PARENTS in Hexham are planning to protest against changes to national SATs tests for 10 and 11-year-olds.

Children in Year Six will be the first cohort to take the new, more rigorous tests in reading, maths, spelling and punctuation, and grammar this summer term.

But some Tynedale parents have slammed the new tougher regime as “absurd” and plan to march in to Hexham Market Place on Tuesday to post a letter outlining their concerns to Hexham MP Guy Opperman.

Hexham’s Dr Sarah Stovell, an author, university lecturer in English and creative writing and mother of two, is among those who will be protesting.

“We have written a letter to Guy Opperman, outlining how deeply damaging these tests are for a child’s education and their ability to think critically, and will be collecting signatures in advance of the protest day,” she said.

“I’m very against this way of teaching English because children will be coming up against creative work and essay writing with success criteria hanging over them.

“Many teachers have also said what is being expected of children in the tests is more suited to 16 to 18-year-olds.”

An online petition set up by the national Let Kids Be Kids campaign against the introduction of the harsher new SATs has been signed by 22,000 parents.

The initial campaign was set up by parents protesting against Year Two SATs, introduced for six and seven year olds, but quickly won backing from those against the reformed Year Six SATs, as well as plans to turn all schools into academies by 2020.

The National Union of Teachers has called for a boycott of primary school tests after a survey showed 97 per cent of members believe the system is likely to brand children as failures and 86 per cent think it has created a curriculum that is too narrow.

Dr Stovell added: “The imposition of right or wrong answers, to questions of which there is not necessarily a right or wrong answer, or to questions which are in themselves ambiguous, is dangerous.

“Linguists themselves disagree on certain rules so how can we impose blanket usage of certain punctuation and grammar rules on 11 year olds?

“The government wants a measurable means to assess progress and standards of schools, teachers and children but this is not the answer.

“Literacy skills can be measured in a multitude of other ways – ways that don’t lead to demoralised and uninspired teachers and children but instead will promote creativity, curiosity and engaged learners.”

Dr Stovell is calling for education secretary Nicky Morgan to respect the views of teachers and parents and consult literacy experts on the best way of teaching and assessing literacy levels in children.