Standards Attainment Tests (SAT’s) are National Curriculum assessments at the ages of 7, 11 and 14, at the end of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3. These tests are designed to help teachers assess pupils’ strengths and weaknesses and to determine pupils’ understanding of a subject.
This year nearly one third of all 14 year olds failed to reach the required standards in English Maths and Science – a worse performance than last year at Key Stage 3. The results have served to add to the administrative nightmare that resulted in delays in getting results back to schools. It has been estimated that around 6% of maths results still haven’t been sent through to schools.
The company ETS, behind the marking has had it’s contract cancelled and many voices are calling on the Government to use the hiatus to scrap the SATS tests. See Mike Baker’s review on Times online “Tests do we Need them?”
Some schools have even had to put specific action plans in place to tackle the issue of non-attendance during the Key Stage 3 SAT’s week.
The good news is that slightly more pupils achieved the level in Maths, up one percentage point on last years figures to 77%. Girls outperformed boys by a higher proportion achievingst the target level 5 in English and maths combined (71% compared with 62% of boys). But boys got their own back by beating girls at level 6 in maths (56% girls, 58% boys).
At ThirdForce we’re much more keen to focus on the positives of the Assessment for learning (AfL) initiatives that are being rolled out in schools. AfL puts the focus on using tests as a form of teaching feedback rather than a one-off snap shot of school or pupil performance.
