SATs fiasco firm will fight moves to scrap contract

The firm behind the SATs marking fiasco today dug in its heels and signalled it will fight moves to scrap its contract.

ETS Europe apologised for the delayed release of results but insisted it had not broken marking rules.

Issuing a point-by-point rebuttal for the first time since the scandal broke, it denied allegations that the quality of marking has been seriously compromised.

Its statement made clear it had 'a contract for five years to deliver national curriculum assessments in England'.

The firm's stand spells further problems for Children's Secretary Ed Balls on the day it emerged he gave his personal backing to the trouble-plagued marking system used this year despite admitting it was a "risk".

Letters to exams chiefs show he backed the new online results service which proved so difficult to administer it led to delays and uncertainty for 1.2million pupils.

Just five weeks before pupils sat their tests in May, Mr Balls wrote to the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority saying he was 'encouraged' by the 'improvements in marking quality' that would be made this year.

In his letter, dated March 30, he said: 'I am particularly pleased with the improvements in the service to schools, by providing electronic results...'

However, this system of providing more detail about pupils' performance on individual test questions is said to have contributed directly to delays.

While test papers were marked manually, marks for every question for every child were inputted into an ETS data system.

Mr Balls has insisted the appointment of ETS was at 'arms length' from ministers but the Tories said the letter 'destroyed' his claim he was not involved in the SATs fiasco.

Meanwhile, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Government quango which awarded the contract, has disclosed that talks are under way about imposing financial penalties on ETS or even terminating its contract.

In a statement today, ETS vice-president Andy Latham insisted only qualified teachers or graduate trainee teachers were used for marking but admitted that non-graduate staff were hired to input marks data.

It follows reports that A-level students and cocktail waitresses were roped in to help enter data and meet marking deadlines.

Mr Latham admitted that he expected an increase in appeals following this year's problems. The deadline for appeals is being extended to reflect the delays in releasing results.

But he insisted: 'The vast majority of the marking of key stage two and key stage three tests is now complete.'

Only 77 per cent of 14-year-olds had their English test results but "most of the rest" would be available by the end of the week.

These results had been late for the past three years, he said.

Addressing calls for the firm to be stripped of its contract, Mr Latham said: 'We have a contract for five years to deliver national curriculum assessments in England and we will not discuss this contract in public.

'We are focused on issuing results and returning marked scripts to schools that have not yet received them.'