Background to Sats
A look at the varied pattern of assessments of pupils in primary schools across the UK prior to standard public exams like the GCSEs
England
Age 5 : Teacher assessment of children's all-round development against the Foundation Stage profile, or the Early Years Foundation Stage profile from September 2008
Age 7 : Key Stage 1 national tests available in English and maths, marked in school and used to inform assessments by teachers, who decide the level achieved
Age 11 : Key Stage 2 national tests in English, maths and science, marked externally, school's results published nationally. In some areas, tests of various types for those seeking grammar school places, marked externally, results private. The science tests are being taken for the last time in 2009
Single level tests are being piloted. These are not age-specific but are taken when a child's teacher thinks he or she has reached the next national curriculum level.
Age 14 : Key stage 3 national curriculum tests were scrapped in summer last year after a marking fiasco which left thousands of pupils without results.
Wales
Age 4/5: Statutory teacher assessment in language skills, mathematics skills, and personal and social skills takes place within seven weeks of children starting primary school
Age 7: Statutory teacher assessment in English (and Welsh), maths and science
Age 10 : Cross-curricular "skills tests" in numeracy, literacy and problem-solving mandatory from 2008, results private
Age 11 : Key Stage 2 national tests in English (Welsh), maths and science have been replaced by statutory teacher assessments bolstered by local moderation (checking what the teachers are doing), with optional test materials available, schools' results available locally
Age 14 : Key Stage 3 national tests in English (Welsh), maths and science, replaced by statutory teacher assessments in English (Welsh), maths, science, history, geography, design and technology, information technology, modern foreign languages, art, music and physical education.
Northern Ireland
Alongside the introduction of a revised curriculum the system is changing to a pattern of assessments within schools by which teachers will check children's progress in different subjects
Parents see the results in annual pupil profiles produced in a standard format
The old transfer tests in English (Irish*), maths and science and technology for those seeking grammar school places, marked externally, were last taken in 2008, though replacements are still under debate
Scotland
Ages 5-14 : National tests (now called assessments) in reading, writing and maths, corresponding roughly to Key Stages 1 - 3 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland except pupils are not tested at a specific age or stage, but "when ready" at teachers' discretion. Marked internally, results private
The Scottish Executive promotes the idea that "assessment is for learning". For national and international comparative purposes a sample of children is tested separately for an annual Survey of Achievement.
It is woorth noting that ages are approximate : tests are taken mainly in May and many children will not reach the age in question until later in the year.
As it stands now teacher assessments of pupils' development is what pertains and practised in Wales and Northern Ireland as opposed to annual external examinations.
In Scotland the idea didn’t get to start off and pupils there also under teacher assessments. In place of annual tests to measure schools accountability, a sample of children is tested separately for an annual survey of achievement meant for national and international comparative purposes as already indicated.
In England also key stage 1 test has been modified and now relies on teacher assessments to inform parents and government how children are performing. While the annual exams for 14 year olds were scrapped last year after woeful failings in the marking system.
It leaves 11 year olds as the only group subjected to the tests.
From next year they will not take the science tests anymore as they have been scrapped leaving maths and English as mandatory.
The government maintains sats is needed to inform parents about schools performances, ensure accountability and to improve standards.
It was instituted in 1991 because it was felt that children were under tested and standards were falling but now the argument from the head teachers (NAHT) and the teaching unions (NUT) seems to be that pupils are over tested and under pressure due to league table that the tests are made to feed into.
This website welcomes your comments on the ongoing predicament with year six exams.
We want to know your views on whether the exams should be scrapped or maintained and also your reasons.