SATs 2023: Everything You Need To Know

SATs 2023 are on the horizon and Third Space Learning is here to support you as you prepare your students ahead of the tests. This article will be regularly updated with new information about SATs 2023 as it becomes available.

We’ve already shared detailed analysis of the KS2 SATs 2023 Maths Papers over on our blog, so head over there to learn more about the questions and contents of this years papers.

Every year, Third Space Learning prepares over 10,000 pupils across the UK for their KS2 SATs through our targeted one-to-one online maths tuition. Third Space Learning’s online SATs revision programme helps to plug gaps in students’ maths knowledge and gives them more confidence going into the SATs exam period. You can find out more about how the Year 6 SATs revision programme can help your target pupils as well as the impact it’s likely to have across the attainment gap.

Alternatively just follow the links below for your key dates, resources, and preparation guidance.

When are SATs 2023?

KS2 SATs dates

The KS2 SATs include:

• Tuesday 9 May 2023: Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar – Paper 1
• Tuesday 9 May 2023: Spelling Punctuation & Grammar – Paper 2
• Wednesday 10 May 2023: English Reading
• Thursday 11 May 2023: Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
• Thursday 11 May 2023: Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)
• Friday 12 May 2023: Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning)

KS2 SATs (those sat by Year 6 students) will be administered during the week of 8th-11th May 2023.

The KS1 SATs will take place across schools during a flexible 2-week period in May.

When are the KS1 SATs 2023 and what do you need to know?

KS1 SATs will take place in May 2023. The exact dates of the KS1 SATs tests vary from school to school with each choosing their own dates within a certain range. The dates selected by schools will vary based on a number of different factors, but we do know that the tests will take place in May.

See also: What are SATs?

KS1 SATs dates 2023: testing period

The KS1 SATs testing period includes:

• May 2023: KS1 English Reading Test Paper 1
• May 2023: KS1 English Reading Test Paper 2
• May 2023: KS1 English SPaG Test – Grammar/Punctuation
• May 2023: KS1 English SPaG Test- Spelling
• May 2023: KS1 Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)
• May 2023: KS1 Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)

From September 2023, in time for the SATs season in 2024, KS1 SATs will be made non-statutory as per the government announcement in 2017. This means that schools will be able to decide whether or not they administer them, but until this date, pupils will continue to sit SATs in Year 2.

When are the KS2 SATs 2023 and what do you need to know?

The dates for the KS2 SATs normally run over a one-week period. In 2023, the KS2 SATs will take place between Tuesday 9th May 2023 – Friday 12th May 2023. Over this period, pupils will sit 6 different tests, with English normally taking place at the beginning of the week and maths at the end.

KS2 SATs 2023 dates: SATs week 2023

• Tuesday 9 May 2023:  Spelling, punctuation and grammar (Grammar/Punctuation Test) – 45 minutes
• Tuesday 9 May 2023:  Spelling, punctuation and grammar (Spelling Test) – 20 minutes
• Wednesday 10 May 2023: Reading Test – 60 minutes
• Thursday 11 May 2023: Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic) – 30 minutes
• Thursday 11 May 2023: Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning) – 40 minutes
• Friday 12 May 2023: Maths Paper 3 (Reasoning) – 40 minutes

What will children be tested on in their 2023 SATs?

Of course, we all wish we knew the answer to this question! The SATs test for Year 2 and Year 6 will look quite different. KS1 SATs consist of a total of 6 papers altogether, usually not sat under timed conditions. They are also marked internally by the school.

KS2 SATs consist of 6 papers too but to be sat within time restrictions. In addition, there is a teacher-assessed element in KS2 to establish a ‘Writing’ score. These papers are sent back to be marked centrally with marks standardised around a score of 100.

Year 2 national tests: KS1 SATs papers 2023

6 and 7-year-olds in Year 2 will sit the following SATs papers in May 2023.

KS1 maths SATs

• There will be 2 papers.
• Paper 1 is a 25-mark arithmetic test which should take around 15 minutes.
• Paper 2 involves reasoning, problem-solving and mathematical fluency. This paper has 35 marks available, will last for roughly 35 minutes, and contains a variety of question types.

KS1 SPaG SATs

• There will be 2 papers.
• Paper 1 is a 20-word spelling paper, comprising 20 marks. The spelling test should take around 15 minutes.
• Paper 2 consists of a reading booklet containing different passages of text. This will average out at roughly 900 words.

KS1 reading SATs

• There will be 2 papers.
• Paper 1 consist of a variety of texts totalling between 400-700 words. There will be a number of questions for pupils to answer dotted throughout.
• Paper 2 consists of a reading booklet containing different passages of text. This will average out at roughly 900 words.

Year 6 national Tests: KS2 SATs papers 2023

10 and 11-year-olds in Year 6 will sit the following KS2 SATs papers in 2023. In addition, some schools will be chosen for science sampling and will also sit a KS2 science paper.

KS2 reading SATs

• This is one paper, with questions that are based on 3 different passages of text. Pupils will have 1 hour to complete the paper.

The KS2 SPaG SATs

• There is a 20-word aural spelling test which should last around 15 minutes.
• There is also a written element which consists of an English grammar and punctuation paper, which will last for 45 minutes.

The KS2 maths SATs

• There will be 3 mathematics papers.
• Paper 1 is an arithmetic paper which will last for 30 minutes.
• Papers 2 and 3 are reasoning papers which will last for 40 minutes each.

Preparing for KS2 SATs 2023 in maths

Preparation for KS2 SATs really does make a difference. Your first step should be to read our article on the topics and strands that are worth the most marks and most likely to come up in SATs 2023.

Find out more: How To Create A Year 6 Maths Revision Programme So That All Your Pupils Achieve 100 In KS2 SATs

In addition to analysis like this and the online maths tuition, Third Space Learning also provides several tried and tested maths revision ideas and step-by-step guides, as well as hundreds of free resources.

Take a look at these to start you off:

• 8 Reasons Great Arithmetic Skills Are Key For KS2 SATs – Free Arithmetic Practice Resource!
• How Woodcot Primary School (Almost) Doubled Their SATs Results
• Year 6 Sats Parents Meeting Slides – Ready To Go
• Best KS2 SATs Revision Resources

Information for SLT planning their SATs timetable for 2023 

When will the KS1 SATs papers be released?

It is likely that the KS1 SATs papers will be released from embargo by the Standards and Testing Agency early in June 2023. At this point, you can expect to receive both the test materials including the mark scheme and the scaled score conversion tables.

When do the KS1 SATs results 2023 come out?

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.

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 Friday 20th May and it gave our educational experts a chance to analyse the maths papers in great detail. If you’re interested in what they found (and what’s likely to come up in your maths SATs 2023!) follow the links to the results from the most recent national assessments:

• KS2 SATs Papers 2022 Maths Question Breakdown and Analysis
• KS2 SATs Papers 2019 Maths Question Breakdown and Analysis
• KS2 SATs Papers 2018 Maths Question Breakdown and Analysis

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 the beginning of June depending on how the days of the week fall.

When do the KS2 SATs results 2023 come out?

Standards and Testing Agency will release the KS2 SATs results 2023 to schools on 11th July 2023.

21st July 2023 is the deadline for schools to submit their review of KS2 marking applications.

The next key date for KS2 SATs results is when the league tables are published and each school’s performance is then subject to wider scrutiny along with their Ofsted report. In 2019, the government released these in December.

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.

Special consideration for SATS

This can be applied for from 11th 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.

The following circumstances are all eligible for Special Consideration (if they have had some form of impact on the child, of course). This adds an additional 3 to all scaled scores for the pupil (if the application is accepted).  Note the 3 scaled score addition won’t show on your results on NCA tools, but the pupils will be marked with a symbol to show it has been granted, so you can add the 3 scaled score points.

• Bereavement of a family member or close friend within 12 months of the tests;
• The pupil, or a close family member, has a diagnosed terminal illness at the time of the tests;
• The pupil or a close family member has suffered a severe or permanent injury or illness or has undergone major surgery, in the 6 months prior to the tests;
• A serious domestic incident occurred within 2 weeks of the start of the tests;
• A longer-term major incident that occurred in the 6 months before the tests is still having an impact on the pupil at the time of the test.

Helpful GOV.UK links for KS1 and KS2 SATs 2023

Much of the key documentation is available on GOV.UK and updated for every academic year.

KS1: National Curriculum Assessments KS1 tests page. This includes:

• Key stage 1 assessment and reporting arrangements
• Key stage 1 calendar of SATs dates
• Access arrangements
• Test administration
• Maladministration

KS2: National Curriculum Assessments KS2 tests page. This includes:

• Key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements
• Key stage 2 planner
• Planning
• Access arrangements
• Test administration
• Monitoring visits
• Maladministration
• Results

In addition, you may need the Key Stage 1 Teacher Assessment Guidance and the Key Stage 2 Teacher Assessment Guidance.

Do you have pupils who need extra support in maths?
Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of pupils across hundreds of schools with weekly online 1-to-1 lessons and maths interventions designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 we’ve helped over 150,000 primary and secondary school pupils become more confident, able mathematicians. Learn more or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

Do you have pupils who need extra support in maths?
Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of pupils across hundreds of schools with weekly online 1-to-1 lessons and maths interventions designed to plug gaps and boost progress.

Since 2013 we’ve helped over 150,000 primary and secondary school pupils become more confident, able mathematicians. Learn more or request a personalised quote for your school to speak to us about your school’s needs and how we can help.

Primary school tuition targeted to the needs of each child and closely following the National Curriculum.