SATs

DfE scraps £1.6m key stage 1 SATs paper opt-out scheme

Unions say 'common sense has prevailed' after an estimated £1.6m was spent last year on optional papers

Unions say 'common sense has prevailed' after an estimated £1.6m was spent last year on optional papers

teacher assessment exam

Government has scrapped a scheme forcing schools to opt-out of receiving optional key stage 1 SATs papers, which cost an estimated £1.6 million last year.

In 2023-24, the Standards and Testing Agency required schools to opt out of receiving the SATs materials for year 2 pupils, despite them becoming non-statutory. 

Fewer than one in 10 primary schools opted out, with the Department for Education estimating it would cost £1.59 million to print and distribute the papers, a Schools Week freedom of information request found. 

A Teacher Tapp survey found that about 60 per cent of 377 primary teachers said they would continue with key stage 1 SATs this year.

But the STA confirmed today it would no longer print and distribute papers for the tests. 

Instead, it will make the test papers and mark schemes available on the primary assessment gateway for schools to download and print from May 1. 

Schools can still order hard copies of modified test papers by November 15 to be distributed next spring. 

The government encouraged schools to administer the optional tests and teacher assessment, but there is no requirement to report the results to parents or councils. They will not be used for school accountability purposes. 

‘Common sense has prevailed’

In an email to schools, the STA said: “The purpose of the optional assessments remains to support schools with measuring pupil achievement and identifying where their pupils need additional support as they transition into key stage 2. 

James Bowen
James Bowen

“The tests can also be used to inform teacher assessment judgements, using the optional teacher assessment frameworks.”

James Bowen, assistant general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “It is good to see that common sense has prevailed here.

“We said last year that it was an unnecessary waste of money for schools to be automatically sent these papers now that the tests are optional – not to mention the completely avoidable environmental impact.”

He added: “Issuing schools with test papers unless they opted out also seemed to signal that asking children to do these tests was still the default option.”

DfE said earlier this year the £1.59 million figure was an estimate only, based on budgeted costs before they worked out a final figure later in the year.

Latest education roles from

IT Technician

IT Technician

Harris Academy Morden

Teacher of Geography

Teacher of Geography

Harris Academy Orpington

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

Lecturer/Assessor in Electrical

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

Director of Management Information Systems (MIS)

South Gloucestershire and Stroud College

Exams Assistant

Exams Assistant

Richmond and Hillcroft Adult & Community College

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Lecturer Electrical Installation

Solihull College and University Centre

Sponsored posts

Sponsored post

It’s Education’s Time to Shine: Celebrate your Education Community in 2025!

The deadline is approaching to nominate a colleague, team, whole school or college for the 2025 Pearson National Teaching...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Navigating NPQ Funding Cuts: An Apprenticeship Success Story

Last year’s NPQ funding cuts meant that half of England’s teachers faced costs of up to £4,000 to complete...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Embedding Formative Assessment: not just a box-ticking exercise but something long-term and meaningful for all

Our EFA programme has been proven to help schools achieve better GCSE results, as evidenced by the EEF. Find...

SWAdvertorial
Sponsored post

Building capacity in family support to tackle low school attendance 

Persistent and severe school absence impacts children, families, and communities—especially in disadvantaged areas. School-Home Support’s Attendance Support and Development Programme...

SWAdvertorial

More from this theme

SATs

Key dates for SATs and phonics checks: 2025, 2026, 2027

Government has released the key dates for primary assessment - including SATs and phonics checks - for the next...

Schools Week Reporter
SATs

Primary school disadvantage gap narrows

But the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their better-off peers remains above pre-pandemic levels

Samantha Booth
SATs

SATs helpline struggling, and 9 more findings from STA accounts

Agency plans to 'transform' how it engages with schools, but still misses phone targets

Samantha Booth
SATs

Scaled scores for 2024 key stage 2 SATs announced

Department for Education publishes marks pupils need to meet the 'expected' standard

Schools Week Reporter

Your thoughts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *