| What are SATs? |
SATs are national tests set by government agencies. They consist of written tests in Maths, English and Science and an assessment by the class or subject teacher. The same written tests are given to pupils throughout England and Wales.
| What do the tests involve? |
At Key Stage 1, the tests are a mixture of teacher assessments and written tests. At Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3, there are still teacher assessments but the written tests are more demanding. The questions and tasks in all the tests and assessments are based on what your child is learning in school.
At Key Stage 1, the written tests are marked in school, but at Key Stages 2 and 3, they are marked and checked by an external examiner. There is no pass or fail. Marks are graded and pupils achieve a 'level', rather than a mark.
| What are levels? |
In all subjects, there are several Attainment Targets. These are the general areas of learning that pupils acquire during their school life. For example in English there are three Attainment Targets: Speaking & Listening, Reading and Writing. There are four Attainment Targets in Maths and four in Science (See Glossary).
Every Attainment Target is broken down into 'levels'. Each level describes a stage in a child's learning. The levels are based on how and what your child is learning in each subject throughout their school career. In all subjects, there are eight levels. Most pupils progress through the levels as they get older and learn more. In the National Curriculum Orders, there are written guidelines and descriptions about each level to help you understand what your child should be achieving or working towards.
The 'levels' that pupils are given when they take their SATs, correspond to those written down in the National Curriculum Orders. The average level for each Key Stage is shown in the table below.
Levels of achievement
| School year | Key Stage | Expected level (range) | Average level |
| 2 | 1 | 1 - 3 | 2 |
| 6 | 2 | 2 - 5 | 3 |
| 9 | 3 | 3 - 7 | 5 |
| What is the Teacher's role? |
The written SATs are an indication of how a pupil is working at a particular point in time, but the class teacher's assessment of a pupil is extremely important as it is an ongoing process all through the year.
Teachers assess their pupils in all subjects regularly throughout their school life, but at the end of each Key Stage, they assess their pupils specifically in Maths, English and Science according to the levels stated in the National Curriculum Orders.
When they are assessing pupils, teachers use their professional judgement to weigh up a pupil's progress and recommend the level that they think a pupil has achieved in the classroom.
| When are the SATs taken? |
At the present time, written tests are taken towards the end of each Key Stage in Years 2, 4 and 9.
Timetable
| Key Stage | School Year | Subjects Tested |
| 1 | 2 (pupil age 6/7) | Maths and English |
| 2 | 6 (pupil age 10/11) | Maths, English and Science |
| 3 | 9 (pupil age 13/14) | Maths, English and Science |
The government publishes all the test and teacher assessment results. Printed copies of this information can be obtained from:
The DfEE
Publications Department
PO Box 5050
Sudbury
CO10 6ZQ
Tel: 0845 60 222 60
Fax: 0845 60 333 60
| Are the tests ever changed? |
All National Tests, including the SATs, are constantly reviewed, modified and updated as necessary. Pilot schemes throughout the country also trial new tests for the future.
| How many SATs does each pupil take? |
There are usually two papers for each core subject but this is described more fully in each Key Stage section.
Teachers take account of pupils with special needs and the needs of more able children. Pupils with special educational needs may receive extra time, or help with reading in Maths and Science papers. They may also be involved in assessment tasks with the teacher rather than written tests.
More able pupils may be offered the chance to take an 'extension' paper. This is a more demanding paper than they would normally take for their age and is based on work that is carried out at a higher 'level'. For example, most children at Key Stage 2 take written papers that give them a level between 3 and 5. If they reach the required standard in an extension paper, at Key Stage 2, pupils are awarded level 6.
| How can you help? |
On a practical level, there's lots of things you can do to help your child. Many publishers provide workbooks to use at home but ask your child's school for advice first. The school know the type of work that is appropriate for your child and they will encourage you to use the same methods that are used in school. For example, they will have guidelines about their methods for reading, writing and Maths calculations.
There are example questions and tasks on this site that you can use with your children. They will help to familiarise you with the type of questions found in the tests.
