A primary school that gave children too much help during Sats exams, leading to dozens of papers being annulled, has insisted there is "no possibility" of it happening again. 

Thirty-four tests taken at Heavers Farm in South Norwood in May were torn up by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) last week after investigators found evidence of cheating. 

The STA began probing the school's exams after concerns were raised by examiners marking the papers last summer. 

The school yesterday confirmed it has disciplined staff. 

LAST WEEK: Dozens of Sats papers torn up after investigation into primary school 'cheating'

Graham Cluer, chair of governors, said: "We have been investigating ever since the problem first came to our attention and in doing this we have been following the disciplinary procedure that the local authority recommends to schools.

"The STA picked up some anomalies in the marking and as soon as we started to investigate it threw up some potential reasons behind this. 

"This isn't wholesale institutionalised cheating, but there are some issues around administration that the school needs to look at and indeed have looked at."

Eighteen reading and 16 maths papers sat by pupils at Heavers Farm have been shredded.

It is understood investigators found evidence school staff had unfairly helped some children during exams, while some pupils are thought to have been able to copy each other's answers.

Selsdon Primary School, which has the same executive headteacher as Heavers Farm and had also been under investigation by the STA, has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Parents of the 59 children in Heavers Farm's Year 6 cohort last year, whose results were withheld while the investigation was carried out, have not yet been informed of the decision.

The school is expected to write later this week to parents, including those of current pupils who will sit their Sats in May.

The school is considering holding exams in it sports hall, rather than taking groups of pupils into smaller rooms, to prevent allegations of cheating. 

Mr Cluer said: "We have made a number of administrative changes to make absolutely certain that there is not only no possibility of this happening in the future but no possibility of being accused of it happening in the future. We are totally confident we have got to the bottom of any problem."

He said Heavers Farm staff were "delighted" with the results that had not been annulled, adding: "The head was jumping up and down with glee over the ones we got and frustrated that we haven't got results for all cohorts in all subjects.

"Staff have all been put very much under the spotlight and I think it's only fair to say we are all behind Susan [Papas, headteacher] and her team."

He added he believed the complaint to the STA about Selsdon Primary had been "malicious".

Susan Papas, executive headteacher of Heavers Farm and Selsdon Primary, declined to speak to the Croydon Guardian yesterday.