PARENTS will take their children out of classes in protest at the age young pupils are being tested.

Campaigners in York will take part in a national strike tomorrow to voice their concerns over Government plans to put more pressure on children.

Children as young as six-years-old will sit their Key Stage One SATS test in Year 2 and Key Stage Two SATS, which test ten and 11-year-olds in Year 6, as part of new curriculum developed by the Department for Education.

The new rules have angered parents of Lord Deramore's Primary School, in York, who will join parents with children at Heworth Primary School and Naburn Primary School by taking their children out of lessons.

Bridget Payton has two children at Lord Deramore's Primary School.

She said: "I'm against testing at a young age and how life in the classroom is geared towards passing tests rather than them developing a life long interest in education.

"It's an issue in education generally but under this Government the age gets younger and younger, and it's pass or fail for the children.

"Some seven-year-olds are told they are not meeting the standard and it doesn't encourage you to carry on if you are told you've failed something before you had even started."

The controversial tests have already left ministers red-faced after they were forced to cancel a new spelling and grammar test when it was accidentally put online in January.

Dr Mary Leng, a lecturer at the University of York, has two children at Lord Deramore's, including a seven-year-old son.

She said her son is able to cope with the tests, however, does not agree with the age children are being examined.

"I have been increasingly concerned with the content of the curriculum that our teachers are being forced to teach our children," said Dr Leng.

"He is given large amounts of homework to do and I can't say hand on heart to him that it's a good thing for him to be doing.

"He is increasingly seeing this as hoops he has to jump through rather than something that's interesting and worthwhile."

Figures provided by The Department for Education show that in 2012, only 47 per cent of pupils who achieved a level 4 but did not achieve a level 4b or above in both English and mathematics at Key Stage Two went on to achieve five A*-C GCSE grades including English and mathematics.

In contrast, 72 per cent of pupils who achieved at least a level 4b in both English and mathematics went on to achieve 5 A*-C GCSE grades.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "Only exceptional circumstances warrant a child being taken out of school during term time. We are clear that tests should not be a cause of stress for pupils – they help us ensure schools are performing well, and we know the best schools manage them successfully.

“Our reforms are raising standards and thanks to the hard work of teachers there are a record number of children in good or outstanding schools – 1.4 million more since 2010.

"We know mastering the basics of literacy and numeracy at primary school has a huge impact on how well children do at GCSE, which is why we are determined to raise standards."