SATs, or national curriculum assessments as they are formally
known, are assessments of primary pupils’ progress and
attainment. In the last year of primary schooling, the
assessments are more formal and the results are reported at
school level. This allows for comparison between different
schools.
SATs cover core academic subjects – English, maths and science;
there are also biennial science sampling tests.
There are national curriculum tests and assessments at the end
of Key Stage 1 (infant phase) and Key Stage 2 (end of primary/
junior phase). At KS2, the results are published in national
performance tables - sometimes known as league tables.
What has changed in primary assessments and SATs?
In parallel with wider reforms to the curriculum, the 2015
Government significantly reformed the content of the national
curriculum assessments and tests. They also changed the way
that the results were reported.
The Government said that the new assessments were tougher and
the expected standard higher. The intention was to better
prepare children for secondary education. However, the
introduction of the new assessment arrangements attracted
significant criticism from teaching unions and others – both on
the underlying principle of testing young children, and on the
nature and pace of the changes.
What did the 2015 Government say in response to criticism about
the 2016 SATs?
On 19 October 2016, Education Secretary said in a Statement that
the then Government was committed to a period of stability in
primary assessment, and would consult further in 2017. No new
national assessments would be introduced before 2018-19, nor
would planned resits for year seven (first year of secondary
schooling) who hadn’t reached the expected standards at the end
of primary schooling. The grammar, spelling and punctuation
tests aimed at children in year two (age six or seven) would
remain non-statutory, meaning schools did not have to
administer them.
Consultation on primary assessment – March 2017
The Department for Education (DfE) launched a consultation on
the future of primary assessment in March 2017. This closes in
June 2017. It asks for views on a range of proposals,
including:
- The introduction of a new reception baseline assessment to
serve as a starting point for measuring progress at all-through
primary schools.
- The removal of some statutory assessments, and the reform
of others.
- The introduction of a times table check from 2018-19.
General Election 2017 Manifesto commitments and
party positions on primary assessment
- The Green Party manifesto committed to abolishing SATs for
primary age children.
- The manifesto said it would
abandon plans to reintroduce a baseline assessment for
reception-age children, and would launch a commission on
curriculum and assessment.
- The Conservative Party said it would retain statutory
assessment, but consulted on reforms just prior to the 2017
General Election being called. The Conservative manifesto said
11-year-olds would be expected to know their times tables, and
also that there would be improved accountability at KS3 (lower
secondary age).
- The Liberal Democrat manifesto said the party would
prioritise progress measures and would work with the profession
to reform assessments at the end of KS2. One aim of this was to
ensure that the curriculum didn’t become narrowed during KS2.
- UKIP's manifesto said it would abolish SATs for KS1
pupils.
