News and communications

Primary school pupils show improvement in their reading ability as attainment in this year’s reading assessment increases since last year.

• Updated: 12 October 2023

All new primary school pupils will take the reception baseline assessment from September

• Updated: 27 February 2020

Free schools achieve highest results for six and seven-year-old pupils for the fifth year in a row

• Updated: 26 September 2019

Official figures show 163,000 more six-year-olds are on track to become fluent readers than in 2012 thanks to our focus on phonics

• Updated: 27 September 2018

Announcing the government response to the consultations on primary assessment and the recommendations of the Rochford Review.

• Updated: 14 September 2017

New assessment to provide better starting point to measure progress and the impact of schools.

• Updated: 14 September 2017

Latest information and actions from the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) for schools, academies, local authorities and academy trusts.

• Updated: 4 July 2017

Announcing the launch of consultations on primary assessment and the recommendations of the Rochford Review.

• Updated: 30 March 2017

Consultation launched on the future of the primary assessment system.

• Updated: 30 March 2017

Written ministerial statement by Education Secretary Justine Greening on primary education

• Updated: 19 October 2016

Key stage 2 results for 2016 published.

• Updated: 5 July 2016

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan addresses the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) annual conference.

• Updated: 30 April 2016

Statement from Jennifer Coupland, Standards and Testing Agency Chief Executive, on the accidental publication of a live key stage 1 test.

• Updated: 22 April 2016

Schools Minister Nick Gibb's statement following the accidental publication of a live key stage 1 (KS1) test.

• Updated: 22 April 2016

Information for schools and local authorities

• Updated: 8 March 2016

Sample test materials are available to help teachers prepare for the 2016 national curriculum tests for pupils at the end of key stages 1 and 2

• Updated: 30 June 2015

Information about the Standards and Testing Agency's email newsletters for early years providers and key stage 1 and key stage 2 schools.

• Updated: 19 March 2015

First published during the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

DfE has established the members of the commission on assessment without levels that will support schools following the removal of levels.

• Updated: 9 March 2015

First published during the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Nick Gibb sets out plans for a commission to help improve primary school assessment and testing.

• Updated: 25 February 2015

First published during the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Nick Gibb outlines the support given to schools as they move away from level descriptors.

• Updated: 25 February 2015

First published during the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government