Do you have a child in year 2?

If you do, your child will take KS1 SATs in May. The purpose of the test is to determine what progress your child has made in school since starting in Reception.

What tests will my child sit?

At the end of Year 2, children take SATs in:

• Reading
• English grammar, punctuation and spelling, or GPS (optional paper, schools can decide whether to use it)
• Maths

What does the reading test look like?

The Reading test for Year 2 pupils is made up of two separate papers:

• Paper 1 consists of a selection of texts totalling 400 to 700 words, with questions interspersed
• Paper 2 comprises a reading booklet of a selection of passages totalling 800 to 1100 words. Children will write their answers in a separate booklet

Each paper is worth 50 per cent of the marks, and should take around 30 minutes, but children are not strictly timed, as the tests are not intended to assess children’s ability to work at speed. The texts in the reading papers cover a range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, and get progressively more difficult towards the end of the test. The reading test for Year 2 pupils is made up of two separate papers:
Teachers have the option to stop the test at any point that they feel is appropriate for a particular child.

What does the spelling, grammar and punctuation test look like?

Children taking Key Stage 1 SATs may also sit two separate papers in grammar, spelling and punctuation. This paper is optional. The paper is made up of:    

• Paper 1: a 20-word spelling test taking approximately 15 minutes and worth 20 marks.
• Paper 2: a grammar, punctuation and vocabulary test, in two sections of around 10 minutes each (with a break between, if necessary), worth 20 marks. This will involve a mixture of selecting the right answers e.g. through multiple choice, and writing short answers.

There are a variety of question types:

• Multiple choice
• Ranking / ordering, e.g. ‘Number the events below to show in which order they happened in the story’
• Matching, e.g. ‘Match the character to the job that they do in the story’
• Labelling, e.g. ‘Label the text to show the title’
• Find and copy, e.g. ‘Find and copy one word that shows what the weather was like in the story’
• Short answer, e.g. ‘What does the bear eat?’
• Open-ended answer, e.g. ‘Why did Lucy write the letter to her grandmother? Give two reasons’

What does the maths tests look like?

The Key Stage 1 Maths test is made up of two papers:

• Paper 1: arithmetic, worth 25 marks and taking around 15 minutes.
• Paper 2: mathematical fluency, problem-solving and reasoning, worth 35 marks and taking 35 minutes, with a break if necessary. There are a variety of question types: multiple choice, matching, true / false, constrained (e.g. completing a chart or table; drawing a shape) and less constrained (e.g. where children have to show or explain their method).

Children are not allowed to use any tools such as calculators or number lines.

When do these test take place?

The KS1 SATs are due to be administered in May 2023.

Unlike KS2 SATs, KS1 SATs don't have to be administered according to a nationally-set timetable in a specific week. Schools are free to manage the timetable and will aim to administer the tests in the classroom in a low-stress, low-key way; some children won't even be aware they've taken them!

How can I support my child with their Sats?

There are various ways you can support your child with their SAT tests. These include:

• Talking to them and reassuring them they have nothing to worry about.
• Reading regularly with them at home, preferably everyday.
• Asking your child questions about the books they read.
• Allowing your child to practice their weekly spellings found on My Child At School App.
• Completing the half termly homework found on My Child At School App.
• Allowing your child to participate in any extra curricular intervention groups.
• Attending SAT workshops held throughout the year.
• Attending parents evenings.

Are there any workshops to support my understanding of the year 2 SAT tests?

• Reading workshop – 15^th November 2022 9.10am
• Spelling workshop – 17^th January 2023 9.10am
• Maths workshop – 3^rd February 2023 9.10am

Further information regarding KS1 SAT tests can be found attached.