Pupils who fail to master basics will have to resit SATs at secondary school, says Nicky Morgan

Currently, around 120,000 pupils a year fail to master maths and English in national curriculum tests for 11-year-olds

Around 120,000 pupils a year currently fail to master the basics in national curriculum tests for 11-year-olds (Getty)

Children who fail to reach the required standard in their SATs maths and English tests at 11 will have to resit them when they start secondary school, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan will announce.

The move is one of a series of measures to be included in what is being billed as her first major policy initiative since the election.

Currently, around 120,000 pupils a year fail to master the basics in national curriculum tests for 11-year-olds. They are now expected to resit them some time in the autumn term.

Ms Morgan will also announce a toughening up of tests for seven-year-olds which could lead to a return to them being marked externally - rather based just on teachers’ assessments as at present.

She will also make it clear she intends to introduce “new, more rigorous SATs” being introduced at 11 are here to stay and that the Government is committed to new baseline tests for four-year-olds - introduced voluntarily this September.

The package has already been denounced by teachers’ leaders with Kevin Courtney, deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, saying: “It is quite staggering the degree to which the Government is unable to understand how their approach to the measurement of the performance of schools ... is turning them into exam factories.

“Time and time again the Government’s accountability agenda mistakes extra testing for better learning ... The UK already has the most excessively tested children in the whole of Europe.”

Mrs Morgan will also announce the setting up of a new National Teacher Service - to which outstanding teachers can enlist.

Struggling schools will then be able to enlist their help for up to two years - giving them experience which will help fast-track them into senior positions in schools.

The measures being taken by Nicky Morgan are being billed as part of her first major policy initiative since the election (Getty) (Getty Images)

She will also announce the Government’s commitment to setting a target that 90 per cent of secondary school pupils should study the core English Baccalaureate subjects of English, maths, a foreign language, science and history or geography up to GCSE level. At present 39 per cet do.

She will argue: “Over the past five years we’ve extended opportunity to thousands of young people through raised standards, heightened expectations and a rigour revolution. “But for all we’ve achieved, too many young people aren’t being given a fair shot to succeed because of where they live.”

However, Mr Courtney agued the English Baccalaureate target “appears to relegate arts and vocational subjects to second best options”.