How important are the Key Stage 2 SATs results?

April 14, 2018

• Topical

Key Stage 2 SATs are the National Curriculum tests taken by Year 6 pupils. SATs assess English reading, grammar, punctuation and spelling, and Maths. They are a great way to determine progress and act as a reflection of what your child has learned throughout their primary school years.

SATs results can be very helpful if you want to know where your child is positioned compared to the average results that are achieved by other children of the same age and can also be used to pinpoint areas of strength and weakness. They are a good way of measuring ability at the end of KS2 to determine whether your child is exceeding expectations based on their peers or can be used to highlight any difficulties they are facing in their learning.  

SATS results are also used to analyse primary school performance. Local authorities and the Department of Education use the results to produce league tables and identify the schools that are performing well compared to those that are struggling.

Finally, it is important to note that some secondary schools use the SATs results to predict target grades and allocate your child into their Year 7 sets. While the SATs are only used as a guideline, low SATs results could lead to your child being inaccurately streamed through school. However, secondary schools will be continually monitoring your child’s progress, so adjustments should be made ensure they are placed in the group of the most appropriate ability.

It is important to alleviate the stress of SATs exams and take the pressure off your child. They only provide a snapshot of their ability and are mainly used for teachers to compare each child against their peers as well as across the country. Despite the high importance we place on exam results, SATs are only a minor assessment, so try not to lose sleep over them!

We also cover Key Stage 2 tuition at Kings Tutors.