A primary school has had a section of its Key Stage Two (KS2) SATs tests results annulled as there was ‘significant doubt’ over their accuracy and correctness.
Nine former pupils of Tickenham Primary School, in Clevedon Road, have had an element of their scores wiped due to concerns over the papers’ marking.
The finding by the Standards and Testing Agency relates to the KS2 spelling test, which has led to the results for the English grammar, punctuation and spelling paper being annulled.
No blame has been cast on the nine students, which formed the school’s total year six cohort, and the school is looking into the matter.
The primary school gained academy status and joined the Clevedon Learning Trust (CLT) in January 2015 and has a small number of pupils, with 81 on its roll, the majority of which commute from nearby towns.
In a joint statement, Clare Shelton, chairman of the school’s governing body, and Alister Christopher, chairman of the CLT, said: “Parents of the nine pupils affected by this finding have been informed of the situation.
“There was significant doubt over the marking of the papers, parents have been reassured the pupils were not responsible and there would be no adverse implications for their future in secondary school.
“We put the highest priority on high-quality teaching and learning linked to the accurate assessment of tests.
“We are looking into what happened in this case to ensure the assessment system is tightened and confidence is restored.”
The primary school was judged as a ‘good’ school with ‘outstanding features’ by Ofsted at its most recent inspection in December 2017, while a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection the following year graded the school as ‘outstanding’.
Inspectors said the school’s ‘fantastic culture’ helps make children feel ‘safe and able to achieve’.
It also noted how youngsters felt ‘confident and comfortable to take risks with their learning, resulting in excellent progress and attainment’.
The nine pupils have since moved onto secondary school.
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