CHILDREN and parents from across the district joined a national 'strike' which meant thousands of pupils stayed out of school for the day in a protest over primary exams.

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".

Sats 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.

The campaigners feel that schools are forced to meet set targets in the exams at the expense of giving children a more rounded learning experience. They have called for the Government to cancel the year two Sats.

The recently-formed Aire Valley Parents Forum staged a 'strike picnic' in Saltaire.

Dawn Coleman, who helped organise the event, said: "We hope to carry on with other events to raise awareness of this campaign.

"This is nothing against the schools or the teachers, who have been great. It is about the Government policy."

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the executive member for education on Bradford Council, said she understood parents' concerns.

But she added: "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.