High stakes assessments in primary schools and teachers’ anxiety about work

High-stakes assessments – where the results have important consequences for teachers, pupils and/or schools – are a common feature of many education systems across the world. One argument often made against their use, however, is that they have a negative impact on welling across the education sector. This includes those teachers who hold most responsibility for the results. We present new evidence on this matter by examining how the Year 6 Statutory Assessment Tests (SATs) conducted in England’s primary schools are linked to how anxious teachers feel about work. Drawing on unique panel data from around 1,000 primary school teachers, we illustrate how the SATs are associated with a short, sharp shock to teachers’ anxiety levels during the week the tests take place. Yet there is little evidence that those most exposed to the pressures of SATs suffer from especially prolonged periods of high anxiety levels. We thus conclude that, although there may be other reasons to lower the stakes attached to primary school assessments, the benefits for teachers’ anxiety levels are likely to be marginal.