Year 6 SATs

Every year, Year 6 pupils in England take the Key Stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests, which are often referred to as SATs.

What subjects do the tests cover?

Pupils will sit tests in:

• Reading

• Maths

• Grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS)

There are no tests for English writing or science.  Instead, these are reported as a teacher assessment judgement.  This is a judgement teachers will make based on your child’s work at the end of KS2.

What are the tests on?

While pupils won’t be able to see what’s on the test beforehand, the assessments only include questions on things that children should already have been taught as part of the national curriculum. 

You can find past papers on the GOV.UK website here.

When are the tests?

SATs usually take place in May each year.  In 2025, they will take place over four days from 12th to 15th May 2025.

The timetable is as follows:

Why does my child take tests in Year 6/Key Stage 2 (KS2)?

The tests intend to:

• Help measure the progress your child has made and identify if they need additional support in a certain area.

• Provide you with a good sense of the standard at which your child is working in each subject.

• Make sure your child is being supported in the best way possible as they move into secondary school.

• Help your child's new school determine in which areas they need the most support.

• Measure school performance.

What if my child finds the SATs tests too difficult?

It’s important to remember that one of the purposes of the key stage 2 assessments is to identify each pupil's strengths and the areas where they may have fallen behind in their learning as they head into secondary school.

The results will help their new school determine in which areas your child needs the most support.

The tests are designed to be challenging to measure attainment, including stretching the most able children. It means some pupils will find them harder than others.

It takes three years to create appropriate tests. During the process, they’re rigorously trialled with year 6 pupils and reviewed by education and inclusion experts to make sure they’re the right difficulty level.

The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) is responsible for developing the tests, and Ministers don't have any influence on their content.

What do the test results look like?

Since 2016, SATs results have been reported using a system called 'scaled scores'.

What is a scaled score?

Each pupil is given a scaled score as a number.  This is created from the number of marks your child scores in each particular test.

For children in year 6 taking the KS2 tests, scaled scores range from 80 to 120. 

A scaled score: 

• below 100 means that your child may need more support to help them reach the expected standard; 

• of 100 or more means that your child is working at, or above, the expected standard for the key stage.

If your child is working below the overall standard of the key stage, or they have special educational needs, reporting will be different.

Why use scaled scores?

Scaled scores help test results to be reported consistently from one year to the next.

For example, if two children achieve the same scaled scores in different tests in different years, they will have the same level of attainment.

When will I get the results of the tests?

Your child’s end-of-year report will include their scaled score and clear confirmation as to whether they have met the national standard.

Should I be worried if my child doesn’t meet the expected standard?

There’s no reason to worry.  The tests are designed to help identify where children may need extra support as early as possible.

Your child will also receive teacher assessment results, which help to give a broader picture of how well they are doing.

If you have any concerns, please speak to your child’s teacher.

What if I have further questions?

If you have any questions about changes to KS2 assessments and what they mean for your child, please do not hesitate to speak to your child's class teacher or contact us.