A special course has been developed so teachers can prepare almost 200,000 primary school leavers for a rigorous English test next summer after a shake-up by former education secretary Michael Gove.

Unions are calling for tests on times tables and grammar to be scaled back at primary schools. Ministers are facing pressure to make the compulsory basic maths checks in year four optional as they can ...

The teaching of grammar in primary schools in England (a key feature of England's national curriculum) does not appear to help children's narrative writing, although it may help them generate ...