TEACHING union bosses in the region say they hope this year's SAT results will be the very last.

Ken Cridland, secretary of Lancashire NUT, was speaking after it was revealed that test results for 14-year-olds in Blackburn with Darwen schools have improved dramatically -- but are still below national averages.

The Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire and Blackpool branches of the NUT believe that the tests caused stress for everyone concerned and they have already formed an anti-SATS working party.

Ken said: "The publication of SATS results is not achieving any reasonable end and is distorting the curriculum. The improvements we have seen are largely due to people learning how to teach to pass the test.

"That is now levelling out because everyone has sussed the system and it is difficult to further improve. But real improvements can be made improving resources.

"At Key Stage One level, class sizes are 30 pupils and we believe that if that was carried through to Key Stage Two, instead of classes of up to 37 or 38, there would be real improvements.

"A lot of money is also being spent on the SATS tests which could be put back into resources instead. You don't increase the weight of a baby by keep weighing it."

Figures for Lancashire County Council, which runs schools in the rest of East Lancashire, show pupils' results slightly higher than the national average. In Blackburn and Darwen, results are all up this year and improve on national increases of one per cent in English and Science and three per cent in maths.

Of youngsters aged 14 who are expected to reach level 5 or higher, 64 per cent of pupils reached that level or higher in English, 68 per cent in maths and 61 per cent in science.

The figures show improvements of eight per cent, nine per cent and six per cent respectively on last year.

The national percentages for all schools were 68 per cent of 14-year-olds reaching level 5 in English, 70 per cent in maths and 68 per cent in science.

Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning Councillor Mahfooz Hussain, said: "This is a fantastic achievement and a major step in the right direction in raising standards in local secondary schools.

"Congratulations to all the students, their teachers and families for the hard work they have put in to achieve these excellent results."

Results for 11-year-olds were also published today. Across Lancashire, they were slightly above the national averages, while in Blackburn with Darwen there were no changes in maths and English and a slight improvement in science.

The county council's cabinet member for education Alan Whitaker, said: "The results show pupils are continuing to do well and are attributable to the quality of schools in Lancashire and the teachers who work so hard."