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Government inquiry launched as primary test leaked online

Material to be used in the new primary school assessments has been accidentally released online by the government agency responsible for testing.

The test for key stage 1 spelling, punctuation and grammar was uploaded to the Standard and Testing Agency’s website earlier this month.

Users wanting the accessible version of the exemplification materials were able to download the test.

The error has been discovered and shared on social media.

The Department for Education (DfE) has launched an inquiry and asked teachers not to share the material.

Some primary schools will have carried out key stage 1 tests over the last two weeks as part of the standard setting process. The full testing period takes place next month.

A DfE spokesperson said: “This is clearly a serious error and we have launched an immediate investigation to understand how it happened. The material has been removed from our website. Fortunately, this is a Key Stage 1 test which is provided to schools to support Teacher Assessment judgments.

“The data used to judge the performance of schools and the progress children are making at Key Stage 1 are teacher assessment judgements. The results of these tests are not collected. Nonetheless it is deeply regrettable that it has happened.

“We ask that if anyone has seen the material, they do not share it further so that the test remains helpful for those teachers who have not yet used it with their pupils.”

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24 Comments

  1. wizzobravo

    You could not make it up! What a shoddy, half-arsed organisation the DfE is! D’ye think that education reform should not be centred on schools but on the ministry itself?

  2. Jfoster

    The tests do not help us at all! All they do is try to get us to jump through hoops instead of giving children the broad and balanced curriculum that we believe in and they deserve. If schools are in any way to be judged on the test scores or scaled scores for 6 and 7 year olds then it will be a narrow and restricted measure and will in no way applaud what true education is about.

  3. This is hilarious. We have to keep the papers in a sealed up tomb with 4 armed guards, police dogs and a couple of dragons!! yet they can’t even keep them from being leaked online! What a prize act

  4. Head teachers are resigning because of the pressure; vacancies cannot be filled because no one wants to do the job and numbers of graduates who want to join the profession are down. This government has got it hopelessly wrong. Academisation was supposed to give schools freedom to deliver an amazing curriculum. It is a joke and the leak is just a further indication of total incompetence. The curriculum is narrowed and yes we jump through hoops because if results are down then Ofsted will come in and beat us up. Then to further ask teachers not to pass it around, another joke. Whoever has got it please put it on Youtube.

  5. c burgoyne

    I have a stressed out 6 year old preparing for these ridiculous tests now to read the massive blunder of the government, these kids are only little once and this is messing with their future. Scrap these tests now and let children be children. Ridiculous how much money is being wasted too.

  6. Why are we testing 6 to 7 year olds like this anyway.!
    This time in School at such an early age should be a calming and joyful environment to learn in. Education needs to be engaging and fun and not have them sitting in ‘ exam conditions ‘ for something the government has decided to introduce. The children need continuous assessments throughout the year with the teacher in control. I am outraged that my six and a half year old will be going through this in a few weeks time.
    Shambolic Government….now don’t get me started on Jeremy Hunt

  7. I actually downloaded this ages ago. I was applying for a job in that department. Thought it would be dossier than teaching any more. Massive LOL! I remembered thinking there and then that their security was slack. Needless to say, the DFEEK deemed me inferior for the post, despite many years of experience. Karma.

  8. kids should not have to go do tests with such nonsense as these: the government say it’s unteachable, they say kids are supposed to know it when no one can teach them it were/their not animals and weren’t born with instincts created by humans like these AND LASTLY if we pulled up such a disgusting and appalling test for them they’d be fired from their jobs cuz they wouldn’t be able to pass it.