TEACHERS in west Wiltshire may vote to join colleagues across the country in a boycott of primary school tests.

The Wiltshire branch of the National Union of Teachers this week began balloting over whether to boycott Key Stage 1 and 2 SAT tests.

Wiltshire NUT secretary Mike Harrison said: "The dispute is with the Secretary of State and concerns the constraints that teaching towards the tests imposes on the professional judgement of teachers."

"It also concerns the excessive workload imposed on teachers by national curriculum tests and tasks.

"The work surrounding them has been proved in research to impair teachers' ability to use their judgement about how they teach and assess children."

Tests in English and maths are taken by seven and 11 year olds and form the basis for national school league tables.

Union members voting for the boycott want the government to review the way children are tested to bring the UK more in line with Scotland where national tests are being replaced by teacher assessment on the recommendation of school staff.

Mr Harrison said: "Many people also feel that the SATs are educationally unsound and harmful to children."

The result of the ballot is expected in December and if teachers opt to boycott the tests it will start next term when teachers traditionally start preparing for the tests in May 2004.