Unfortunately most senior teachers and headteachers are likely to have social science or drama qualifications as these subjects involve less behaviour difficulties in class – they are unlikely to understand how much more difficult science is to teach at secondary level with experimental hazards and politicised behaiour policies causing many to stop doing experiments at all. Hence the importance of the KS3 tests which used as past papers are excellent teaching resources.

All that will occur now in state schools is that previous SATs exams will be re-used as Year 9 Exams. Unfortunately there will be a mix of methods schools will now use to report KS3 levels, ranging from (i) norm referencing, (ii) the level of the highest question answered correctly or (iii) only teacher assessment. School teachers will have their workload increased as a consequence as well.

The incompetence of civil servants in the top-down management of schools is only matched by their incompetence in managing contracts and assessing bids, and the damage this time will be quite severe.