What are SATs? SATs stand for Standard Assessment Tasks and Tests. They are a national assessment process used by all state schools to give a snapshot of children’s attainment at the end of Key Stage One. The results are used to judge the school not the child. The tests are marked in school.
When do they occur? Teacher assessment is ongoing throughout the year. The tests themselves happen in May and are used to confirm the ongoing teacher assessment of the children.
What are the main changes this year? Government led changes to school assessment. New National Curriculum started in Old assessment levels were abolished. Schools were invited to design their own systems for assessment. Totally new statutory tests in both Key Stage 1 and 2, with very limited information about their content and design No longer additional papers for ‘More Able’ (previously Level 3) No Writing Test In Maths and Writing, there are a list of skills that a child must show they can do to reach the required standard.
What subjects are assessed and reported? There are tests for reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation (SPAG) and maths. Teacher Assessment results are reported for reading, writing, maths and science. The spelling, grammar and punctuation (SPAG) test result informs the writing teacher assessment.
Reading Tests PAPER 1 A selection of texts totalling words with questions interspersed PAPER 2 A Reading Booklet containing texts totalling words Children write answers in a separate booklet. Each paper is worth 50% of the marks. Teachers may stop the test at any time if the test is inappropriate for a child. The emphasis is on Comprehension.
READING PAPER - 1
READING PAPER - 2
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Test (SPAG) There is no longer a SATS Writing Assessment, although teachers will continue to assess writing throughout the year. PAPER 1 Spelling Test eg – The Musician gave concerts all over the………………………. PAPER 2 Grammar & Punctuation Test
Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Test (SPAG) PUNCTUATION EXAMPLE Tick one box to show where a comma should go in the sentence below: Aisha found some red blue and purple beads in the box. GRAMMAR EXAMPLE Circle the three nouns in the statements below: A whale has an enormous heart that can weigh as much as a small car.
Arithmetic Paper Allocated 20 mins - children will need to work quickly but not strictly timed. No resources allowed. Will test - ‘Confidence & Mathematical Fluency with Whole Numbers, Place, Value & Counting’ e.g. ……………+ 5 = = …………… 87 – 40 = ………… ………… = 79 1 of 21 = ……… ÷ 2 = …………. 3 x 3 = …………… 1 of 30 = ………….. 2
Maths – Reasoning Mathematical Reasoning Paper – allocated 35 minutes (not strictly timed) 5 aural questions included. No resources allowed. e.g. Amy plants 4 rows of carrots There are 3 carrots in each row A rabbit eats 2 of the carrots How many carrots left? e.g. Sita put 2 shoes in each box How many shoes altogether?
How are the test results arrived at? READING, ‘SPAG’, MATHS Raw Score (marks awarded out of the total ) School sent a converter to scale the scores in June Scale Score (indicates if child has reached expected standard or not) 100 is expected to be equivalent to the‘Age Related Expectation’ with scores probably ranging from 80 to 130. PHONICS Some children will also be retaking Year 1 Phonics Screening if they fell below the ‘pass mark’ whilst in Year 1.
READING, WRITING, MATHS Below the standard of the pre-key stage (would not sit tests) Pre-key stage foundation (may not sit tests) Working towards expected standard Working at expected standard Working at greater depth SCIENCE Working at expected standard Not working at expected standard What are the possible teacher assessment outcomes?
What are the priorities in the New Curriculum? Handwriting Spelling – applying the spelling rules and spelling the identified key words ‘mostly correctly’ Reading – All about understanding. Ask questions, don’t just ‘hear’ reading Punctuation - Must be ‘mostly right’ Grammar – Must know and identify the key terms
What are the priorities in the New Curriculum? Vocabulary – read widely, model, talk about word meaning and alternatives e.g. What does exhausted mean? Mental maths recall e.g. times tables (2, 3, 5, 10) and addition and subtraction facts Fractions -whole, half, quarter and third
What can you do to help? No pressure!! Special Work, not SATs. Continue with reading, Zappers and homework as you are. Remember that we are here to develop the WHOLE CHILD.
When will I find out the results? Results will be sent to you in a letter, either with your child’s report or soon after. You will be given your child’s reported teacher assessment results and the test results. At school, we use these results to track progress.