A NUMBER of Bolton schools are facing disruption after the results of national curriculum tests were delayed and in many cases wrongly marked.

At least six Bolton schools are believed to have been affected by a nationwide problem which has seen thousands of 14-year-olds being given the wrong marks in this year's tests.

In Bolton, some primary schools only received their key stage two results for 11-year-olds last week, while some high schools only received Key Stage Three results for 14-year-olds yesterday.

Schools were supposed to have received both sets of results before the end of the summer school term.

Bolton's Director of Education and Culture Margaret Blenkinsop said: "Some papers have been marked incorrectly and some have been added up wrongly. There seems to be a variety of problems."

Mrs Blenkinsop said schools would face disruption in terms of organisation and planning for the next school year.

She said it would be hardest for the primary schools affected because they have to pass on Key Stage Two results to the high schools that their pupils are going to. It will not affect high schools as much, as Key stage three results are kept internally.

The education boss said six schools have contacted her to say they are having problems and that teachers will have to spend more time in school during the holidays sorting out the results.

Mrs Blenkinsop said: "We have only just got the key stage three results and we are trying to make sense of it all."

The National Assessment Agency, created from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to run national curriculum tests, admitted that pupils at 170 schools across the country did not get their marks by the end of last week.

Mrs Blenkinsop said the problems will be frustrating for parents as they will have to wait to see how their children fared.

-- although there could more schools in the borough affected.

-- a task that could have been done before the end of term.