Most people in the UK will know what SATs are, having either gone through them or know somebody who is currently undertaking them. While these exams might be fairly well-known, there will of course be people who aren’t familiar with them. Regardless, not a lot of people know the more logistical details of SATs, such as where the data’s used or if the results are published or not. It’s a rather quick phase of one’s academic life after all, at an early stage too! So, then, are SATs results published?
To put it shortly, schools are required to publish their pupils’ results for Key Stage 2 SATs on their website as a measure of progress. This is an overall result – for example, the percentage of students at that school who met the expected standard. Individual student results are not publicly published. In terms of Key Stage 1, and as of 2023, they aren’t required legally yet by the government to publish their pupils’ results, but this may change in the future.
While this may have given you a brief overview of whether or not SATs results are published, it may be helpful to read on for a more comprehensive guide.
What are SATs?
Standard Assessment Tests, more commonly known as SATs, are a compulsory set of exams in the UK for almost all KS1 and KS2 children. They are a set of exams for the end of both Key Stages, and feature a range of topics such as English language, punctuation, grammar, spelling, and then maths tests.
For Key Stage 1 students, the exams will include these topics:
- Two English reading tests (one around 30 minutes and the other 40 minutes)
- An arithmetic Maths test (20 minutes)
- A Maths reasoning test (35 minutes)
- Two optional punctuation, spelling and grammar tests (both 35 minutes)
For Key Stage 2 students, the exams will include these topics:
- A Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test (45 minutes)
- A Spelling test (20 minutes)
- An English reading test (60 minutes)
- A Maths arithmetic test (30 minutes)
- Two Maths reasoning papers (40 minutes each)
While these are the tests set by national standards, teachers might also decide to set additional assessments to measure a child’s science and writing abilities based on classwork done.
Children taking SATs for Key Stage 1 will be between the ages of 6 to 7, whereas children taking SATs for Key Stage 2 will be between the ages of 10 to 11.
From 2023, the Department for Education (found here) has decreed that schools will be able to decide whether their pupils will sit the KS1 SATs, while the KS2 ones remain compulsory. This declaration was published as of 2017, but it still remains. This may be part of the reason why schools aren’t required to publish their KS1 SATs results, as not all schools will have done these.
To read more about what SATs are, check out this article from Think Student!
Are SATs results published?
Legally, schools’ SATs results are required to be published for the Key Stage 2 SATs (Year 6). This includes overall results and statistics for the school, not individual students’ results.
However, it’s not required for the Key Stage 1 SATs results to be published, as they aren’t mandatory in all schools.
However, the 2021 to 2022 academic year doesn’t need to be published on school websites. Those were the first statutory assessments after the academic disruption and aren’t published by the Secretary of State either.
However, as the results for 2023 and onwards have had less disruption from the pandemic, they will likely be required to be published by school websites.
To read more about what maintained schools are required to publish online, check out this helpful guide from the UK Government website.
When are SATs 2024?
The 2024 Key Stage 2 SATs will begin on the 13th May 2024, with the tests spanning across four days. Formal exam conditions will be used, and SATs Papers states that they will take place inside UK school classrooms. More information can be found on their website guide here.
Below is the outlined exam timetable provided:
- Monday 13th May 2024: Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Paper 1; Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Paper 2
- Tuesday 14th May 2024: English Reading
- Wednesday 15th May 2024: Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic); Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)
- Thursday 16th May 2024: Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)
In 2024, KS1 SATs are no longer compulsory. Schools will have varying timetables for these SATs as they’ve been offered flexibility as they’re no longer compulsory.