Recently the Government expressed a desire to change the dates of Key Stage 2 SATs exams from May to June. This would have seriously impacted on our business with many schools coming in this period after SATs either as a reward for their students’ hard work or just for their class to have the opportunity of spending the last bit of fun time together before leaving for secondary school.
In recent weeks Education Travel Group has been working with our PR and public affairs agencies to implement a lobbying campaign requesting that the Government and their Expert Group of advisors reconsider their recommendations to move these SATs exams. Recently we welcomed the announcement by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) that the proposed rescheduling of the Key Stage 2 SATs exams from May to June in 2010 has been postponed.
In a ministerial statement on Wednesday 8th July, Mr Vernon Coaker, minister of state for schools and learners, stated that he “can confirm that tests in 2010 will take place as planned in the week commencing 10th May. Having taken account of QCA and Ofqual’s advice, we will seek to implement the Expert Group’s recommendation on moving the test to mid June in 2011”.
If the Government persisted with its policy of moving SATs from May to June, this would have made it increasingly difficult for teachers to take students on school trips, hindering their ability to learn outside the classroom and would not aid in creating a ‘broad and balanced curriculum’ as set out by the Education Secretary, undermining the Government’s own policy. We will continue to lobby the government so that the SATS will not be rescheduled at all. For those talking to Primary schools who were awaiting confirmation of KS2 SATS before booking their residential visits and/or trips, it would be opportune to quickly update them on these developments. Availability, particularly at Kingswood centres for May and early June is likely to fill extremely quickly now.