Primary school performance tables

What teachers say
Most teachers dislike performance tables, blaming them for a host of negative outcomes and arguing that improvements in standards could have been achieved without their introduction. Research by teaching unions shows that four in five teachers support a boycott of national tests and tables: performance tables have already been scrapped in Northern Ireland and Wales.

One of the negative consequences of tables, according to teachers, is a divisive polarisation of schools: the suggestion is that middle-class parents move their children to schools that perform well in the tables, leaving weaker ones to struggle even more. As property prices shoot up in a 'good' school's catchment area, poorer families are weeded out and society becomes increasingly divided.

Narrowing curriculum
Evidence from teaching unions that the tables have narrowed the curriculum is very strong, despite the government's claims that there is no need for teachers to train children to pass SATs in English, Maths and Science. Many teachers have succumbed to fixing their timetables to give more time for tested subjects, and less for traditional primary subjects such as drama and art. A poll of teachers earlier this term revealed that they were already setting revision for next year's SATs for 11-year-olds and that, by Christmas, an estimated 84,000 primary school children in Year 6 will be studying. Ofsted, the schools' inspector, says that schools are allocating between a quarter and a third of their time just to English. Worse than narrowing the curriculum, this year's league tables were published to widespread allegations of teachers cheating in SATs.

All this amounts to a serious deterioration in the quality of school life for both children and teachers, according to teachers. Instead of showing how they excel, SATs and performance tests are actually robbing schools of the chance to show what they are really capable of.

What iVillagers say
Discussion among ivillagers on the Primary Education Board suggests that SATs,rather than performance tables, is what concerns parents. Not many ivillagers seem to use performance tables in the way that the government intended - as a source of comparative information to help them choose the right primary school for their child. The tests on which the tables are based however are a big concern for parents. Lots of ivillagers post messages worrying that their children are missing targets. Children as young as six are being tutored at home to pass tests by parents worried their children will fall behind.

Further information
The primary school performance tables are widely published. The easiest tables to read are published by the BBC. Schools appear in alphabetical order according to their local education authority or you can search by name or postcode.

The government publishes the tables on the Department for Education and Skills website

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