What does Year 9 mean to you? Choosing GCSE options? The last year of freedom before GCSEs? Not for the pupils actually in Year 9. Since the mid-1990s, 14-year-olds have taken their SATs at the end of the school year. Now, much to the pupil’s delight, the tests for the three main subjects (English, Maths and Science) have now been abolished.

The Schools Secretary for the Labour Government, Ed Balls, has announced the compulsory tests for Year 9 students will be abandoned. However, he wants to replace the tests with US-style report cards. SATs results were used to decide where in the school league tables the school came. Now, with these report cards, schools will be graded from A to F. The grades will be affected by pupil behaviour, attendance and the children’s health. The report card will help parents and children to choose a school.

Many people believe that the government made this change as a result of the marking shamble made by ETS Europe. The American company could not mark all the papers by their July deadline. They were sacked, but some papers still haven’t been marked. A pupil at the Royal Grammar School in High Wycombe told me that he had not received some of his SATs results and that he might not get them until next year (he would be in Year 11). As a result of this decision, it will be easier to find a contacter to mark next year’s SATs for 11-year-olds only instead of having to mark Year 9 SATs as well.

The majority of people seem happy with this announcement, from the children who would have taken the tests this year to the parents. Margaret Morrissey, member of the parents group Parents Outloud, said this was “the first sensible decision Ed Balls has made.” Christine Blower, leader of the National Union for Teachers, felt that it was “an admission that the current testing system has failed.”

Dr Wilson, a Chemistry teacher at Tiffin School in Kingston, said “Testing is a vital part of teaching and learning to establish what has been learnt. However, official countrywide examinations do not necessarily help students as it puts a lot of pressure on them at a very early stage.”

But not everyone was satisfied. Mick Brookes, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, described it as “an opportunity missed.” The decision to keep SATs for Year 6 pupils has been heavily criticised. Mr Balls said they were here to stay as they gave a solid indication of primary school standards. Mr Brookes was unhappy that only “10/11 year olds will be the only children in the UK to be put under this pressure.”

So is it beneficial for students that the SATs are gone? Teachers believe testing helps but SATs put too much pressure on pupils. But it doesn’t mean teachers or pupils can relax. Schools are being encouraged to give internal tests at the end of the school year, so everything will need to be taught as though SATs were still operational. SATs may take some weight of students’ shoulders but they still need to get the right results.

As a Year 9 student myself, I was worried about taking my Key Stage 3 SATs, so it is a relief that they have been axed. As we have end of year tests anyway, I cannot rest on my laurels. I still have to work as hard as before, but I am confident that my teachers know how I have performed and improved over the year. It is not down to one test to determine my results.