Thu Jun 20 2013

What Are Standard Attainment Tests (SAT’s)?

Your child is rapidly approaching the end of his/her second stage in the education system.  The first stage was completed at the end of Year 2 and the second stage has lasted for four years.  Two years of this second stage were undertaken at your child’s Lower School and two years by Holmemead.  Staff from the schools concerned have worked together to ensure progress and continuity.  In May, at the end of Key Stage 2, children in Year 6 right across the country must sit the national tests,  called Standard Attainment Tests or SATs.

These tests are designed to measure the educational progress and achievements of your child since Year 2 and allows you to compare your child’s progress to that made both locally and nationally by children of the same age.   The tests themselves take around 6 hours altogether and this year they will take place in the week beginning the 14th May.  The exact dates and subjects to be tested are shown on a separate sheet.

Tests can only be sat on the dates shown above and any child who misses the test cannot sit them at a later date.  Teachers do not know what will be on the papers until they are opened on the day.   During the actual tests, teachers may not help children when they are doing their papers, except to:

  • read instructions and questions to pupils with literacy difficulties
    in all papers except English Reading
  • explain the meaning of a word which is part of the instructions

In certain exceptional cases, pupils may be given extra time to complete their tests or given rest breaks.  Some pupils may also have prompters to keep them focused on the tests and scribes to write down verbal answers given by pupils.
The tests are marked by independent markers and the test results will be received by the school in early July.  Results are given in the form of a level ranging between Level 3 and Level 5.  The national average for Year 6 pupils is Level 4.  Test papers are returned to schools and children will have an opportunity to see their marked papers.

Parents will receive a sheet showing the results of their child’s tests and also the teacher assessments of pupil ability which usually, but not always, agree with the test results.   You will also receive information about the percentages of pupils at Holmemead who got Levels 3, 4 and 5, and information about which levels were achieved by pupils nationally.