EDUCATION Secretary John Patten has come under fire from two sides

today, as headteachers declared ''diminished confidence'' in him. At the

same time, parents and teachers united in a call for Scottish-style

classroom testing south of the Border. Their move follows a Government

decision allowing Scottish schools flexibility in how and when they test

pupils' progress against each stage of the curriculum -- there will be

no published school league tables, with results known only to class

teachers and parents. The National Association of Parent Teacher

Associations and the National Union of Teachers appealed for a similar

approach in England and Wales, where pupils aged seven, 11, and 14 face

national written tests.