The extent to which primary schools may be tempted to cheat in national tests is being underestimated, the National Association for Primary Education (Nape) claims.

Nape says the pressure on schools to achieve good results in the national curriculum tests - often referred to as SATs - taken by 11 year olds, was tempting many heads and teachers to bend the rules.

It's pressures coming from outside of the school that are pressuring teachers and head teachers to behave in this irresponsible and unprofessional way

Joe Johnson, Nape

The organisation says there is a considerable amount of "low-level" cheating going on, such as allowing extra time to sit the tests or giving pupils too much information.

Recent months have seen a number of cases of cheating hit the headlines, including the Hanover School in Islington, London, which had its results annulled last week following an inquiry.

But the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) denied cheating was rife, saying only 200 allegations in four or five years were being investigated.

League table pressure

The results of SATs are used in the compilation of school league tables, but it is this link which puts too much pressure on school heads, argues Nape spokesman, Joe Johnson, who is himself a head teacher.

SATs were there to test the teachers and not the children, Mr Johnson said.

If we can't trust the profession to carry out its duties responsibly and honestly, then it's a very sad state of affairs

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"The school is blamed if its results dip one year - it's the school's fault and not that the children in one particular year may be less able.

"Let's not make a song and dance over the poor schools that have a 'mixed economy' of children," he said.

It was a sad situation, but the temptation to cheat was often too great, he said.

"There's all sort of pressures on heads and teachers - pressures from parents, pressures from governors, pressures from the targets that they have to set for themselves and pressures from Ofsted and also even pressures on their pay," said Mr Johnson.

"It's pressures coming from outside of the school that are pressuring teachers and head teachers to behave in this irresponsible and unprofessional way."

'Not rife'

Head of assessment for the QCA, Tim Cornfold, said he would not want recent cases to convey the impression that cheating was rife.

"We do know that there is a certain amount of mis-administration of the tests," said Mr Cornfold.

"Sometimes it's straight forwardly mistakes made by teachers, sometimes it's in ignorance and sometimes it is what we call malpractice - it's doing things wrongly."

But the situation was not out of hand.

"The number of allegations that we look at every year over the past four or five years has only been about 200 allegations - and those are allegations, not proven cases," Mr Cornfold said.

It was very important the QCA could trust the profession to be professional, he added.

"If we can't trust the profession to carry out its duties responsibly and honestly and with integrity, then it's a very sad state of affairs."