Children's exam results delayed

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Results for Sats tests for 11 and 14-year-olds, due next Tuesday, will now not be delivered to schools until the following week, with some marks not expected to arrive until after the start of the summer holiday.

The National Assessment Agency apologised to schools, pupils and parents for the delay, which it blamed on a "serious failure" by the private firm ETS Europe, which has the contract to carry out marking.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls branded the late delivery of results "completely unacceptable" and announced an independent inquiry, which will report to his Department for Children, Schools and Families and the qualifications regulator Ofqual. But he said he had been assured there was no question about the quality and accuracy of marking.

Teaching unions said the incident raised questions about the whole system of high-pressure national tests for younger children, which they said was excessive and unnecessary.

The vast majority of the Key Stage 2 Sats in English, maths and science taken in May by 11-year-olds about to leave primary school are now due to be handed out on July 15, with the bulk of Key Stage 3 marks for 14-year-olds in the same subjects expected at the end of that week.

However, it is thought likely that some Key Stage 3 results - particularly for English papers - will not be known until after schools have broken up for the summer.

Reports of difficulties with the marking of the national curriculum tests have been circulating for a number of months, after ETS introduced new arrangements in the first year of its five-year contract.

Teachers reported that they were unable to enter pupils' details on an online database, while markers complained of inadequate training, lost contracts and widespread confusion. It is understood that some markers decided not to do the job this year, though ETS insists recruitment went well and there was no manpower shortage.

The company blamed technical, logistical and administrative problems, and admitted that some markers were left with no work to do after deliveries of papers failed to arrive on time.