The Sats tests could end next year Ed Balls has hinted on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.

"The current system is not set in stone.  We are looking currently at a way in which we could assess progress child by child with individual level tests where the tests would be chosen in a way which was right for the child, rather than everybody doing the same test on the same day.  For 2009, we are going to do the same kind of tests as in previous years before the problems with ETS, but for the long term I am really keen to get this right, to listen."

The BBC have a further article where they ponder what might replace the SATs.  Interesting, if not disappointing reading, for teachers.

Let’s hope that finally some sense is coming to the Government and teachers will finally be trusted to assess children themselves!