Assessment lets teachers see what progress a child is making and provides information that assists them in planning how to help pupils make further progress.  It also enables schools to report information to parents, set targets for the future and to measure their performance. Assessment information also allows government to monitor the performance of the school system generally. At various points on their journey through primary school, pupils will complete statutory and non-statutory assessments set by the Department for Education (DfE). These include:
  • A Reception Baseline (at the beginning of Reception)
  • A Phonics Screening Check (at the end of Year 1)
  • End of Key Stage 1 Assessments- SATs (at the end of Year 2)
  • A Multiplication Tables Check (at the end of Year 4)
  • End of Key Stage 2 Assessments- SATs (at the end of Year 6)
At each of these assessment points, pupils will be supported through the process and parents informed of how best to support their child at home. The school is mindful of the anxiety testing can have on pupils and therefore we go to great lengths to ensure that they do not feel under pressure as the assessment points approach. In addition to statutory assessments, pupils will complete tests in Reading and Maths during the academic year, which are used to check on progress and inform future planning. These results are also shared with parents during parents’ evenings, in termly report cards and in end of year reports. Pupils also receive regular low stakes tests (e.g. multiple choice quizzes) as part of a comprehensive retrieval practice strategy. Key Stage 1 & 2 SATs Guidance and Results What are SATs? SATs are tests administered by primary schools to children in Year 2 and Year 6 to gauge their educational progress. They are one marker used by the government, and hence parents, to ascertain the quality of the education at a school. The setting and marking of SATs are carried out in UK schools by the Standards and Testing Agency. KS1 SATs in Year 2 (non-statutory) In May, children will sit their KS1 SATs in:
  • English Reading
  • English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS)
  • Maths
They will also be assessed by their teacher in Science, Writing and Speaking and Listening. KS2 SATs in Year 6 In Year 6, SATs are a more formal process of testing and take place in May. Children will sit KS2 SATs in:
  • English Reading
  • English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS)
  • Maths
Throughout the year they will also be assessed by their teachers in Writing and Science.  By using teacher assessment, schools and the government are able to judge a child’s performance in a subject over a longer period of time. This means that teachers are able to account for a child’s whole knowledge and ability in a subject, not just that which comes to the fore in a test environment. What will be in the KS1 SATs papers for Year 2? KS1 Reading:
  • Paper 1 consists of a variety of texts totalling 400 to 700 words with questions placed at intervals throughout.
  • Paper 2 consists of a reading booklet containing different passages. These will total 800 to 1100 words.
Each paper for the KS1 reading SATs is worth 50% of the available marks and should take up to 30 minutes. The texts in the tests cover a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. KS1 English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling:
  • Paper 1 is a 20 word spelling test worth 20 marks that should take roughly 15 minutes.
  • Paper 2 is a punctuation, grammar and vocabulary test. It comes in two sections of around 10 minutes each, and the paper is worth 20 marks.
KS1 Maths:
  • Paper 1 is an arithmetic test which should take around 15 minutes. It will consist of 25 marks.
  • Paper 2 involves reasoning, problem solving and mathematical fluency. This paper has 35 marks available, will last for roughly 35 minutes and contains a variety of question types.
What will be in the KS2 SATs papers for Year 6? KS2 Reading:
  • One paper with questions that are based on 3 passages of text. Pupils get 1 hour to answer the questions on the paper and there are 50 marks available. The texts in the tests cover a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
KS2 English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling:
  • Paper 1 is a punctuation and grammar test. The test lasts for 45 minutes and there are 50 marks available.
  • Paper 2 is a 20-word spelling test worth 20 marks that lasts around 15 minutes.
KS2 Maths:
  • Paper 1 is an arithmetic paper that will last for 30 minutes. It will contain fixed response questions where children have to give the correct answers to calculations. There are 40 marks available.
  • Papers 2 and 3 will test pupils on their reasoning, problem solving and mathematical fluency skills. The papers are worth 35 marks each and will last for 40 minutes.
Results A detailed breakdown of the school’s latest Key Stage 2 results can be found here.