1. SATs 2016 All you need to know about the new style SATs

2. This year, KS1 and KS2 SATs are changing. This is due to changes to the curriculum. These came into effect for many pupils in September 2014. Children started to follow the new Curriculum in 2014.

3. KS1 SATs Children will be tested on Maths, Reading Comprehension and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling. Writing will continue to be teacher assessed. The tests will be administered flexibly (individually, groups, whole class). Pupils may be unaware they are taking the tests due to careful teacher planning.

4. Maths The arithmetic paper will test your child’s number and calculation skills. It is to be completed in 20 minutes. It has 25 questions, some of which will require the children to know some basic number facts such as number bonds (adding two single digit numbers) and the 2x, 5x and 10x tables. Towards the end there are some more challenging calculations, such as missing number problems, or finding simple fractions of quantities.

6. The second paper is a reasoning paper – using maths to solve problems. The first five questions will be read to your child before they move on to the rest of the paper. If they need support reading the rest of the paper, help will be available. The questions in this paper will often include a context, such as using money to buy fruit, or measuring drinks. Again, the earlier questions will be straightforward. Questions towards the end will be more challenging. Not all children will reach them, or complete them – and that’s fine. Some of these questions will require more than one step calculations and will be worth 2 marks.

8. Reading Comprehension The Reading Comprehension paper is similar to previous years in that there is a text to read and questions to answer. However, this year the emphasis is upon Inferential deduction rather than direct retrieval. Paper 1: 30 minutes, 20 marks The first paper contains short texts with two or three questions to answer. Many of these will require single word answers or ticking a box.

9. Paper 2: 40 minutes, 20 marks. Texts are more complicated, longer and require greater focus from the children. Answers now have to be specific rather general. Children will read two different texts and use these to answer questions in a separate booklet. Most children will take this paper, but Mrs Wilkinson will not expect all children to complete the whole paper. If your child finds reading more of a challenge at this stage, she will stop the assessment at an appropriate time. The questions in the booklet consist of tick box/circle the answer questions, and some that require a written answer.

10. Some questions require simple retrieval of information from the text; others will ask your child to explain something in more detail.

11.  According to legend, Robin hood was a man who stole things from rich people then gave these things to poor people.  Robin was good at fighting, and he had a group of followers called the ‘merry Men’ who helped him.  What happened to the things Robin hood stole? ……………… ………………………………. b. Who were the Merry Men’? Robin Hood’s victims Robin Hood’s brothers Robin Hood’s brothers Robin Hood’s helpers

12. Grammar & Punctuation The GP &S test is new to KS1 although KS2 pupils have completed one for the last two years. The children have two tests – one for spelling and one for Grammar and Punctuation.

13. Spelling The spelling paper requires the children to spell 20 words. Each word is read out as part of a sentence which is printed in the answer booklet. Your child will be asked to write the missing work in the gap. The words in the assessment will be based on the familiar phonics patterns that are taught in Key Stage 1, in increasing difficulty. All words to be spelled are repeated more than once.

15. Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary The questions will refer both to children’s knowledge of grammatical terms (such as noun and verb), and use of words in the right context. Some questions will require children to put the appropriate punctuation marks in sentences, or change the tense of a sentence.

16. CHANGES In summary… The main change to the SATs at KS1 are the addition of the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test and the new format for the Maths test. The content of the Curriculum e.g, the work the children are tested on, has also changed significantly. Children now are required to know far more and at a much more challenging level.

17. Marking and Results When papers are marked by teachers they will form part of the wider picture of ongoing assessment of your child's learning. Outcomes of ongoing assessment will be captured in your child's end of year report. The main change this year is that your child scores on the tests will be converted to a 'scaled score' to enable comparisons to be made across schools nationally.

18. How are we preparing your child for the assessments? All KS1 and KS2 staff have received stringent training on the new SATs. This includes support teachers as well as class teachers. Lessons are carefully planned to address the changes within the curriculum. Booster and intervention sessions have begun for all Year 2 and Year 6 pupils. Your child has a chance to work in small groups with their teachers/TAs on those things which we feel they need extra support with. We are familiarising the children with the layout and types of questions which they will encounter so that they are not faced with something which is unfamiliar to them.

19. How Can You Help Your CHILD TO DO THEIR BEST? It is essential that KS1 children know their X10, X2, X5 AND X3. They also need to know their number bonds so that they can answer questions on the arithmetic paper at speed. Continue to hear your child read every night – talk to them about the book – what has happened in the text? How did certain things make them feel? What is their opinion? Why do they think that? Encourage your child to complete their homework independently. They won’t have you sitting next to them in an assessment! Ensure that your child gets plenty of rest and relaxation. Avoid the topic of SATs altogether! Very often at KS1, the children are not even aware that they are even being tested. Celebrate every success your child has, no matter how small.