Accredited official statistics

National curriculum assessments at key stage 2 in England, 2018 (interim)

Published 10 July 2018

Applies to England

1. Introduction

1.1 10 July 2018

This publication provides provisional statistics for attainment in key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum assessments.

Pupils take national curriculum assessments in year 6 at the end of KS2, when most will reach age 11 by the end of the school year. Pupils take tests (commonly referred to as SATs) in reading, maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) and receive a teacher assessment (TA) in reading, writing, maths and science.

This release provides provisional statistics on attainment in the following KS2 assessments:

• reading test
• maths test
• GPS test
• writing TA

Attainment in 2018 is compared to 2017 and 2016 where appropriate. The KS2 assessment and reporting arrangements provide a summary of the key changes introduced in 2016, the first year of assessments based on the new curriculum.

2. Attainment in reading, writing and maths

64% of pupils reached the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths in 2018.

Attainment in all of reading, writing and maths (combined) is not directly comparable to previous years because of changes to writing TA frameworks. In 2017, 61% of pupils met the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths. In 2016, this figure was 53%.

To reach the expected standard in all of reading, writing and maths, a pupil must achieve a scaled score of 100 or more in reading and maths tests and an outcome of ‘working at the expected standard’ or ‘working at greater depth’ in writing TA.

3. Attainment in individual subjects

3.1 Attainment in writing teacher assessment

In writing TA, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard in 2018 is 78%.

Changes made within the 2017/18 writing TA frameworks mean judgements in 2018 are not directly comparable to those made using the previous interim frameworks in 2016 and 2017. In 2017, 76% of pupils met the expected standard in writing TA. In 2016, this figure was 74%.

To reach the expected standard in writing, a pupil must achieve an outcome of ‘working at the expected standard’ or ‘working at greater depth’ in writing TA.

3.2 Attainment in reading, maths and GPS tests

All percentage point differences are calculated using unrounded figures.

In reading, 75% of pupils reached the expected standard in 2018, up by 4 percentage points from 2017.

In maths, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard, up by 1 percentage point.

In GPS, 78% of pupils reached the expected standard, up by 1 percentage point.

To reach the expected standard in each test subject, a pupil must achieve a scaled score of 100 or more.

Percentage reaching the expected standard: England, 2016-2018 (all schools)	2016	2017	2018
Reading test	66	72	75
Maths test	70	75	76
GPS test	73	77	78

Source: Provisional KS2 data (2018) and Final KS2 data (2017 and 2016)

3.3 Average scaled scores in reading, maths and GPS tests

We use scaled scores to report the results of tests so we can make accurate comparisons of performance over time.

The average scaled score in reading has increased to 105, compared to 104 in 2017. The average scaled score remains the same in maths and GPS, at 104 and 106 respectively.

Average scaled score: England, 2016-2018 (all schools)	2016	2017	2018
Reading test	103	104	105
Maths test	103	104	104
GPS test	104	106	106

Source: Provisional KS2 data (2018) and Final KS2 data (2017 and 2016)

4. About these statistics

This publication provides provisional statistics for attainment in key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum assessments for pupils in schools in England. It provides some key figures at national level to help schools and parents put results in context. There are no additional tables accompanying this release.

4.1 Feedback

We have published these statistics as a HTML publication. We would like your feedback on this new approach and if there is anything we can improve. You can contact us about any aspect of this publication at primary.attainment@education.gov.uk

4.2 Further information will be available

Further provisional statistics will be published on 4 September 2018 in the ‘National curriculum assessments: key stage 2 (provisional)’ publication.

We will publish revised figures in the ‘National curriculum assessments at key stage 2 (revised)’ publication in December 2018. The revised figures include additional data such as that submitted after the initial deadline, data released following the completion of maladministration investigations and outcomes from KS2 marking reviews and amendments made by schools during the checking exercise.

Any unplanned revisions will be made in accordance with our statistical policy statement on revisions.

Revised figures	Publication date
Local authority level figures	Local authority level data will be published in the provisional publication on 4 September 2018
School type breakdowns	Breakdowns by school type will be published in the provisional publication on 4 September 2018.
Pupil characteristics breakdowns	Pupil characteristics breakdowns, including data broken down by ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, special educational needs provision and disadvantage, will be published in the revised publication in December.
School level figures	School level data will be published on the Compare School and College Performance website in December.
Local authority district level figures	Local authority district level figures will be published in the revised publication in December.
Previously published figures	National curriculum assessments at key stage 2, 2017 (revised). Primary school performance tables 2017.

4.3 National statistics

The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics:

• meet identified user needs
• are well explained and readily accessible
• are produced according to sound methods
• are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest

Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is a statutory requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed. The Department has a set of statistical policies in line with the Code of Practice.

4.4 Technical information

A quality and methodology information document will be prepared to accompany the provisional publication on 4 September 2018. This will provide further information on data sources, their coverage and quality and explain the methodology used to produce the statistics, including how data is validated and processed.

National curriculum assessment figures published here are based on test and teacher assessment data provided to the Department by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) on 6 July 2018. This provision contained data for all marked key stage 2 tests and teacher assessments for 99.7% of all pupils.

The data will also be used to prepare the 2018 primary school performance tables. Performance tables data will be shared with schools and local authorities as part of the checking exercise in early September 2018.

4.5 Contact us

Media enquiries

Press Office News Desk
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith St
London
SW1P 3BT

Telephone 020 7783 8300

Other enquiries or feedback

Gemma Coleman
Education Data Division
Department for Education
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith St
London

Email primary.attainment@education.gov.uk