Birmingham Mum Joins Call to Rethink SATs for Children with Special Needs
Campaigners warn primary school tests are harming children with additional needs and damaging their confidence
Emma is an SEND campaigner and a mother of three non-verbal autistic children in Birmingham. She says she has seen first-hand how exams can end up doing more harm than good "I've seen children that have only just recently started to settle into school and now suddenly they've got this pressure of SATs and they don't want to go to school anymore. It was already took years to get them to where they are now and now they're being set back because of the pressure of exams."
Emma, describes the SEND system as “completely broken.” She says SATs should be decided on an individual basis, with parents and teachers working together to determine whether a child should sit the tests. “These children have enough to deal with on a daily basis as it is without the added pressure of having to do well on a test,” she says.
For her own children she would rather they don't take them "My three children may never talk, they may never be out of nappies, and I think it's more important to me that they're trying to learn to communicate and live a normal life as much as possible rather than having the pressure of tests. Even if they got 10 out of 10, what difference is that going to make when they're older? "
Emma joins national calls for reform started by Motherland star Anna Maxwell Martin, who says that primary school tests have “devastating effects” for children with SEND. Alongside 22 parent groups, Ms Maxwell Martin is delivering an open letter to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, urging a rethink of the system. The letter states that current SATs “actively harm” SEND pupils, leaving many disengaged as they move to secondary school.
Data from 2025 shows only 24% of SEND children met expected standards in reading, writing, and maths. Campaigners argue that the system damages self-esteem, discourages school attendance, and narrows the curriculum by encouraging “teaching to the test.” Polling by More Than A Score found 67% of parents said SATs negatively affected their child’s desire to go to school, and half said their child’s self-esteem was damaged.
The Government has indicated it will make only minor changes to SATs, with limited adjustments for children with SEND. Reforms to the broader SEND system, originally expected in the Schools White Paper this autumn, have been delayed until 2026 to allow further consultation with families, teachers, and experts.