SATs 2024 - What You Need to Know

SATs exams are a fundamental part in a child's education, as they transition from primary to secondary school. Whether this is your first year 6 exam season or your tenth, it’s always best to re-cap and become familiar with the importance of these tests. After all, the focus is on helping each child to feel confident in their ability to answer the set questions. Let us run through all the key points for SATs exams, to help you prepare for the upcoming tests.

Table of contents:

• What are SATs Exams?
• When are SATs?
• Which Year Group Takes the SATs Exams?
• What Exams Are Included in SATs Week?
• How are SATs Marked?

What are SATs Exams?

SATs exams are a national UK test for children in primary education. Standing for Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), the aim of these exams is to measure a child’s educational progress from KS1 to KS2. Resources for SATs exams are widely available in order to help teachers prepare for the annual examination period.

When are SATs?

The UK SATs exams take place annually in primary schools during the May spring term. Spanning the course of a week, pupils sit six exams primarily on the themes revised in their maths lessons and English lessons. While it can seem like an overwhelming period, where stress levels for both teachers and pupils are higher, it's important to remember that the themes on the test are not new. They are all topics which have been taught and continuously revised throughout the previous seven months.

Which Year Group Takes the SATs Exams?

The year groups who can partake in SATs exams include:

• KS1 - Year 2 pupils (usually aged between 6 - 7 years old)
• KS2 - Year 6 pupils (usually aged between 10 - 11 years old)

It’s compulsory for children in KS2 year 6 to undertake the SATs exams, while KS1 SATs are optional. It was in 2017, that the Department for Education announced the update for making KS1 SATs non-compulsory from 2023 onwards. This means it is decided by the individual schools whether to administer their year 2 students for these exams.

As teachers, preparation for SATs is key, no matter the age group. Discover our helpful guide to ensure your class feels ready for the tests, as well as ensuring you haven’t missed anything important.

What Exams Are Included in SATs Week?

The exams pupils will take during SATs week are as follows:

• English grammar, punctuation & spelling - Paper 1
• English grammar, punctuation & spelling - Paper 2
• English reading test
• Maths arithmetic - Paper 1
• Maths reasoning - Paper 2
• Maths reasoning - Paper 3

Our top SATs preparation tips for teachers is to continuously revisit past topics. Why? It is themes your students are familiar with, whether confident or not, and most importantly, could be in the SATs exam. Having been through the process ourselves, planning the perfect lesson takes time and dedication. So adapt what you’ve previously done by considering:

• Pairing confident learners of the topic with non-confident pupils
• Use flashcards as a quick-fire game to see what pupils remember
• Allowing children to self-assess what level they are at regarding a topic to see if they ​​need more Practice, Input, Time or Effort (PETI).

With a wealth of knowledge stored in our library, each of our dedicated partners can help to provide fun schemes of work to help pupils prepare for SATs exams.

How Are SATs Marked?

Sent off to be marked externally, KS2 SATs exams are typically awarded a scaled mark between 80 - 120. This is the combined score of all tests sat during the examination period. For students who receive a score less than 90, means they have not achieved their expected standard for the SATs exams. Those students who score 100 or over have met their expected standard mark.

The breakdown of raw score marks for each test can be seen as follows:

Do Parents Receive Test Results?

Yes, parents of year 6 students who have sat their SATs exams will receive a copy of their results. Often shared around July or the end of the summer term, these reports will outline the child's results and whether or not they reached their expected level. If you are a parent and want to help your child prepare at home, find our top tips towards SATs exams now.

Be Prepared for SATs Exams With Pango Resources

Created for teachers by teachers, Pango is on hand to help prepare your year 6 class for the upcoming SATs season. Sharing our helpful tips and tricks towards the week long exams, we also offer advice and lesson resources for the whole of the academic year. We provide a wealth of knowledge towards the UK primary curriculum, our library of resources span from history and geography, to science and more. When you sign up today as a school, receive 14-days free access to thousands of premium resources.