BRADFORD parents joined a national 'strike' today and kept their children out of school to protest about young children sitting exams.

Members of the Aire Valley Parent's Forum joined country-wide action organised by The Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign.

Among the protest events being held across the country was a 'strike picnic' in Robert's Park, Saltaire, attended by dozens of children and parents.

The Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign called for parents across England to keep their children off school over concerns that primary school children were being "over-tested, over-worked and in a school system that places more importance on test results and league tables than children's happiness and joy of learning."

SAT exams are taken by children aged six or seven in Year Two and then again in Year Six, aged ten or 11, before a third set in Year Nine aged 13 or 14.

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The campaigners feel that schools are forced to meet set targets in these exams at the expense of giving children a more rounded learning experience. They have called for the government to cancel the Year 2 SATs.

A petition, signed by more than 40,000 people, said: "We want our kids to be kids again and enjoy learning for learning's sake, not for Ofsted results or league table figures."

Parents taking part were asked to get their children involved in outdoor learning or creative activities on their day out of school, and in Roberts Park children enjoyed games, picnics and craft projects.

Dawn Coleman, who helped organise the event in Saltaire, said there had been plenty of support for the group.

She added: "We hope to carry on with other events to raise awareness for this campaign. This is nothing against the schools or the teachers, who have been great about this. It is about the government policy."

Anna Cole was one of the parents at Roberts Park and said: "The government is using the data from these tests as a stick to beat schools with. Obviously we want our children to be able to write properly, but everything has to be age appropriate."

Her daughter Sadie, ten, said the focus on exam results meant she and her classmates were beginning to find subjects less interesting. She said: "I used to really like writing, but now in English we just learn about spelling, punctuation and grammar. It's more boring now, we don't do as much creative writing."

Other parents said they knew of young children suffering from stress due to exams.

In a speech discussing the nationwide strike, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "To those who say we should let our children be creative, imaginative, and happy - of course I agree.

"But I would ask them this: how creative can a child be if they struggle to understand the words on the page in front of them?"

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the executive member for education on Bradford Council, said: "Whilst I understand parents' concerns I cannot advocate taking children out of school when as a local authority we are focussed on improving standards.

"Government does however need to listen to parents more. Schools can't be successful without parents' commitment."

Bradford Council was unable to provide numbers of children who missed school due to the strike.