KS1 SATs Papers and Tests

KS1 SATs Papers / Tests – What are they?

KS1 SATs Papers: SATs is actually an informal name for the government’s National Curriculum Tests. The SATs name has likely been adopted from American tests which are short for Standard Attainment Tests. Currently there are tests for Mathematics, Reading and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (sometimes referred to as SPAG – Spelling Punctuation and Grammar). Writing is assessed by teachers – there is no formal test. 

SATs can also be called  ‘SATs papers‘, ‘SATs exams‘ or ‘SATs tests‘ or their formal name ‘National Curriculum Tests‘.

Do KS1 still do SATs?

Yes, but it is planned they will phased out after 2022 – this appears to be under review and may be extended. 

KS1 SATs Papers/Tests – When are they?

All children in state schools are expected to take the tests in May at the end of KS1 (Year 2) and the end of KS2 (Year 6). There is no requirement for children to take the tests in private schools, although many of them do so informally – their results are not reported to the government. 

KS1 SATs take place in May after Easter. Schools have a window when they can choose to deliver the KS1 SATs Papers. Dates can be found here. 

What are the outcomes or grades?

Standards:

• Working Towards the Expected Standard,
• Working at the Expected Standard,
• Working at a Higher Standard/Greater Depth.

For some children who are working below ‘Working Towards’, teachers will use Pre Key Stage Standards (KS1, KS2) to make an assessment. This is normally for pupils who have learning needs. For pupils with profound learning needs, teachers use the Engagement Model. 

For the Reading and Mathematics Tests, schools also receive a Scaled Score which is a more precise indicator of attainment. 

KS1 SATs Papers – Children who struggle to take them

The government produces variations of the tests that mean some children can still take the KS1 SATs Papers even if they have impairments such as visual or hearing impairments. Some children may not be able to access the tests due to more profound needs. Instead these children are given a teacher assessment using the Pre Key Stage Standards (KS1, KS2) or Engagement Model. A school should inform you if your child will not be taking the test. 

Reporting SATs Test Results to Parents

Schools should report the Standard (for example Working Towards, Expected or Higher Standard/Greater Depth) results of tests to parents. They do not all report the Scaled Scores. The thresholds for these Scaled Scores can be found on our website (Phonics, KS1, KS2, Year 3 to 5, KS3).

How are the results used?

The results of the tests are used in two main ways:

• In KS1 the results are reported to the government who use this to measure progress to the end of KS2. There has been a lot of disruption due to covid recently and also progress used to be measured against pupils who studied the old curriculum. It is not known how progress will be measured in the future from KS1 to KS2. 
• For Primary Schools, the government compares the outcomes for pupils against other schools. These are commonly known as League Tables. This gives an indication of which schools perform the best. The League Tables are very controversial as schools vary in terms of their children’s needs. Some schools may have a high proportion of Special Needs, or have high levels of deprivation. Some schools may have an advantage as they benefit from having low number of Special Needs children, or have many families who can afford tutors and dedicate more time to their children’s learning. You will also see in the League Tables a ‘Progress Score’. This is a measure of progress from Year 2 to Year 6. 

Other Statutory Assessments

As well as the KS1 SATs and KS2 SATs there are a number of other Statutory Assessments in Primary Schools. Statutory means that schools have to do them. 

Reception Baseline Assessment

This is new from 2021. A pupil is expected to take a short assessment within the first 6 weeks of them entering Reception. This is a short assessment on speaking & listening, early reading and mathematics. The results are not reported to parents and there is no pass mark. The results will be used by the government to measure progress of pupils from their entry into Reception to when they leave Year 6. This means that the KS1 SATs tests will be phased out soon. 

Phonics Check

This occurs in June every year for all Year 1 children. Children read 40 real and pseudo (made up) words to test their phonics decoding ability. The pass mark is usually 32 and results should be reported to parents. If a pupil does not meet this ‘expected standard’, they are tested again in Year 2. 

Multiplication Check

2022 is due to be the first year that this is statutory due to delays caused by Covid-19. It happens towards the end of Year 4. Children use a computer to answer a range of multiplication questions up to 12×12 and have 6 seconds to answer each question. 

Other Year Groups

Schools can choose whether they do tests in other year groups. There is no requirement to do so and no requirement to report test results to parents. However schools do have to write a report for each child annually. For the previous National Curriculum (pre 2014), the government did produce Year 3 to 5 Tests and KS3 Tests tests. 

When are KS1 SATs Papers Published?

The KS1 SATs Papers are normally published publicly by the Summer of the year in which they taken. 

How to prepare my child for their KS1 SATs Tests

SATs Tests can be stressful for children but a school will prepare the children as best they can for example by doing Mock Tests. You can also use the resources on this website to help. 

• Free access to past papers: Phonics, KS1, KS2, Year 3 to 5, KS3 including access to Mark Schemes
• Revision Packs for Mathematics
• Rapid Reading, Rapid Grammar and Rapid Arithmetic – short activities based on National Curriculum Tests
• Test Gap Analysis – built for schools to use usually for a cohort of children but can be used for individual children too. There are many free versions available to try out.