SATs and Testing Information for Parents

Below is key information for parents about the national curriculum assessments that your child will take part in during their time at primary school.

National curriculum assessments

Primary school children in England take part in the following assessments:

• reception baseline assessment: within the first 6 weeks of starting school in reception
• early years foundation stage profile assessment: during the summer term of your child's reception year
• phonics screening check: in June of year 1
• multiplication tables check: in June of year 4
• key stage 2 tests (sometimes referred to as SATs): in May of year 6

 
You will find more information about the individual assessments below.
 
  • Key stage 2 national curriculum tests
    Key stage 2 national curriculum tests
  • Multiplication tables check
    Multiplication tables check
  • Phonics screening check
    Phonics screening check
  • Reception baseline assessment
    Reception baseline assessment
 
 
 

Children working below the level of the national curriculum

Children working below the standards of the national curriculum in one or more subjects may be assessed under an alternative teacher assessment – either the:

• pre-key stage standards, if they are engaged in the national curriculum subjects
• engagement model, if they are not engaged in the national curriculum as separate subjects

If you child is not engaged in the curriculum at the expected level and is instead accessing either the pre-key stage standards or the engagement model, you will be informed by your child's class teacher. 

  • Pre-key stage standards
    Pre-key stage standards
  • The engagement model
    The engagement model