PROFESSOR Peter Tymms hits the nail on the head when suggesting value-added scores will not improve on raw scores if they also are made public.
The pressure associated with the existing system has caused some heads with unblemished careers to cheat in key stage 2 tests. If value-added tables are also to be a tool with which to beat the profession we can expect the same pressure but far more opportunities to fiddle the system: in contrast to the rigorous security surrounding KS2 tests, KS1 is internally administered and marked and only occasionally externally moderated.
A flawed sytem which does not trust the profession will produce flawed results.
MJ Gallagher
Headteacher St Cuthbert’s RC primary
Sunderland
