TEACHERS are deliberately marking seven-year-olds over-harshly, so they appear to perform above expectations by the time they are tested at the age of 11.

That is the claim being made by Melinda Tilley, the county councillor responsible for Oxfordshire’s schools.

Mrs Tilley, who took charge five months ago, is currently creating a primary schools strategy, outlining how to improve attainment after it was revealed the county’s seven year-olds had the worst Key Stage One results in the country in 2010.

The blame was placed on a lack of vision among headteachers, underperforming governors and a culture of complacency.

But Mrs Tilley told the Oxford Mail that some school governors had reported a practice of overharsh marking, as new figures showed there was above-average progress made among Oxfordshire’s youngsters between Key Stage One and Key Stage Two.

However, headteachers dismissed the accusation as “impossible” and said the rates of progress reflected teachers’ work in the classroom.

While Key Stage One marks are given by teachers and moderated within the local authority, Key Stage Two tests, sat by all 11-year-olds, are marked nationally.

Department for Education statistics show Oxfordshire’s rate of progress between Key Stage One and Key Stage Two are higher than in the 10 local authorities with the most similar demographics to Oxfordshire.

Last year’s Key Stage Two results showed 75 per cent of pupils reached the expected level in English and maths, ranking the county mid-table compared to similar counties.

In contrast, the latest Key Stage One results show Oxfordshire bottom placed in reading, writing and maths compared to the same areas.

New progress measures show that this year, 86 per cent of Oxfordshire children made the expected progress in English and 84 per cent in maths, compared to a national average of 83 per cent for English and 82 per cent for maths.

Mrs Tilley said: “When I had conversations with school governors, they said they thought teachers had pressure on them to mark down.

“It shocked me, and I was a bit upset about it, and particularly that it was coming to me from governors.”

She added: “I think teachers may be a little bit hard at Key Stage One in the hope it makes pupils gain a couple of grades at Key Stage Two. We need to be a little bit more robust about whether we are marking down.”

But heads said marking was rigorous. Rachel Crouch, of St Nicholas’ Primary in Marston, said: “We have work moderated by a different school. It would be impossible to under-mark.

“The fact is teachers are working really hard and that is why pupils are making good progress.”