Key Stage 2: SATs (11+)

Key Stage 2 (KS2) SATs are statutory (compulsory) national curriculum assessments taken by pupils in Year 6 (typically aged 10-11) at the end of their primary education in England. They are more formal than the KS1 SATs and are externally marked.

Here's a detailed overview:

1. Purpose of KS2 SATs:

  • Measure Attainment: The primary aim is to assess how well pupils have mastered the knowledge and skills taught in the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum for English and Mathematics.

  • School Accountability: The results are used to measure school performance and are published in school league tables. This data helps the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofsted (the schools' inspectorate) monitor and compare the effectiveness of schools.

  • Inform Secondary Schools: The scaled scores from KS2 SATs are passed on to secondary schools. These results provide valuable insights into the academic levels of incoming students, helping secondary schools with setting/streaming pupils and tailoring initial support or challenge.

  • Identify Support Needs: For individual pupils, the results can highlight areas where they may need additional support or challenge as they transition to secondary school.

  • Measure Progress: The KS2 SATs results are used in conjunction with the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) to measure the progress a pupil has made from the start of primary school to the end of Year 6.

2. Subjects Assessed by Test Papers:

Students sit formal test papers in:

  • English Reading:

    • One paper, 60 minutes long.

    • Includes a reading booklet with three different texts (fiction, non-fiction, poetry).

    • Questions assess various comprehension skills, including vocabulary, retrieval of information, inference, prediction, summarising, and understanding author's intent.

  • English Grammar, Punctuation, and Spelling (GPS):

    • Paper 1: Questions (Grammar and Punctuation): 45 minutes. Assesses knowledge of grammatical terms (e.g., nouns, verbs, adverbs, tenses), sentence functions, combining clauses, and punctuation (e.g., commas, apostrophes, inverted commas, colons, semi-colons).

    • Paper 2: Spelling: An aural test where the teacher reads 20 words within sentences, and children write down the missing word. This typically takes around 15-20 minutes.

  • Mathematics:

    • Paper 1: Arithmetic: 30 minutes. Focuses on calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, percentages) often without a context.

    • Paper 2: Reasoning: 40 minutes. Covers problem-solving and mathematical reasoning across various topics from the KS2 curriculum (number, measurement, geometry, statistics, ratio, proportion, algebra).

    • Paper 3: Reasoning: 40 minutes. Similar to Paper 2, assessing problem-solving and reasoning skills.

3. Subjects Assessed by Teacher Assessment (Non-Test):

In addition to the formal tests, a child's teacher makes a professional judgment based on their overall work and performance in the classroom throughout Key Stage 2 for:

  • English Writing: Teachers assess against specific frameworks to determine if a pupil is working towards the expected standard, at the expected standard, or at greater depth within the expected standard.

  • Science: Teachers assess whether a pupil has met the expected standard in science based on their curriculum work.

4. Format and Administration:

  • Formal Conditions: KS2 SATs are administered under more formal exam conditions, often in a school hall or quiet classroom, with invigilators. Papers are strictly timed.

  • External Marking: All test papers are marked externally by trained markers, not by the child's own teacher.

  • Scaled Scores: Raw scores (the actual marks achieved) are converted into scaled scores. This allows for fair comparisons of performance year-on-year, even if the difficulty of the papers varies slightly.

    • A scaled score of 100 indicates that a child has met the "expected standard" for their age.

    • The scaled score range for KS2 SATs is typically from 80 to 120.

    • Scores below 100 mean the child has not yet met the expected standard.

    • Scores of 100 or more mean the child is working at, or above, the expected standard.

    • A score significantly above 100 (e.g., 110-120) indicates working at "greater depth" or exceeding the expected standard.

  • Results Publication: Schools receive provisional results by the end of July. Parents are informed of their child's scaled scores and whether they achieved the expected standard in their end-of-year school report. School-level results are published in national performance tables.

5. Controversy and Importance:

KS2 SATs are often a subject of debate:

  • Pressure on Pupils and Teachers: Critics argue that the high-stakes nature of the tests places undue pressure on Year 6 pupils and can lead to anxiety. Teachers may also feel pressure to "teach to the test," potentially narrowing the curriculum.

  • Limited Scope: SATs only assess a narrow range of English and Maths skills and do not capture a child's full range of abilities, talents (e.g., in arts, sports), or personal qualities.

  • Value for Secondary Schools: Despite the criticisms, secondary schools widely use KS2 SATs results as a primary indicator for setting and tailoring curriculum provision for their incoming Year 7 students. They provide a common, national benchmark.

While the tests are rigorous and challenging, schools aim to prepare children thoroughly so they can perform to the best of their ability without excessive stress.