The National Union of Teachers (NUT) has voted against balloting members on a boycott of primary school tests, known as Sats, in England.

Delegates at the union's conference rejected a resolution to ballot members over a protest against primary school tests for the academic year 2017-18.

They also agreed not to "support and promote a parent boycott" of the 2017 national curriculum tests (Sats).

The vote came despite two sessions of argument in favour of action.

A vote on a separate motion earlier in the conference backed moves to consider a ballot of membership over a boycott of tests in 2017-18 at a later stage, if there was enough support.

Opposing the motion, Sasha Elliott, a teacher from east London, said: "I've been coming to conference for over a decade, I've made speeches about the wickedness of Sats, ending Sats has to remain one of our union's highest priorities.

"But I'd like to think that we've learned from our past efforts to end these Sats, we have to admit we've been unsuccessful.

"This motion presents us with some serious problems... It's a waste of a precious ballot."

Read more...