SATs Explained: What Parents Need to Know in 2025

What are SATs?

SATs - Standard Assessment Tests - are national tests taken by children in state schools in England at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) and Key Stage 2 (Year 6). They are set and marked centrally by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), a government body.

The tests measure how well pupils have met the national curriculum expectations for their key stage in the core subjects. They are one of the main ways the government monitors educational standards across the country, and the Year 6 results feed into school performance tables.

SATs are not taken by children in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, which have their own assessment systems.

When do SATs take place?

SATs take place in May each year during designated testing weeks:

• Key Stage 2 (Year 6): Usually the second week of May. The tests run over four days.
• Key Stage 1 (Year 2): Administered by teachers throughout May, with more flexibility on timing.

Results are typically returned to schools in July, giving teachers a chance to share outcomes with parents before the end of the summer term.

Key Stage 1 SATs (Year 2)

KS1 SATs were made optional for schools from the 2023/24 academic year. Many schools still administer them, but they are no longer a statutory requirement. Where they are taken, they cover:

• Reading: Two papers - a shorter reading prompt and a longer reading booklet with comprehension questions.
• Mathematics: Two papers - arithmetic and reasoning.

KS1 results are used internally by teachers to inform their own assessment and to set teacher assessment judgements, but they are not published in national performance tables.

Even where schools no longer formally administer the tests, teachers still make statutory teacher assessments in reading, writing and maths at the end of Year 2. These form part of the child's school record.

Key Stage 2 SATs (Year 6)

KS2 SATs are statutory for all state-maintained schools. They cover three subjects:

• English Reading: One paper lasting 60 minutes. Children read three texts of varying complexity and answer comprehension questions.
• English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS): Two papers - a spelling test and a grammar and punctuation paper.
• Mathematics: Three papers - one arithmetic and two reasoning papers.

Writing is not tested by a central exam. Instead, teachers make a statutory teacher assessment judgement - either "working towards the expected standard", "working at the expected standard", or "working at greater depth".

How are SATs scored?

KS2 papers are marked externally by trained markers and converted into scaled scores. The scaled score system was introduced in 2016 to allow fair year-on-year comparisons even when the difficulty of tests varies slightly.

The scoring works like this:

• 100 is the expected standard. A child who scores 100 has met the national expectation for their age.
• Scores range from 80 to 120 across all subjects.
• A score of 110 or above is often described informally as "higher score", indicating the child is performing above the expected standard.
• A score below 100 means the child has not yet met the expected standard.

Alongside the scaled score, children receive a pass/fail judgement - formally described as whether they have "met the expected standard" or not. This binary judgement is what feeds into the school's published results.

How do schools use SATs results?

For the school, KS2 results serve several purposes:

• Performance tables: The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (RWM) is published nationally and used to compare schools.
• Progress 8 baseline: KS2 results set the baseline for a child's Progress 8 score, which measures how much progress they make between Year 6 and Year 11. A strong KS2 result means the child is expected to achieve more at GCSE - so context matters. See our guide to reading school league tables for more on this.
• Setting and grouping: Many secondary schools use KS2 results as part of the process for setting pupils in subjects. They are not the only factor, but they carry weight.

For your child's secondary school, KS2 results are background information. Teachers will quickly form their own view of each pupil, and early secondary performance is typically more useful than a Year 6 test score.

What do the results mean for your child personally?

Honestly - not as much as the anxiety around them suggests. SATs are a snapshot of one child on one day across a narrow range of subjects. They do not measure creativity, curiosity, resilience, or the many things that predict long-term success.

Children who score below the expected standard are not failures, and children who score above it are not guaranteed an easy path through secondary school. What SATs do is give a structured point of reference - for schools, for the government, and as a conversation starter at secondary transition.

Some children find the testing week stressful. Schools vary in how much pressure they place on pupils. If your child is particularly anxious, it is worth speaking to their teacher before the testing week about how the school manages wellbeing during that period.

How can parents support their child?

• Keep perspective. The tests matter to the school's data, but they do not define your child's ability or their future.
• Practise without pressure. Past papers are freely available and can help children become familiar with the format. Treat them as puzzles rather than high-stakes exams.
• Focus on reading. Regular reading - of anything - is the single most effective preparation for KS2 SATs.
• Ensure good sleep and routine in the run-up to testing week. Practical preparation matters more than last-minute cramming.
• Talk to the school. Ask what support is in place for children who find formal testing difficult.

SATs and school performance data on School Signal

School Signal shows KS2 SATs results for every primary school in England, including the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Use this alongside Ofsted data and our guide to understanding Ofsted ratings to compare schools in your area.

For secondary school performance, KS2 results set the baseline - so also read our guide to school league tables and Progress 8 to understand how secondary schools are measured.