A Ham mum was one of thousands of parents across England intending to keep her child home from school on Tuesday in protest against the government’s policy of testing six- and seven-year-olds.

A coalition of parents connected via social media organised a boycott of the new Sats tests on Tuesday, May 3 – especially for year 2 pupils – which critics say are too difficult.

The number from Richmond borough is unknown.

Jo Day, from Mowbray Road, in Ham, said she would have participated in the strike, but her daughter Brooke, seven, was off school through illness on the day.

However Ms Day explained she opposed testing of young children because of the stress it places on them, saying it had reduced her daughter to tears.

The 35-year-old mother-of-one said: “My daughter was really struggling with the pressure testing puts on her.

“Even though her teacher has been very supportive by telling her it doesn’t matter if she gets answers wrong, it’s still stressful.

“I’ve had her in tears at home after 3.30, worrying about tests when she should be outside playing and just being a kid.

“She’s only seven. Learning at her age should be about the fun of learning.

“She shouldn’t be up at night worrying about exam marks.”

Although he said testing was useful in evaluating teaching performance, Richmond council member for children’s services and schools Paul Hodgins admitted more could be done to ensure children are not unduly stressed.

Cllr Hodgins said: “These tests are important – we do want to know where our kids our at with their education and how best to help them going forward.

“However I do have sympathy with the view – at every stage – that we are too exam-focused and I know children, teachers and schools feel a lot of pressure because this is the way they are being measured.

“Yes, exams are important but we need to make sure children are happy at school and we should not be causing them too much stress.”

Penny Cox, the headteacher of Holy Trinity Primary School in Carrington Road, Richmond, echoed this, saying it was important to create an environment around the tests which minimised stress.

Mrs Cox said: “We do think testing is the right thing to do – tests are a diagnostic tool and we have a statutory duty to do them.

“However, in keeping with our ethos we think it’s good to do everything we can to make sure students aren’t placed under too much stress.

“We would like to encourage children to learn for the sake of learning, but tests have a place too.”