EDUCATION Secretary Michael Gove has hit out at schools which abandoned this year’s Key Stage 2 tests.

A quarter of schools across the country supported industrial action and refused to take part in the Year 6 SATs.

But Mr Gove said it is unfortunate that parents in the affected schools “will not benefit from the information that can be taken from test results”.

He said external assessment provides valuable data and added: “The best school systems generate rich quantities of information which enable us all to make meaningful comparisons, learn from the best and identify techniques which work.”

Schools in Dorset and Hampshire which boycotted the tests include Lytchett Matravers Primary, Motcombe Primary, St Joseph’s Catholic Combined, Poulner, Lymington, Pennington and Ashley junior schools, Bransgore Primary, South Baddesley Primary, Milford-on-sea Primary, St Luke’s in Sway and Our Lady and St Joseph.

Results of the tests were sent out to schools on Tuesday and will be published later this year.

Mr Gove announced that Year 6 SATs will take place next year in the week beginning May 9 and said there will be a review of national curriculum testing.

He said he accepts there are flaws in the system and added: “We want to consider what we can learn from other countries, to compare our tests with standards set elsewhere and to look at how we can make the tests more useful.”