In addition to the written tests, your child's class teacher will assess how well your child is performing in class.
| Age | School Year | Key Stage |
| 4/5 | Reception | 1 |
| 5/6 | 1 | 1 |
| 6/7 | 2 | 1 |
| 7/8 | 3 | 2 |
| 8/9 | 4 | 2 |
| 9/10 | 5 | 2 |
| 10/11 | 6 | 2 |
| 11/12 | 7 | 3 |
| 12/13 | 8 | 3 |
| 13/14 | 9 | 3 |
| 14/15 | 10 | 4 |
| 15/16 | 11 | 4 |
Testing and assessment is part and parcel of education. Children are taught something and then tested on their learning to make sure they have understood. Assessments help teachers to plan and develop appropriate teaching programmes.
Teachers assess their pupils throughout the year so they are aware of their pupils' strengths and weaknesses. This information is passed to you at parents' evenings and through your child's school report. Teachers will also give each child a level for each subject, especially Maths, English and Science. This is the level at which your child is working. You may see these levels written on your child's report.
The levels are set by the government and they correspond to certain standards of achievement in each subject. Most children progress through the levels in each subject, according to their ability, as they go through school. For example, most children at Key Stage 1 are assessed as working at level 1, 2 or 3; most children at Key Stage 2 are assessed as working at level 3, 4 or 5; and most children at Key Stage 3 are assessed as working at level 5, 6 or 7. The levels may be different for each subject depending on your child's strengths or weaknesses.
Teacher assessments for each child in Maths, English and Science are submitted to government agencies at the end of each Key Stage (during the summer term). This information is gathered alongside the written test results. All the results are returned to school before the end of the term and parents are informed of the written and teacher assessments in each of these three subjects.
Formal testing has always had a place in education. The 11+ exam, was once a national test for all 10-11 year olds. It is still used in some local authorities as a means of directing pupils into different forms of secondary education. In the secondary education sector, CSEs and 'O' levels have combined to create the GCSE exam and there is still the 'A' level exam for older pupils. Generally, the exam system we have today has evolved as our education system has developed.
With the introduction of a National Curriculum for all schools, national testing in the form of written SATs tests were introduced into schools in the mid 1990s. The majority of pupils aged 5 - 16 follow the same curriculum, so the same tests are given to all children who take them. At secondary level, (Year 9), there are a range of tests for different ability groups, but they are still national tests and are taken in all secondary schools. (See Key Stages: Key Stage 3)
There are some children who do not take any or only some of the written tests. These children are assessed by the teacher. To carry out the assessment, the teacher uses a set of tasks and the children give verbal answers. The tasks are set by the government so the same tasks are used in all schools.
National testing, through the SATs tests, now takes place at regular intervals in your child's school career towards the end of years 2, 6 and 9. The results of the tests are sent to the schools before the end of the summer term and every child is given a level for each core subject.
(Note: GCSEs and 'A' levels are not classed at SATs tests although they are also external, national exams)
The National Curriculum Orders for all schools defines the attainment targets and levels expected within each subject. You can obtain a copy of the National Curriculum Orders from the DfEE's Stationery Office. Additional publications and copies of the written tests from previous years are available from The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (see Links section).
See Commonly Asked Questions for more introductory information.
