The Secondary Heads Association (SHA) wants to switch to a system where specially trained teachers would be responsible for the internal assessment of pupils' work.

But in a report for its annual conference which opens on Friday, the organisation says the switch to more in-school assessment could be held back by a lack of trust in teachers' ability to do the job fairly.

The head of the exams watchdog, the QCA, Ken Boston, is in favour of cutting the number of public exams children sit in favour of more assessment by teachers in schools.

Public confidence

A report on the issue for the Secondary Heads Association said: "A problem with relying more on internal assessment by teachers is that there is a lack of public trust in the professional ability of teachers to carry out such assessment rigorously.

"A change in the balance between external and internal assessment must take place in a way that maintains public confidence in the qualifications system."

Children in England sit national school tests at the ages of seven, 11 and 14 and public exams at 16, 17 and 18.

Ken Boston, who took over at the QCA in the middle of the A-level crisis last year, believes too much time is spent preparing for exams rather than learning, a view shared by the Secondary Heads Association.

Another issue for the association is what it calls the over-accountability of schools.

It says head teachers are now accountable to 21 separate bodies, including the Health and Safety Executive and the schools watchdog Ofsted.

Bonfire

SHA general secretary John Dunford said: "Holding schools to account for their performance has become an industry employing thousands of people.

"To escape from this stranglehold, we need a bonfire of accountabilities.

"Only then will we produce a slimmer, more intelligent, more effective accountability structure."

The organisation says national league tables should be abolished in favour of schools publishing exam results locally with value-added data to show how much pupils have developed over time.