National Curriculum Tests

(asked on 15th May 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of SATs test design.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 23rd May 2023

End of Key Stage 2 National Curriculum assessments, also known as Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), assess the National Curriculum published in 2014. When the new curriculum was published, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) developed test frameworks setting out the format, structure and content of the tests.

The frameworks were developed in conjunction with teachers, education and curriculum experts. Test materials are reviewed against this framework and trialled comprehensively in schools with Year 6 pupils to ensure they are appropriate. There are no plans to review the specifications for the tests.

STA works independently on the test materials. Ministers have no involvement in test development or in the selection of the content of the test. Ministers do not have access to the test materials until they are published after the end of the timetable variation window, which is five school days after the scheduled test date. Ministers likewise have no involvement in the standards maintenance process which determines the threshold for the expected standard each year.

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