SATs 2023

 

SATS 2023 are rapidly approaching and we want to reassure you that we will do everything we can to make the process as comfortable as possible for your children.

Please remember, that the SATs tests are not something that you or your child should be worrying about.  These statutory tests are one of a suite of tools schools use to assess your child.  Throughout their time at Priors Hall, our pupils practice summative tests on a termly basis and are exposed to test conditions in a range of subjects continuously.  In Key Stage 1, tests are usually called quizzes or end assessment points so that pupils are not daunted and SATs testing in Key Stage 1 is kept very low key.

 

When will the SATS take place?

KS1 SATs (Year 2 Pupils only) will take place throughout the month of May 2023.  There are no statutory dates for the KS1 SATs and schools are able to timetable which groups of pupils will take the tests and when.  In Key Stage 1, pupils will sit the following papers:

 

  • English Reading Paper 1
  • English Reading Paper 2
  • English SPaG Test - Grammar and Punctuation
  • English SPaG Test - Spelling
  • Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
  • Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)

 

From September 2023, in time for the SATs season in 2023, KS1 SATs will be made non-statutory as per the government announcement in 2017.  This means that schools will be able to decide whether or not they administer them from next year.

KS2 SATS (Year 6 Pupils) will be administered throughout the week of 8th to 12th May 2023.  The dates are set by the Standards and Testing Agency and will be held on the following dates:

 

  • Tuesday 9th May 2023 - Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Paper 1 - 45 mins
  • Tuesday 9th May 2023 - Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Paper 2 - 20 mins
  • Wednesday 10th May 2023 - English Reading - 60 minutes
  • Thursday 11th May 2023 - Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic) - 30 minutes
  • Thursday 11th May 2023 - Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning) - 40 minutes
  • Friday 12th May 2023 - Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning) - 40 minutes

 

What will children be tested on in their 2023 SATs? 

Of course we all wish we knew the answer to this question! The SATs test for Year 2 and Year 6 will look quite different. KS1 SATs consists of a total of 6 papers altogether, usually not sat under timed conditions. They are also marked internally by the school.

KS2 SATs consist of 6 papers too but to be sat within time restrictions. In addition, there is a teacher assessed element in KS2 to establish a ‘Writing’ score. These papers are sent back to be marked centrally with marks standardised around a score of 100.

 

Year 2 National Tests: KS1 SATs Papers 2023

6 and 7 year olds in Year 2 will sit the following SATs Papers in May 2023.

 

The KS1 Maths SATs:

  • There will be 2 papers.
  • Paper 1 is a 25 mark arithmetic test which should take around 15 minutes.
  • Paper 2 involves reasoning, problem solving and mathematical fluency. This paper has 35 marks available, will last for roughly 35 minutes, and contains a variety of question types.

 

The KS1 SPaG SATs:

  • There will be 2 papers
  • Paper 1 is a 20 word spelling paper, comprising of 20 marks. The spelling test should take around 15 minutes.
  • Paper 2 consists of a reading booklet containing different passages of text. This will average out at roughly 900 words.

 

The KS1 Reading SATs:

  • There will be 2 papers.
  • Paper 1 consist of a variety of texts totalling between 400-700 words. There will be a number of questions for pupils to answer dotted throughout.
  • Paper 2 consists of a reading booklet containing different passages of text. This will average out at roughly 900 words.

 

Year 6 National Tests: KS2 SATs Papers 2023

10 and 11 year olds in Year 6 will sit the following KS2 SATs Papers in 2023. In addition some schools will be chosen for science sampling and will also sit a KS2 Science Paper

 

The KS2 Reading SATs:

  • This is one paper, with questions that are based on 3 different passages of text. Pupils will have 1 hour to complete the paper.

 

The KS2 SPaG SATs:

  • There is a 20 word aural spelling test which should last around 15 minutes.
  • There is also a written element which consists of an English grammar and punctuation paper, which will last for 45 minutes.

 

The KS2 Maths SATs:

  • There will be 3 mathematics papers.
  • Paper 1 is an arithmetic paper which will last for 30 minutes.
  • Papers 2 and 3 are reasoning papers which will last for 40 minutes each.

 

What can parents do to help their children prepare for SATs?

Let us reassure you, that we have been working incredibly hard to prepare your children for their SATs.  We are sure that there are many parents worrying about what they can do to help their children.  Our most important piece of advice, is to not put them under any pressure with regards to these tests.  Ultimately, the tests are only one tool with which we assess your child, and in Key Stage 1 it is the Teacher's Assessment that is reported, not the Test Results.

For those pupils in Year 6, the tests are predominantly used as part of a transition package for Secondary School.  However, once again, this information is supported by Teacher Assessments and a range of other contextual information.  Often, Secondary Schools will conduct their own baselines when the child starts in Year 7 to inform their groupings.  So please remember, that if your child does not get the results you had hoped for, it really isn't the end of the world.

 

Here are some important tips for helping your child prepare for SATs:

  • Talk about the SATs and tell them not worry about them. The school will also do this, too, but it makes a bigger impact if school and parents do this together. Children perform best when they are relaxed.
  • Reading is a key part of primary education so keep encouraging daily reading whether your child reads on their own or if you read together. Discuss the books, the characters, the storylines and encourage your child to express their own opinions on the book. This is important to their long term development as well as SATs test.
  • Play mental games when you are on the way home whether you are walking or driving. Playing card games, Uno, Monopoly and dominoes all help with Maths. Whereas games like hangman, Boggle or Scrabble will support with literacy,
  • You can buy test papers and work through them with your child but your child will be doing lots of tests in school so only do more if your child enjoys their challenge. If your child doesn’t like them, it is counter productive to force them to do more.
  • There are lots of revision guides available to buy. You do not have to get one but if your child is reassured by having a book why not choose one together.
  • Try to keep everything else running normally. So whether its sport, music lessons or Scouts and Guides; sticking to your normal routine of out of school activities demonstrates to your child that SATs are not the be and end all of year 6.
  • During the SATs week, whilst keeping to normal timetable, try to avoid late nights, as children will find sitting the tests tiring.
  • Try to make sure your child has some fresh air when they come home from school on test days.
  • Keep it in proportion. They are primary-school tests to gauge the education in the school and do not affect the secondary school your child will go to.
  • Stay positive. Many children enjoy taking the tests as they see it as a challenge and like the importance and the feeling of being special that SATs give year 6.