SCHOOLchildren may be tested more often under proposals being put forward by the Government.

Education Ministers are considering replacing national SAT tests that pupils take at 11 and 14 with shorter but more frequent assessments with teachers deciding when they are ready to sit the exams.

Teachers in Swindon have mixed emotions over the plans.

The scheme will be piloted for two years from April in a number of areas.

Ministers hope the tests will improve standards and they say there are no plans to do away with league tables.

Currently youngsters are assessed at the end of each national curriculum key stage by their teachers, in English and maths when they are aged seven and through tests in English, maths and science when they are 11 and 14.

Education Secretary Alan Johnson said: "What we are doing is making sure that throughout that key stage we have a focus on each individual child and the issues that they need to get them to that level of attainment."

He added that many schools already use extra non-compulsory tests to monitor students' performance and that it was a question of using these as part of an integrated system.

He also said it would not mean more work for teachers.

The pilot scheme will involve two test opportunities each year, in December and in May or June.

Teachers would enter for the tests any pupils they felt were ready to move up to the next national curriculum level.

Phil Baker, Swindon branch secretary of teaching union ATL (Association of Teachers and Lecturers), said: "I welcome a move to test pupils when they are ready rather than when the exam system says so.

"However, I still have major concerns about the testing regime that is in place in this country. The regime is set up to test students for the purpose of league tables rather than to aid their learning in schools."

Teacher David Parkinson, who also runs the Kip McGrath Tutoring Centre in Westlea with his wife Andrea, does not want to see more tests in the classroom.

"The present SAT system of formal tests at the end of each key stage are just a snapshot of a child's performance at a particular moment in time but the results can have a significant impact.

"The Government needs to be very careful if it wishes to impose more formal testing as this is sure to use up more valuable teaching time and further absorb the time teachers have to spend with individual students. More formal tests would unnecessarily increase the pressure on children and will do little to improve overall educational standards.

"The Government would be better advised to provide increased funding to allow smaller classes in school and offer tax breaks to those parents who wished to seek additional help for their child with high quality private sector tuition."

Meanwhile, the Department for Education is publishing GCSE and A-level league tables this week. See Thursday's Adver to see how your school performed.