KS1 Standard Assessment Tasks

What are SATs? SATs stands for Standard Assessment Tasks. These are national tasks set by the government. Children are required to sit these tasks when in Y2. The tasks are just one part of a range of assessments which have been carried out throughout your child’s time in KS1.

What subjects do the SATs cover? The SATs contribute to the teacher’s assessment of what level a child is working at, in: -Reading -English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling -Mathematics We will also make a judgement on the level each child is at in Speaking & Listening and Science, but there are no tests for these subjects.

The assessments Have a look at some example papers.

Reading There are two reading papers. Both feature fiction and non-fiction texts that the children must read and then answer questions about independently. Paper one is expected to take about 30 minutes to complete, and paper two 40 minutes although the tests aren’t strictly timed. Most children will take both of these tests, however some children will just take Paper 1 and some children will complete a 1 to 1 task with the class teacher, using a story book or non-fiction text and giving answers verbally.

English grammar, punctuation and spelling There are two papers. Paper 1 is a spelling test. The children will be tested on 20 spellings. This is expected to take about 15 minutes. Paper 2 is made up of questions which will test the children's knowledge of punctuation and grammar. This is expected to take about 20 minutes. Although again both these tests aren’t strictly timed. Most children will take this test, however some children will be assessed through their everyday writing.

Mathematics There are two papers. The first is arithmetic questions and is expected to take about 20 minutes to complete. The second test is a reasoning paper and is expected to take about 35 minutes to complete, although again these tests aren’t strictly timed. Children are expected to work mentally or use informal jottings (pictures, draw number lines) to work out the answers. A ruler is allowed in the reasoning paper. Most children will take both of these tests, however some children will complete a 1 to 1 task with the class teacher.

When and how do the SATs take place? The tests will take place at the end of term 4 or at the start of term 5. We aim to make the SATs as non-threatening as possible. They will either take place in the classroom and Miss Hargreaves will be administering all of the assessments, or in a small group setting where they will be administered by an adult they know well.

Don’t Panic! Whilst SATs are statutory, we have been assessing your child’s progress throughout the year. This means that the scores that your child achieves in the SATs are just one part of the assessment process. Your child’s final end of year grades (Year 2 Emerging, Y2 Developing or Y2 Secure) are determined by the teacher and not the tests!

What do the SATs results mean? A new national curriculum was introduced in As a result, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is changing the tests so that they assess the new curriculum. Pupils will take the new tests for the first time in May The children will be given a scaled score, and this will be reported to parents at the end of the year. A scaled score of 100 will represent the ‘national standard’ The STA haven’t decided what the scale will look like yet as they need to wait until the tests have been taken and marked so they can set the national standard and the rest of the scale. The results form part of the picture when deciding on the teacher’s assessment level. It is this teacher assessment that is reported to the Local Authority and that is used by the school in the future.

Finally… Children tend not to be stressed or worried about these assessments, as we do not tell them ahead of time and they are quite used to doing similar tasks from time to time. What you can do: - keep reading with your child and supporting their weekly homework/spellings as usual. - make sure your child is in school on time and has had breakfast. - don’t make a big deal about these assessments or try to cram in lots at home!

Any Questions? Thank you for coming!