With exam season upon us, ten and eleven year-olds around the country in Year 6 will be sitting their SATs tests this week, marking the end of their time at primary school. These KS2 assessments, held annually in May across primary schools nationwide, are scheduled for pupils from May 12 to 15.
According to the government, SATs enable both parents and teachers to pinpoint where extra support is required to ‘make sure all children leave primary school having mastered the basics of literacy and numeracy’. The assessments are used to measure school performance and to make sure individual pupils are being supported in the best way possible as they move into secondary school.
In 2025, the SATs will take place from May 12 to May 15, with students sitting three English papers across Monday and Tuesday, and three Maths papers across Wednesday and Thursday.
While the tests are unseen, the content of the exams will only include questions on topics that students have already covered as part of the national curriculum. As per previous years, there won’t be a test for English writing or science. Instead, this will be reported as a teacher assessment judgement based on a child’s work at the end of KS2.
Does my child need to revise for SATs?
Over time, there have been numerous calls to scrap these tests, with some parents and educators arguing that they’ve transformed schools into exam factories and soured children’s attitudes towards learning.
The government has reassured teachers and parents that ‘children shouldn’t be made to feel any unnecessary pressure when it comes to the KS2 assessments’.
Unlike GCSEs, children should not feel pressured to revise specifically for their SATs, and instead parents should follow the general advice given on supporting their child’s education throughout the year.
Teachers aim to make the testing procedure as relaxed as possible. The papers aren’t strictly timed and are typically administered in a regular classroom setting to minimise stress for the children.
And while it is statutory for schools to hold the assessments, headteachers make the final decision on whether a pupil should participate in them. For example, children with specific special educational needs or disabilities can be assessed under different arrangements where appropriate.
Some children may find the tests especially difficult, but this is because they are designed to stretch and challenge children of all abilities.
The GOV.UK website explained: “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.”
When will I receive my child’s SATs results?
Schools will receive their SATs results on Tuesday July 8 2025, and these will be subsequently sent to parents in a school report.
Each student receives a raw score and a scaled score – you’ll likely only be informed of their scaled score – and will be told whether they have met the national standard (NS).
The full list of KS2 SATs outcome codes is:
- AS – the expected standard has been achieved
- NS – the expected standard has not been achieved
- A – the child was absent from one or more of the test papers
- B – the child is working below the level assessed by KS2 SATs
- M – the child missed the test
- T – the child is working at the level of the tests but is unable to access them (because all or part of a test is not suitable for a pupil with particular special educational needs)
A scaled score of 100 or more signifies that the child has met the expected standard in each test. A scaled score of 99 or less means they haven’t reached the government-expected standard.
The maximum possible score is 120, and the minimum is 80.
Teacher assessment results are also available, and at the end of Year 6, you’ll receive your child’s results for reading, writing, mathematics, and science.
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