Educational provider Pearson has issued an apology following the announcement that this year’s Sats results in England will be pushed back by over a week. Technical difficulties have caused the publication date to shift from Tuesday, July 7, to Thursday, July 16. While Pearson maintains that GCSE and A-level results remain unaffected, the delay for Key Stage 2 tests has sparked sharp criticism.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), labeled the situation completely unacceptable, noting the unfair pressure it places on schools. He argued that since schools face strict scrutiny for test administration, exam boards should be held to similar standards. This marks Pearson’s first time overseeing these specific assessments under a contract with the Standards and Testing Agency, leading to calls for a thorough investigation into the failure.
Reports from markers suggest that internal deadlines were repeatedly missed due to system instability, raising concerns about the integrity of the data. One marker reported instances where marks were incorrectly assigned to different questions. In response, a Pearson spokesperson stated that staff are working continuously to process the remaining data, emphasizing that their primary focus remains the delivery of accurate and complete results for every student.
