SCORES of seven-year-old children had their marks boosted to help Barnsley schools achieve national targets, the Chronicle understands.

Council officers visited schools across the borough to reassess pupils' grades in the last two academic years.

They improved the marks in 170 cases in the key subject areas, mathematics, writing, reading and science. Just one youngster had their mark reduced.

The council's spokesman for children and families, Coun Linda Burgess, said schools were visited if they had suffered a dip in performance and the visits were part of the authority's statutory responsibility. However, school sources believe the reassessments focused on children whose grades were on the borderline between important national achievement targets.

While the approach may satisfy government officials, the teachers' union the NUT feels it is storing up problems.

Barnsley secretary Pete Bevis said: "If those pupils whose results were reassessed were not really at the newly assessed levels there are implications for the key stage two teachers. "If a child is not really at the level they are said to be at and do not progress from that level at the expected rate, the teacher will get it in the neck.

"I would not be happy about the massaging of the figures because the chickens will come home to roost."

Part of teachers' pay is performance-related and if unrealistic achievement levels are expected, Mr Bevis said it could lead to teachers suffering financially.

Graham Lund, assistant executive director for learning and achievement, said the visits were part of a statutory responsibility to ensure teacher assessments were accurate.

He said: "School improvement officers sample children's work which is representative of the full range of ability from above average to below average to check for accuracy in the school assessments awarded to children."

His statement did not deny certain pupils had been targeted. A council spokesman added the allegations would be investigated if evidence of targeting was presented to the authority.

Full story in this week's Chronicle.