nonsense approach to
expressed to us, we have concluded that the quality of
trainers and tracksuit bottoms to dress code policy at his school.
school, has attracted widespread
marking in 2008 was at least as good as in previous years.”
media coverage.
last month, following the case of
The school’s code, which was
drawn up after consultation with the
It is not just the massive disparity in the figures that leads Mr Swain, 56, who had
Adrian Swain – a teacher who was
teachers, bans staff from wearing
me to question these statements, but the comments SecEd
been teaching at St Paul’s Way trainers, tracksuit bottoms, open
has received from heads such as the one quoted above.
Community School in Tower
dismissed for wearing trainers. Chris Parr
neck shirts, or sweatshirts.
In this head’s letter to us last year, he listed a raft of
Hamlets for 17 years, has been
painted as a modern-day hero in
gauges the reaction at the chalkface
Mr Griffiths told us: “Our
teachers prefer to look professional
inconsistencies and complaints about the marking of the
some papers; a vigilante marching and believe that students respond
papers. He said: “When we get to initially analyse the to a different beat and achieving better when the whole atmosphere
papers they are clearly incompetently marked. I include
good academic results. local authority have provided the case of pride in one’s role and in is professional and purposeful. Look
two scripts (with the letter); I could have included 50-plus,
In other circles, however, his basis for settling the dispute and one’s school.” casual, think casual; look smart, be
actions have been branded a petty the NUT considers the matter to be However, Tina Stockman, a smart. I wonder if the already good
where the students are given one mark out of 18 for their
flouting of rules put in place to ensure resolved.” teacher in Aberdeen, said there results of Mr Swain could have
answers which in my opinion and the opinion of English
high levels of professionalism. This week, we asked SecEd was a risk that strict dress codes been even better?
markers is not correct. We have no faith in this system, in Mr Swain lost an appeal against readers what their take on the dress could create staffrooms filled with “But the key issue is that
the competency of those charged with ensuring six months’
his sacking earlier this month, code debate was. Deputy head Jo “cipher-like clones”. managers in any industry must be
work is accurately reflected in a level.”
prompting members of the National Smith, from Long Field School in She said: “Teachers should be able to ‘manage’. Anyone who
Union of Teachers (NUT) at his Leicestershire, feels it is important suitably and practically dressed for continuously flouts company policy
At the end of the day, when you have professional
school to vote for a series of strikes for teachers to be well presented. the job – no more than that should will be sacked in any industry – why
educators sending back papers that they emphasise are
that could have led to its temporary She told SecEd: “I think that be demanded of them. Sometimes not teaching?”
clearly badly marked, how can you conclude that “test closure. teachers at any level in the school questions of personal taste – usually Ms Stockman added: “I have
review information alone is an unreliable barometer of test
Five one-day strikes demanding should dress smartly. A professional the headteacher’s – enter into the lived through mini-skirts, winkle-
marking quality”, as Ofqual did this week?
his reinstatement were planned appearance says a lot about equation and goodness only knows pickers and platform shoes, loon
from last Thursday (March 19). anybody’s attitude to their job. That where that can lead. pants, bell-bottoms, hot pants,
The QCA’s report itself also begs a lot of questions.
However, as SecEd went to old chestnut of setting an example “We make strong personal leggings, ra-ra skirts, and paisley
The study on marking quality in national curriculum tests press, the strike action had been to pupils is key. statements about ourselves through prints. Nobody I know was ever
drew upon an independent analysis last year which it
called off after a “confidential “Professional dress says we dress and I do not see the necessity sacked for wearing any of these.
admits “does not give a direct indication of the quality of
agreement” was reached between take our position seriously, that we for teachers to turn themselves into Maybe they should’ve been!”
test marking nationally as it was based on a small sample
the NUT and Tower Hamlets local represent the institution we work for cipher-like clones. On the other Mr Swain told SecEd that due to
authority, details of which were not seriously, and even that we value hand, I think teachers should avoid ongoing negotiations between his
of papers marked as part of the quality assurance process
forthcoming. the students we teach by making an turning up in clothes that make union and the local authority, he had
rather than part of the live marking process, or a specifically An NUT spokesman said: effort to present ourselves to them them look foolish or an object of been advised not to comment at this
designed study”. The authors themselves emphasised this.
“Talks between the union and the in a professional way. It’s a simple derision.” time. SecEd
Despite this, the QCA concludes “that the findings did
not give particular cause for concern in relation to marking IN rESpONSE…
quality in national curriculum tests in 2008”.
Call me simple, but surely 20,000 requests for review is Figures released by the Key stage 3 SATs were boundaries after first marking are system and are losing patience
cause enough for concern.
Qualifications and Curriculum abolished by ministers in automatically checked a second with the government’s refusal to
Let’s emphasise that the professional body of markers
Authority (QCA) last week October, after thousands of time. acknowledge the problem and
revealed that the number of secondary school students Because this process has now bring the tests to an end.
employed on last year’s tests in the main part did a good
English key stage 3 SAT papers received their 2008 results late, stopped, we expected more papers Now, more than ever, we
job, and I am sure many of the complaints and requests
sent back for re-marking but key stage 2 tests remain in to be queried. need a high quality assessment
for review from schools were in no small part because of in 2008 almost quadrupled place despite strong pressure to Also, the disruption to last system that provides useful data
problems caused by the incompetency of ETS, the now
compared to the year before. scrap these as well. year’s exam period meant that and represents good value for
sacked SATs contractor, and the scrapping of automatic
The total number of An independent inquiry many schools have sent papers public money – key stage 2 SATs
returned English papers into the debacle blamed ETS, in to be re-marked because of the currently do neither.”
borderlining.
increased from 3,300 to 11,200, the company charged with exam experience as a whole, even
But the numbers do not lie, and I don’t feel these reports while the number of schools delivering the exams, and the though the problems experienced Chris Keates, general secretary
have reached a satisfactory conclusion as to why we saw a
questioning English marks Qualifications and Curriculum did not necessarily impact on the of the NASUWT union:
four-fold increase in review requests.
increased from 412 to 1,001. Authority (QCA) for the quality of marking.” “Given the staggering level of
However, I am not about to call for these important
In maths, the number of problems. incompetence displayed by the
schools sending papers to be re- Mick Brookes, general secretary QCA and the ETS contractors in
bodies to waste hundreds more working hours on
marked increased from 384 in A QCA spokesman: of the National Association of administering the SATs, it is no
reassessing these questionable judgements. I want all this to 2007 to 764 last year, with the “We anticipated from the very Head Teachers: surprise that schools’ faith in the
be a moot point. So let’s scrap key stage 2 tests, draw a line
number of individual papers beginning of the 2008 exam “The SATs testing regime has marking of the tests was shaken.
under the whole affair, and be done with it.
returned climbing from 384 to process that there would be a suffered irreparable damage, as However, the teachers
2,221. In science, 1,255 schools higher number of exam papers evidenced by the exceptionally and markers did a thoroughly
• Do you have a view on any aspect of education? Contact
asked for 7,704 papers to be submitted for re-marking. One high requests for re-marks professional job and it is a shame
the editor of SecEd, Pete Henshaw, on 020 7501 6771,
reviewed, compared with 590 of the reasons was the end of following the ETS debacle. that they were let down by the
schools returning 1,605 papers borderlining – the process whereby Schools, parents and young mismanagement of the exam
editor@sec-ed.co.uk or via www.sec-ed.co.uk
in 2007. exam papers that are close to grade people have lost faith in the bodies responsible.”
6 SecEd • March 26 2009
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