When Are SATs? Important KS1 And KS2 SATs Dates For Parents and Teachers

This is a regularly updated page for parents and teachers to answer questions around when are the SATs, and to share important KS1 and KS2 dates with them.

Following the disruption caused by the pandemic, resulting in school closures and pupils absences, SATs 2020 and SATs 2021 were cancelled. SATs 2022 were the first SATs since SATs 2019.

SATs 2023 will be going ahead.

If your children are sitting SATs in 2023, these are the dates you should know. Your Year 2 child will be sitting the KS1 SATs papers in May 2023 and your Year 6 child will be sitting the KS2 SATs papers in May 2023. Results and remarking come later in July 2023 and onwards.

The dates for SATs 2023 here include SATs week 2023 and when the SATs results 2023 will be out so you don’t have to cobble together your own SATs timetable for 2023. 

When are the KS1 SATs 2023?

The KS1 SATs for 2023 will take place in May.

Which SATs will my child sit in 2023?

The SATs are administered by primary schools in England to all children who are either in Year 2 or Year 6.  

SATs 2023 in KS1 (Year 2) 

If your child is in KS1 (Year 2), they will sit official SATs in:

• Reading
• Maths

They will also be assessed by their teachers in science, speaking and listening and writing, but this is known as the teacher assessment rather than an official SAT.

SATs 2023 in KS2 (Year 6)

If your child is in KS2 (Year 6), they will sit official SATs in: 

• English reading
• English grammar
• Punctuation 
• Spelling
• Maths

They will also be assessed by their teachers on subjects including speaking and listening, writing and science.

When are the SATs 2023?

SATs for both KS1 (Year 2) and KS2 (Year 6) take part in May each year, but there is some variation on exactly when your child will be sitting the SATs, depending on their year group and school.

When are the KS1 SATs 2023 dates (Year 2)?

There is no set date for the KS1 SATs, other than the fact that they will take place in May. 

Specific dates vary from school to school, and they depend on a wide range of factors. If you want to find out more about this, take a look at the government’s education website which is regularly updated. 

KS1 SATs 2023 dates: testing period

May 2023: KS1 English Reading Test Paper 1

May 2023: KS1 English Reading Test Paper 2

May 2023: KS1 English grammar, punctuation and spelling Test – Grammar/Punctuation

May 2023: KS1 English grammar, punctuation and spelling Test – Spelling

May 2023: KS1 Maths Paper 1 (Arithmetic)

May 2023: KS1 Maths Paper 2 (Reasoning)

Helpful link for the KS1 SATs 2023

Confirmation of the dates of the tests from the Standards and Testing Agency

When are the KS2 SATs 2023 dates (Year 6)?

Ordinarily, the dates for the KS2 SATs run over one week per school year, usually starting on a Monday. Due to the extra bank holiday on 8th May 2023 for the King’s Coronation, in 2023 the testing period will begin on a Tuesday.

KS2 SATs 2023 dates: testing period

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

When will the SATs results be released?

For Key Stage 2 children, SATs results day is normally held around the second week of July. In 2023, KS2 SATs results day will be 11th July.

By this date, papers will have been marked by the external examiners, the raw marks converted into a scaled score and made available to parents. You will be told whether or not your child is meeting the expected standard along with both versions of their score. As well as this, your child’s school will share how their results compare to the national average.

For Key Stage 1 children, SATs results day varies from school to school. You will be told the results of your child’s tests in English, maths and science, and the school should show you how your child’s results compare to those of other children in the school and nationally.

Here’s how to interpret what the SATs scores mean when they come.

How can I help my child prepare for the SATs 2023?

There are a number of things you can do to help your child prepare for the SATs over the course of the next school year. Here are some ideas:

Work with your child and introduce some learning at home

A great way to help cement the knowledge that your child will be gaining in school is to bring some learning into your home. In the maths SATs for example, the four operations (addition, multiplication, subtraction and division) are all bound to come up in some way, shape or form, and this means that you can revise them with your child well ahead of time.

Here are more ideas on how to bring maths into your home

Place a focus on their mental health during SATs and give them time to relax

In the run-up to SATs, things can seem quite hectic to a young mind. They know there are exams coming up, and although we all understand that they are not the be-all and end-all, to a Year 6 student they can definitely seem that way.

One of the best things you can do as a parent to help your child prepare for SATs is to give them time and space to simply relax after a long day of learning or revising.

That certainly doesn’t mean that you should ignore revision/work at home altogether, but rather not worry as much when dishing out iPad or TV time.

Use free SATs papers to help your child prepare for the SATs

You can download tons of free SATs practice papers and other resources, that are designed by primary teaching experts, by registering for the Third Space Learning Maths Hub.

Online 1-to-1 maths lessons trusted by schools and teachers
Every week Third Space Learning’s maths specialist tutors support thousands of primary school children with weekly online 1-to-1 lessons and maths interventions. Since 2013 we’ve helped over 150,000 children become more confident, able mathematicians. Learn more or request a personalised quote to speak to us about your needs and how we can help.

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