SATs 2021: Complete Guide on KS2 SATs and How to Prepare Your Child!
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When are the KS2 Year 6 SATS 2021?
Parents have been left bewildered with conflicting information over recent months and when this article was originally published in September 2020, the 2021 SATs were going ahead. This has now changed.
Update: January 4th, 2021.
Will the 2021 KS2 SATs go ahead? – YES, but there are changes.
According to the UK government website, reading and maths tests will go ahead as planned. However, the spelling, grammar and punctuation assessments have been cancelled and the science teacher assessment has been removed. While we know that the KS2 SATs tests have been extended by a week until 26th May, we do not know the exact dates as originally outlined in this article. Therefore, we have made the decision to remove them.
For more information, read Year 6 SATs 2021 Revision Guides: The Top 8 Guides UK Parents Choose to learn more about recent developments as of January 2021 and how best to help your child prepare.
UK KS2 SATs explained…
SATs means ‘Standard Assessment Tests’ and are used in primary schools across the UK. SATs are used to assess a pupil’s academic ability in relation to what they have been taught as part of the national curriculum.
Key Stage 2 SATs take place in Year 6 and are timed tests. The SATs tests help teachers to assess a child’s progress in comparison to their peers in class. Results can also be compared with their peers on a national level.
This is also one of the ways in which local government authorities determine which schools are better than others.
KS2 SATs 2021 test dates:
As highlighted above, these have now changed. Originally, Year 6 students would have sat their SATs in May 2021. Exams were due to begin on Monday, 10th May and will finish Thursday, 13th May, with no exams taking place on the Friday.
It’s worth noting that Eid is due to begin during this timetable. This could mean large numbers of Muslim pupils may be absent from school due to the significance of the festival. If large numbers of pupils are absent, schools have the option of rescheduling some exams for the entire cohort.
2021 KS2 SATs timetable for Year 6: (Original dates, these have changed, exact dates are no longer specified.)
Monday, 10th May 2021 [Cancelled]
- English Spag Paper 1, Spelling – 20 minutes.
- English Spag Paper 2, Grammar and Punctuation: Short answer questions – 45 minutes.
Tuesday, 11th May 2021 [Planned, date not specified]
- English Reading Paper – 1 hour.
Wednesday, 12th May 2021 [Planned, date not specified]
- Mathematics Paper 1, Arithmetic – 30 minutes.
- Mathematics Paper 2, Reasoning – 40 minutes.
Thursday, 13th May 2021 [ Planned, date not specified]
- Mathematics Paper 3, Reasoning – 40 minutes.
Please also note that there is a writing element to the KS2 SATs, however it is usually the responsibility of the teacher to carry out this assessment. It may not fall within these dates.
Some schools may decide to do hold a mock test for Year 5 pupils using the previous year’s SATs test. This is an excellent opportunity for children to practice their exam technique. It also demonstrates how to behave under exam conditions. Therefore, in 2021 pupils may sit the 2019 KS2 SATs tests.
KS2 SATs test papers: In detail
You might be wondering what to expect from each of the papers your child will sit? Below we have included a breakdown of the content on each individual paper. You can use this to help your child prepare for their SATs by identifying which areas of each subject to focus on.
KS2 SATs spelling, punctuation and grammar (SPaG) tests: [Cancelled for 2021]
- The first paper consists of an auditory spelling test of 20 words. This test should be no longer than 20 minutes.
- The second paper is a written test focusing on English punctuation and grammar. The test is limited to 45 minutes.
KS2 SATs reading test:
- In this test, students will read three passages of text and then answer questions related to each passage. The test is limited to 60 minutes.
KS2 SATs maths tests:
- The first paper tests arithmetic ability and is limited to 30 minutes.
- Both papers 2 and 3 focus on reasoning and are limited to 40 minutes each.
SATs 2021: When will you get the results?
There is no set date for when results are released. However, in previous years the KS2 SATs results have been released to schools by the Standards and Testing Agency in July. Your school will then make your child’s results known to you.
What is a scaled score?
This is the system used to assess your child’s overall performance in their KS2 SATs. Your child’s actual marks (raw score) will be converted into a scaled score. At Key Stage 2, the scaled score ranges from 1-120. However, the lowest score a child can be awarded is 80. The highest is 120.
But how do you interpret a scaled score?
- 80-99 – Is below the expected KS2 standard.
- 100 – This is the national standard at KS2.
- 100-120 – Exceeded the expected standard at KS2.
In a nutshell, if your child scores 100 or over – this is a good score!
Note that in July the score your child receives is known as a provisional score. The score will be finalised later in the year when the 2021 SATs league table is published. This will highlight which schools are performing well and which are not. You might also like to know that the provisional scores are often used by secondary schools to stream incoming Year 7 students into classes sorted by ability. Therefore, it is so important to prepare Year 6 pupils for their KS2 SATs tests.
KS2 SATs test practice papers:
It’s a great idea to use past papers to help your child practice for the 2021 SATs! Not only will it help them become more familiar with the types of questions that come up, they can also practice under timed conditions. You can find a selection of past papers here.
KS2 SATS – Online learning resources and additional support:
There are plenty of resources out there to help further your child’s learning as they prepare for their KS2 SATs. A great starting point is simply asking your child’s teacher for additional materials such as their own practice papers.
As a parent, you might want to discuss tips or swap resources with other parents. We understand this might be limited at school with ongoing Coronavirus restrictions. You might like to try parenting groups such as UK Primary School Maths – Tutoring & Tips.
Another effective resource parents are more frequently investing in are online tutors. With months of lost learning due to the Coronavirus lockdown, online tutors are helping pupils get back up to speed with their studies. They are often specialists at helping children prepare for their KS2 SATs and can be a great supplement to the content children are already learning at school.
You may also like to read:
How Think Academy’s Online Maths Courses can Help Your Child Better Prepare KS2 SATs?
Top 5 Back to School Tips Compiled by Think Academy’s Education Experts for 2020
