Dear parents,

At the end of Key Stage 1, your child’s teacher will assess the standard that your child is working at in English, maths, and Science. To help the teacher make these assessments, your child will sit tests in maths and English, known as standard attainment tests (also known as SATs).SATs take place in May. These are not anything to worry about and all children in England in Year 2 also take these assessments. We are making sure that the children do not feel nervous about these assessments as they are only a small part of their learning journey in Year 2.  Teachers use the results of the test, along with the work your child has done during the year, to make an assessment of your child’s progress at the end of Key Stage 1 and to identify any needs and support with transition, as they move up to Key Stage 2.

 

What are SATs?

SATs are a series of maths and English assessments, carried out in two stages during your child’s primary education, once in Year 2 and at the end of Year 6. There is also an optional grammar, punctuation and spelling test. The children in Year 2 will not take this test.

 

Haven’t Year 2 SATs been cancelled?

In September 2017, it was decided that KS1 SATs would become non-statutory (schools would be able to choose whether to do them or not) from 2023. However, this advice has since been updated and KS1 SATs will now go ahead in May 2023. They will become optional from September 2023.

 

What do the children do in  the reading test?

The reading test for Year 2 is made up of two separate papers:

• Paper 1 is a selection of texts totalling 400 to 700 words, with questions interspersed.
• Paper 2 is a reading booklet with a selection of passages totalling 800 to 1100 words. Children write their answers in a separate booklet.

Each paper should take around 30 minutes, but children are not strictly timed, as the tests are not intended to assess children’s ability to work at speed. The texts in the reading papers cover fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and get progressively more difficult towards the end of the test. Teachers have the option to stop the test at any point that they feel is appropriate for a particular child.

 

What is in the Maths test?

The Year 2 maths test is made up of two papers:

 

• Paper 1 (arithmetic, worth 25 marks and taking around 15 – 20 minutes)
• Paper 2 (problem-solving and reasoning, worth 35 marks and taking 30 – 35 minutes, with a break if necessary). Question types include multiple choice.

 

Do the children have a Science test?

Other national curriculum subjects including English writing, science, computing, history etc will be assessed by your child’s teacher based on their work throughout the year.

 

Do all children have to take SATs?

In England, the tests are compulsory. Pupils with specific needs may require additional arrangements so they can take part in the KS1 tests. Access arrangements are adjustments that can be put in place to support those pupils. Headteachers and teachers must decide whether any of their pupils will need access arrangements before they administer the tests. Some children working well below the expected standard may not sit the test and parents will be notified beforehand.

 

What if my child misses a test?

If a child is absent and misses a test, they will take it when they are back in school.

 

How are SATs marked?

Although Year 2 SATs are set externally, they are marked by teachers at school. Pupils are given a scaled score. A score of 100 means a child is working at the expected standard. A score below 100 indicates that a child needs more support. The maximum score possible is 115; the minimum is 85. Assessments from teachers are also used to build up a picture of your child’s learning and achievements.

 

Will I get my child’s test results?

Schools are not required to report individual test results to parents, but parents can have their child’s results on request.

 

Should I practise the tests at home with my child?

No. the children are used to completing assessments in school and the tests are only a small part of the information the teachers use to assess the children.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch

Best wishes

Karen