All You Need To Know About National Tests in Year 6

If you have a child in Year 6, they will be assessed in May. National tests (previously known as SATs) are designed to assess your child's knowledge of the Key Stage 2 national curriculum. They are compulsory at state primary schools in England. Private prep schools can choose whether pupils take SATs.

When Do the Tests Take Place?

The 2026 Year 6 SATs will take place from Monday, 11 May to Thursday, 14 May 2026. The week's schedule will cover these key learning areas:

• Monday 11 May– English spelling, punctuation and grammar

• Tuesday 12 May– English reading

• Wednesday 13 May– Maths, Paper 1 (arithmetic) & Paper 2 (reasoning)

• Thursday 14 May– Maths, Paper 3 (reasoning)

Teacher assessments are also used to test children's performance in writing, speaking and listening, and usually science.

Why Are They Important?

They give teachers and parents an insight into children's strengths and areas for development. The results help teachers understand which pupils need extra support as they prepare to finish primary school and start secondary school. They're also used by the government to review the quality of education at schools across the country.

Some secondary schools use Year 6 SATs results (alongside Year 7 CAT exams) to help group students into sets or streams.

Marking

After taking the test in May, the Year 6 SATs papers are marked by external markers instead of your child's teachers. You should get your child's SATs results during the first two weeks of July.

The SATs marking scheme is based on age-related expectations. For each SATs paper, your child will get:

• A raw score

• A scaled score

• An outcome code

Schools usually give parents the scaled score, outcome code or both. You are unlikely to be given your child's raw scores.

Age-Related Expectations

In most schools, the old levels from 1–6 scheme has been replaced with age-related expectations. Teachers use statements to describe in which areas children have achieved expectations for their age and areas where they may need more support. For example:

• Working within the expected level of attainment for their age

• Working towards the expected level of attainment

• Working below the expected level of attainment

• Working beyond the expected level of attainment (at greater depth)

Scaled Scores

Scaled scores in each Key Stage 2 test range from 80 to 120. A scaled score of 100 is average. A scaled score of 100 or more means that your child has met or exceeded the expected standard for their age.

When Your Child Might Be Assessed in a Different Way

If your child is working below the standard of the curriculum, teachers may assess them using the engagement model or pre-key stage standards instead.

What Is the Engagement Model?

An engagement model is a teacher assessment tool for pupils who are working below the national curriculum. It measures their progress in five areas: exploration, realisation, anticipation, persistence, and initiation. It helps educators understand how a student interacts with new activities and stimuli to support their learning and development, and is often used for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The Five Areas of Engagement

• Exploration:How a child investigates a resource or activity and shows interest.

• Realisation:How a child interacts with a new stimulus or activity, with the most developed form being the understanding of how something functions in different contexts.

• Anticipation:How a child predicts the next event or stimuli.

• Persistence:How long a child's attention remains on an activity, resource, or interaction.

• Initiation:How a child begins to interact with a resource or activity and progresses towards self-initiation.

How It Is Used

• It is an alternative assessment for pupils who are not engaged in subject-specific study.

• It focuses on a child's development and their ability to learn new skills and concepts independently.

• Teachers can use it to assess progress, plan support, and document how pupils are developing through observation.

• It can be used for pupils who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Do Schools Need to Use the Engagement Model?

The engagement model helps improve the school's understanding of how well your child is engaging in the development of new skills, knowledge and concepts in the school curriculum. It helps to understand their achievements and progress in their physical, social, emotional and cognitive development, and also helps the school to better support your child.

If you have any concerns or questions, talk to your child's teacher at school.