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Primary assessment and reporting

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

This applies to the development of nursery aged children up to and including Reception aged children (4-5 years old). By the end of the reception year, children should have achieved the Early Learning Goals at the expected standard. Teachers should complete the Early Years Profile for each child.

The 17 Early Learning Goals (ELGs) are grouped into 7 areas of learning and development. By the end of the summer term of the academic year when the child turns 5, an EYFS profile should be produced and reported to parents.

Reference materials can be found at the following links:

Statutory Framework (Published March 2021)
EYFS Profile 2022 Handbook
Assessment and Reporting Arrangements (Oct 2019)

The new Reception Baseline Assessment was delayed due to COVID-19. It is now statutory (from Autumn 2021).

Details can be found in: Reception baseline assessment ARA (May 2022)

Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)

All Y1 pupils have to take the national Phonics screening test. This consists of 40 questions, where pupils have to read 20 real and 20 made up words using the phonics techniques that they have learnt. The pass mark is not set, but has been 32/40 since it's introduction. All students are expected to pass. Those that don’t pass are required to resit the test in Y2. Details for the administration of the phonics test can be found at the following link:

KS1 ARA (October 2021)

Y2 pupils sit the end of KS1 SATs. The KS1 tests consist of:

  • English reading Paper 1: combined reading prompt and answer booklet
  • English reading Paper 2: reading booklet and reading answer booklet
  • Mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic
  • Mathematics Paper 2: reasoning

There are also optional tests for Grammar, punctuation and spelling. The test is made up of:

  • English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: spelling
  • English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2: questions

Further information can also be found in the KS1 ARA document above.

In addition to the tests, all students also receive a teacher assessment which indicates whether they are working at the expected standard, working towards the standard or working above the expected standard. Details of teacher assessments and the criteria for achieving the expected standard can be found in the Teacher assessment frameworks at the end of key stage 1 (2018/19).

There is also guidance for assessment of students who are working below the expected standard.

These can be found in the Pre KS1 2020/21 document, which describes the foundations for the expected standard in each assessment area.

Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)

The national curriculum is divided into programmes of study for Years 3&4, and for Years 5&6. From these programmes of study, students can then be assessed against end of year expected standards. The Statutory requirements at each stage can be found in the National Curriculum framework document (Sept 2013). The Year 3 and Year 5 expectations can be devised by the school based on the programmes of study. The only formal testing takes place in Year 6. This includes SATs exams and teacher assessments.

The 2019 KS2 tests consist of:

  • English reading: reading booklet and associated answer booklet
  • English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: questions
  • English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 2: spelling
  • Mathematics Paper 1: arithmetic
  • Mathematics Paper 2: reasoning
  • Mathematics Paper 3: reasoning

Further details can be found in the KS2 Assessment and reporting arrangements (Oct 2021)

Teacher assessment details can be found in the Teacher assessment frameworks at the end of key stage 2.

The Pre KS2 assessments have criteria for the 6 Standards for each of the assessment areas. Details of the Engagement model are in a separate document - this is for non subject specific assessments below Standard 1.

Primary school accountability

The Primary school accountability (June 2022) document sets out the guidance for schools on what will be reported, and what is included in the performance tables.

Key stage 1

The Year 1 Phonics tests are not published or used in performance tables.
The SATs taken at the end of Year 2 are not published or used in performance tables.
KS1 Teacher Assessment is not published in Performance Tables, it is reported to DfE and included in Analyse School Performance (ASP) for use by schools.

Teacher assessment will be reported for each of reading, writing and maths as:

  • % working towards the expected standard
  • % working at the expected standard
  • % working at greater depth within the expected standard
  • Additional ‘pre key stage categories’

Key Stage 2:

  • the percentage of pupils achieving the ‘expected standard’ in English reading, English writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.
    This is a combined measure and counts 100 as the ‘expected scaled score’.
  • the pupils’ average scaled score:
    • in English reading at the end of key stage 2
    • in mathematics at the end of key stage 2
  • the percentage of pupils who achieve at a higher standard in English reading, English writing and mathematics.
    This is a combined measure where the student achieves a scaled score of 110 in Reading and Maths, and a teacher assessment of ‘working at a greater depth in the expected standard’ for writing.
  • the pupils’ average progress:
    • in English reading
    • in English writing
    • in Mathematics

This is a retrospective measure which measures a pupil’s progress from KS1 against the progress of pupils with a similar prior attainment at KS1. 2022 will be the first year where this measure is calculated from KS1 Scaled scores to KS2 Scaled scores. The technical guide for this measure will be released in September 2022.

Teacher assessment codes

Teacher assessed outcomes included in Key to success files include codes which are explained in Submitting KS2 Teacher assessment data and should be read in conjunction with the ARA (October 2021) document

Multiplication tables check

The Multiplication tables check is a statutory assessment for all Y4 students. The Multiplication tables check assessment framework gives further details for schools. The test consists of 25 questions. There is no expected threshold, and the statistics will not be published at school level.