Some schools will receive key stage 2 SATs results in the last week of their summer term because of disruption caused by the coronation of King Charles.
The Standards and Testing Agency has announced schools will receive results and headline data will be published on Tuesday July 11, a week later than planned.
The date of tests were shifted by a day each because of the extra bank holiday on May 8.
The organisation admitted the change may impact schools whose summer holidays start in early July, or “where schools have events booked in the week results will now be returned”.
Although the summer term is not due to end until later in the month in many areas of England, some will break up just days after results are issued.
In Leicestershire, for example, schools break up on Wednesday July 12. In Leicester, term ends on July 14.
Marking reviews could eat into school holidays
Schools submit marking reviews after results are received. The STA has moved the deadline for these back to July 21, raising the prospect some schools will have to continue this work into their holidays.
The checking exercise for school performance data will also move back to Monday September 11.
Sarah Hannafin, senior policy adviser at school leaders’ union NAHT, said the delay was “incredibly disappointing and was completely avoidable”.
“It is difficult to accept that a one day delay to the tests leads to a weeks delay to results particularly with the expectations put on school leaders to fulfil their obligations and specific deadlines regarding SATs.
“This decision will have a negative impact on schools particularly those which break up for the summer holidays the week that results will now be returned.”
‘We regret the inconvenience’
The STA said it had done “everything possible to limit the extent of this delay and appreciate a later date for return of results has a significant impact on schools”.
“We understand this impact may be greater where summer holidays commence earlier in July, or where schools have events booked in the week results will now be returned. We regret the inconvenience this change will cause schools. We expect to return to the usual timings in 2024.”
Tiffnie Harris, primary specialist at the ASCL school leaders’ union, said the “unfathomable decision will cause more workload and disruption for schools when they are already under intense pressure on multiple fronts”.
She added that it was “discourteous that it has taken so long for this latest announcement to be made”.
The deadline for schools to upload key stage 2 teacher assessment data on the primary assessment gateway has moved to June 30.
But the deadline for submission of key stage 1 teacher assessment data “has not changed and will remain Tuesday June 27”.
The STA has also confirmed that test scripts for maths paper 3 will be collected on May 15, not May 12.
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