Academic Assessments

 

Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) – YEAR 4

The multiplication tables check (MTC) is statutory for all year 4 pupils registered at state-funded maintained schools, special schools or academies, including free schools, in England.

The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will help schools to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables, so that additional support can be provided.

In 2024, schools must administer the MTC to all eligible year 4 pupils between Monday 3 June and Friday 14 June.

For more information please see this link:

 

Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) – YEAR 6

These tests, alongside teacher assessment of English writing and science, are used to measure school performance and to make sure individual pupils have the support that they need as they move into secondary school.

We have set out some information below, however, if you have any questions about academic assessments at the school please contact admin@chilmarkfonthillbishop.wilts.sch.uk and we will direct your query accordingly.

 

Year 6 SATs Information for parents and children

When are they?

Your child will take their KS2 SATs in Year 6 during May.

For the 2023/2024 year it is week commencing 13^th May 2024.

Date	Exam
Monday 13 May 2024	Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 1 Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling - Paper 2
Tuesday 14 May 2024	English Reading
Wednesday 15 May 2024	Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic) Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)
Thursday 16 May 2024	Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)

 

The tests take place over four days.

SATs Breakfast Club

We prepare your child for the tests so they are familiar with the style, content and marking schemes of the tests. To help them achieve maximum “brain power” we will offer a breakfast club during the SATs week from 8.30 to 8.45am - this will be a time for them to make sure they are well prepared and positive. We will do our best to encourage and support your child.

It would help us if you could make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats some breakfast before coming to school. A labelled bottle of water would be helpful so they can keep hydrated.

If there are any problems please let us know, we want all the children to feel they can do their best.

 

Can we prepare at home?

We do not suggest ‘cramming’ but two websites we can recommend for revision are:

‘The School Run’

BBC Bitesize

 

How is it assessed?

The children are assessed in two ways - Teacher Assessment and SATs tests. Please note there is no test for writing and science - your child’s attainment is based upon teacher assessment only.

 

Teacher Assessment

Teacher assessment draws together everything the teacher knows about a child, including normal class lessons, observations, marked work and school assessments.

Teacher assessment is not a ‘snapshot’, like tests, and is therefore more reliable.

Due to the above, there can be a difference between teacher assessment results and test levels.

We will assess their writing composition, so your child’s result for English writing will be a judgement of their work across year 6. Your child's grammar, punctuation and spelling skills will be assessed as part of their writing, but their creativity and writing style will also be evaluated.

The assessment of writing is through teacher assessment, your child’s writing throughout the year will be assessed against national standard targets.

Science is also reported through teacher assessment.

 

SATs tests

SATs will be taken in Maths, Reading and SPaG (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar) under formal exam conditions. Each exam is strictly timed.

 

English

English grammar, punctuation and spelling

Paper 1 comprises 50 short-answer questions covering grammar, punctuation and vocabulary (45 mins);

Paper 2 is a spelling test with 20 questions

English reading – one paper based on reading comprehension of three to four texts, with a total of 35 to 40 questions (1 hour).

 

Maths

Mathematics – Paper 1 Arithmetic (30 mins), Paper 2 and 3 Reasoning (each paper 40 mins)

 

Science

Children will be awarded a level for science based on their teacher's assessment.

 

SATs scores

The previous National Curriculum levels have been scrapped and instead you will be given your child’s raw score (the actual number of marks they get), alongside their scaled score and whether they have reached the expected standard set by the Department for Education (‘NS’ means that the expected standard was not achieved and ‘AS’  means the expected standard was achieved). The range of scaled scores available for each KS2 test is:

80 (the lowest scaled score that can be awarded)

120 (the highest scaled score)

The expected standard for each test is a scaled score of 100 or more. If a child is awarded a scaled score of 99 or less they won't have achieved the expected standard in the test.

These tests will be both set and marked externally, and the results will be used to measure the school’s performance (for example, through reporting to Ofsted and published league tables). Your child’s marks will be used in conjunction with teacher assessment to give a broader picture of their attainment.

 

Sickness

Pupils who are ill on the day of a KS2 SATs test will be able to sit it within one week.

 

SATs Test Results Publication

Each school's results will be made available to their headteachers in July 2024 via the NCA tools website. Parents will be given their child's scaled score (and sometimes raw score too) around this period with a note to say whether they achieved the expected standard, exceeded it or fell below it.

Every school's performance will be made public in December 2024 to create the 2024 school league tables.