SATs 2019 – When Are The SATs Test Dates And What Do You Need To Know?
UPDATE: SATs 2019 are now done and dusted, so take a look at our Review Of Maths SATs 2019: Results Of Our Teacher Survey article to see what teachers all across England thought of the tests or the article where we take an indepth look at the SATs Results 2019 and what they mean for primary schools.
You can also see our posts about SATs 2020 and SATs 2021 here.
SATs, SATs, SATs. It doesn’t matter at which point of the primary school year we are at, these tests always seem to be around the corner. That is why we have gathered all of the information you will need about them in one place. This blog will be detailing everything you need to know about the SATs 2019, and will tackle the all important questions of:
• When are the KS1 and KS2 SATs test dates in 2019?
• When will I be able to know the KS1 and KS2 SATs results in 2019?
• How can I get additional SATs help in my school?
It will also be providing other useful pieces of information throughout to help you prepare for next years SATs tests!
SATs 2024: Stay up to date
Join our email list to stay up to date with the latest news and free resources for SATs 2024. As usual our expert teachers will be on hand to provide on to one tuition support, revision resources and analysis of the SATS 2024 papers and results when they’re available.
Bookmark these articles to return to:
2017-2023 Analysis of SATs topics with highest importance
2023 SATs Papers: Question Breakdown
SATs Results 2023
Free resources:
SATs maths papers
SATs revision resources
[Free] 2018 SATs Question Breakdown Teacher Resource
Share this at a staff meeting or part of your next Maths CPD - the 16 lessons you should take from the 2019 KS2 SATs papers & what may come up in the 2021
When Are The KS1 SATs 2019 Dates And What Do You Need To Know?
The dates for the KS1 SATs can vary from school to school dependent on a wide range of factors. You can find out more about this on the government’s education website, but dates will vary slightly based on each schools individual needs. One thing we do know though is that the tests will take place in May.
KS1 SATs Dates 2019 – Testing Period
May 2019: KS1 English Reading Test Paper 1
May 2019: KS1 English Reading Test Paper 2
May 2019: KS1 English SPaG Test- Grammar/Punctuation
May 2019: KS1 English SPaG Test- Spelling
May 2019: KS1 Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
May 2019: KS1 Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)

Additional Note: On the 14th September 2017 it was announced that the KS1 SATs will be made non-statutory from the year 2023. This means that schools will be able to choose whether or not they administer them. However until this date children will continue to be assessed in May in Year 2.
What Will Be In The KS1 SATs Papers?
KS1 Maths Sats:
The KS1 Maths SATs is made up of two papers:
• Paper 1 is an arithmetic test which should take around 15 minutes. It will consist of 25 marks.
• Paper 2 involves reasoning, problem solving and mathematical fluency. This paper has 35 marks available and will last for approximately 35 minutes. It will contain a variety of question types including multiple choice, matching and method explanations.
KS1 SPaG SATs:
• Paper 1 is a 20 word spelling test worth 20 marks which should take roughly 15 minutes
• Paper 2 is a punctuation, grammar and vocabulary test. It comes in two sections of around 10 minutes each, and the paper is worth 20 marks.
For 2016, 2017 and 2018 the SPaG tests were optional at KS1 so this may be the case once again in 2019.
KS1 Reading SATs:
• Paper 1 consists of a variety of texts totalling 400 to 700 words with questions dotted throughout.
• Paper 2 consists of a reading booklet containing different passages. These will total 800 to 1100 words.
Each paper for the KS1 Reading SATs is worth 50% of the available marks and should take up to 30 minutes. The texts covered in the tests cover a wide range of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Pupils will face a variety of questions including multiple choice, matching, and open-ended answers.
When Will The KS1 SATs Papers Be Released?
Whilst there has been no official word on when the KS1 SATs papers will be released in 2019 from the Standards and Testing Agency just yet, we can get a good idea by looking at last years calendar.
The test materials and scaled score conversion tables were released on the 1st of June 2018, so it is reasonable to assume that the date will be similar in 2019.
When Will The KS1 SATs Results 2019 Be Released?
As the papers at KS1 are marked internally by teachers in accordance with the mark scheme provided by the Standards and Testing Agency, it is up to schools to decide when and if they share the results.
Schools are not obliged to share the results of these tests with parents, but many include a summary of them in the end of year report.
Helpful Links For The KS1 SATs 2019
Confirmation on the dates from the Standards and Testing Agency
The arrangement guidance from 2018
When Are The KS2 SATs 2019 Dates And What Do You Need To Know?
The dates for the KS2 SATs normally run over one week per school year. This year that week is between Monday 13th May 2019 – Thursday 16th May 2019. Within this period children will complete 6 different tests, with English tests forming the first part of the week and maths the second.
KS2 SATs Dates 2019 – Testing Period
Monday May 13th 2019: SPaG Test- Grammar/Punctuation- 45 minutes
Monday May 13th 2019: SPaG Test- Spelling- 20 minutes
Tuesday May 14th 2019: Reading Test- 60 minutes
Wednesday May 15th 2019: Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)- 30 minutes
Wednesday May 15th 2019: Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)- 40 minutes
Thursday May 16th 2019: Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)- 40 minutes

*How we can help with KS2 SATs preparation*
Raise KS2 maths attainment with our targeted 1-to-1 interventions. 94% of schools who used Third Space in 2018 felt it provided effective SATs preparation!
If you are interested in learning more about how we can help boost your pupils confidence and attainment in time for the 2019 KS2 SATs, then find out more or give us a call on 0203 771 0095 and speak to a member of the team.
What Will Be In The KS2 SATs Papers?
KS2 Reading SATs:
• This consists of one paper with questions that are based on 3 passages of text. Pupils get 1 hour to complete the paper and will be answering many different question types including labelling, ranking and open-ended responses.
KS2 SPaG SATs:
• The written element of the SPaG SATs consists of a grammar and punctuation paper which lasts for 45 minutes.
• There is also a 20 word aural spelling test which lasts around 15 minutes.
KS2 Maths SATs:
• Paper 1 is the arithmetic paper which will last for 30 minutes. It will contain fixed response questions where children have to give the correct answers to calculations.
• Papers 2 and 3 will involve a wider range of question types including multiple choice, true or false and reasoning based. Both papers will last 40 minutes each.
Special consideration for SATS
This can be applied for from 16th May (Thursday of SATs week), and you have one week to do it. Many schools do not apply for special consideration for pupils when they are allowed to.
Here is the guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/
When Will The KS2 SATs Papers Be Released?
As a general rule, the KS2 SATs papers are released at the end of May. Last year this happened on the 29th May (for the maths papers) and it gave us a chance to look at the tests in greater detail.
Without confirmation from the Standards and Testing Agency on when the papers will be released we can only speculate for now, but years of SATs papers indicate that we can expect to see them near the end of May or beginning of June depending on how the days of the week fall.
KS2 SATs Results 2019
Standards and Testing Agency will release the KS2 SATs results 2019 to schools on 9th July.
When To Apply By To Vary The Time Of The Tests In Your School
Schools can vary a test time between 7am and 7pm on the day of a test, so that an individual pupil or part of the cohort can take a test on the scheduled date, but at a different time from the rest of the cohort. In these circumstances, schools no longer need to submit a notification to the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) as was previously the case.
For further guidance on this from the STA, see how to apply for a timetable variation.
Helpful Links For The KS2 SATs 2019
Confirmation on the dates from the Standards and Testing Agency
Access arrangement guidance 2019
What We Learned From The KS1 & KS2 SATs 2018
As we all know, taking whatever tips and pointers we can from previous years SATs papers is crucial to properly preparing for the coming year’s tests.
Fortunately, we have done that for you for the 2018 KS2 Maths SATs papers, with an in depth breakdown of 15 Lessons We Learned From The Arithmetic And Reasoning Papers.
Take a look and let us know what you thought of the papers, and use this to prepare for the SATs 2019!
What To Do If You Need Help Preparing For The SATs 2019
Here at Third Space Learning we can help to prepare your Year 6 pupils for their KS2 Maths SATs with our programme of 1-to-1 maths tuition combined with best in class SATs revision resources. With over 650,000 lessons taught and thousands of pupils receiving a much needed a confidence boost in the run up to SATs, our tutors are experienced in helping push those who need it to the next level.
Find out more about how your school can join our 1-to-1 KS2 SATs intervention programme here, or call us on 0203 771 0095 to speak to a member of the team to learn more.
Previous SATS guidance
SATs have been running in their current incarnation for 5 years; there were no government standardised assessments in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Find out about the others below:
Further Reading:
- Review of Maths SATs 2019: Results of our teacher survey
- KS2 SATs 2019 Question Breakdown for Maths
- KS2 SATS 2018 Question Breakdown for Maths
Personalised one to one maths tutoring to help Year 6 pupils build confidence and familiarity with SATs-style questions.