Barry Sheerman has promised a thorough look at the issue of over-testing

Now the House of Commons education select committee is to look into the issue in the autumn.

Chairman of the committee, Barry Sheerman, said schools were under enormous strain to compete.

"What we shall be doing as soon as the house resumes in October is to call all the six ministers in and interrogate them about how they feel about what's happening in schools in terms of this tremendous pressure that's being put on both staff and pupils through testing and testing and examining," Mr Sheerman said.

"Our committee will be looking to get the right balance between examining and testing, but letting teachers and schools get on with the job," Mr Sheerman said.

Cases highlighted

A number of cases of alleged cheating have hit the headlines over the past few weeks.

In June, two primary school heads were suspended over allegations that national tests were mis-managed.

Head of Boothstown Methodist Primary School in Salford, Jane Otway, was suspended after complaints from parents.

Helen Quick resigned, admitting she had corrected some papers

Mike Duce, head at Peel Brow Primary School at Ramsbottom in Bury, Greater Manchester, was suspended after governors contacted education officers about the handling of the administrations of the standardised assessment tests (SATs).

Later that month, head of Wyndham Primary School in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Helen Quick, resigned after admitting she had corrected papers in maths and science.

Miss Quick's union - the National Association of Head Teachers - said her "error of judgement" down to extreme pressure, after an inspection by the education watchdog, Ofsted, three years ago said the school had "serious weaknesses".

Last week, test results for 11 year olds at Merstham Community Primary School near Redhill in Surrey were annulled because of concerns about the way the tests were carried out.

And on Friday, maths test results at Hanover Primary School in Islington, London were quashed after an investigation into a claim that the children had been helped with their answers.