Today’s announcement by the Government that it is to scrap all national schools tests (SATS) for 14 year olds from next year is welcome but long overdue. It seems (despite denials) that it has taken this summer’s marking fiasco to force a decision which the teaching profession has long called for.

However, it seems that national tests for 11 year olds will carry on, and presumably therefore the whole system of school league tables which is so counterproductive and divisive, and largely irrelevant to the education progress of individual pupils. Why won’t the Government listen to teachers about this as well?