How to report maladministration of primary school assessments
Guidance on reporting concerns about the administration of national curriculum assessments in primary schools, including pupil cheating.
How to report a concern
Please call the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 or email STA.maladministration@education.gov.uk to report concerns about:
- how the reception baseline assessment (RBA), phonics screening check, multiplication tables check (MTC) or key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests have been administered
- how KS2 teacher assessment judgements have been reached
Schools and local authorities can now also self-report concerns relating to the KS2 tests, KS2 teacher assessment and phonics screening check within their own schools by completing the ‘Report maladministration allegations’ form within the ‘Incidents’ section of the National Curriculum Assessments Portal (NCA Portal).
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) investigates all reported allegations of maladministration throughout the year, mostly between May and January. For more information about this process, you can refer to the guidance on investigating maladministration allegations.
What is maladministration?
Maladministration refers to any act that:
- affects the integrity, security or confidentiality of the national curriculum assessments
- could lead to results that do not reflect pupils’ unaided work
- compromises the validity and integrity of the data used by secondary schools (for pupil planning and subsequent pupil learning), the Department for Education and parents
Maladministration of the RBA, phonics screening check, MTC or KS2 tests can be unintentional or intentional. It can include:
- test or check administrators over-aiding pupils
- making changes to pupils’ test scripts
- schools reporting pupils’ phonics screening check scores incorrectly
- schools allowing pupils to restart the MTC for a reason other than those permitted
- schools applying MTC access arrangements which are not part of normal classroom practice
- an MTC input assistant submitting answers without a pupil indicating their intended response
- a practitioner selecting answers in the RBA for a pupil who has not independently indicated their intended response
- unauthorised additional time or timetable variation in the KS2 tests
- failure to notify STA of the use of a scribe, transcribe, word processors, or other technical or electronic aid in the KS2 tests
- not appropriately removing or covering room displays
- early opening of assessment materials without STA’s permission
- disclosing test content to a third party or publicly, including online or on social media, before and within the test window – including during timetable variation week
Maladministration of teacher assessment can include:
- changes to teacher assessment judgements
- submitting different data to that agreed during local authority moderation
- submitting pupils’ work as independent even though it has been heavily supported
- incorrect or invalid writing evidence
Updates to this page
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Added information for schools and local authorities: They can now self-report maladministration allegations relating to the key stage 2 tests, key stage 2 teacher assessment and phonics screening check within their own schools on the National Curriculum Assessments Portal (NCA Portal).
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Updated definitions in line with the latest maladministration investigation procedures
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Updated guidance for 2024
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First published.