Headteachers at primary schools across the county are furious that children were classed as absent – despite sitting the much-maligned SATs tests.

Schools were expecting to be able to log on to a special website to check their pupils' marks on Tuesday.

Instead, they have received e-mails and letters from the National Assessment Agency saying the scores were not available.

At Lancaster Road Primary in Morecambe many pupils were marked as absent from the science exam, despite every child sitting the paper.

Headteacher Paul Gabriel said: "We were told by the NAA that all our children appeared to be absent from the science test.

"I've been on the website and half the children have been marked as absent and we've no results to give children."

Another head at a school near Lancaster said: "It's a shambles.

"We've not been kept involved."

Linda Clement, headteacher of Kingsfold Primary School in Penwortham, said: "There is only one word to describe the organisation of SATs this year on the part of ETS Europe (the contractor leading the marking) and that is fiasco."

Liz Case, head of Rivington Primary School, near Chorley, said: "We have received half of our maths papers, a third of our English papers and no science papers."

Ken Boston, from the NAA, said: "I apologise for the failure of our contractor to have test results available on July 8."

Meanwhile, one Preston school is celebrating its best-ever results. Trevor Hart, headteacher of Lea Community Primary School, said: "The children have had an anxious wait but they're delighted."



>> Vote in our latest web poll