Primary guidance

2023/24 primary assessment dates

See future primary assessment dates on GOV.UK.

Reception baseline assessment

Schools must complete the reception baseline assessment for each child in the first six weeks after they enter reception.

Key stage 1

• Phonics screening check week is Monday 10 June 2024 – Friday 14 June 2024.
• the end of KS1 assessments will no longer be statutory from the academic year 2023 – 2024 onwards.
• tests are optional. It is recommended to administer during May 2024 if you decide to do so.

Key stage 2

• The key stage 2 tests are timetabled from Monday 13 May – Thursday 16 May 2024
• Multiplication tables check – schools must administer the multiplication tables check within the 2-week period from Monday 3 June 2024.

Primary and secondary school accountability approach

• Primary school accountability – technical guidance on primary school accountability, school-level progress measures and similar schools.
• Secondary accountability measures 2022.

Reception baseline assessment (RBA)

The RBA became statutory in schools in September 2021.
The following is available:

• Reception baseline assessment framework
• Reception baseline assessment : assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA)
• Reception baseline assessment: information for parents

Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)

• Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage – the standards that school and childcare providers must meet for the learning, development and care of children from birth to 5.
• Implementing the early years foundation stage reforms – videos for practitioners assessing children’s development at the end of the early years foundation stage (EYFS).
• Early years foundation stage: exemplification materials – to support teachers in making (EYFSP) judgements.
• EYFS learning and development requirements: exemptions for providers – What early years providers and independent schools must do to be exempt from some aspects of the early years foundation stage (EYFS).
• National curriculum assessments: early years foundation stage – guidance about the EYFS profile and reporting requirements for under 5s for use by schools, nurseries, childminders, and local authorities.

The following guidance is for the academic year 2022 – 2023  and have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2023 – 2024 are available.

• Early years foundation stage profile 2023 handbook – this handbook supports EYFS practitioners in making accurate judgements about each child’s attainment

Phonics screening check

Details on the phonics screening check can be found in the KS1 assessment and reporting arrangements in section 8.

The following phonics screening check guidance is for the academic year 2022 – 2023  and have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2023 – 2024 are available.

• Key stage 1: phonics screening check administration guidance – check administration guidance for headteachers, teachers and school staff administering and scoring the phonics screening check.

Key stage 1

The end of Key Stage 1 assessments will be optional as per the DfE guidance. The following KS1 guidance is for the academic year 2022 – 2023  and have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference and will be updated if new guidance is issued for 2023 – 2024.

• Assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) KS1 – statutory guidance for assessing and reporting the national curriculum at key stage 1 (KS1) in the 2022 to 2023 academic year.
• Key stage 1 tests: access arrangements – guidance for schools about access arrangements available for pupils participating in 2023 key stage 1 national curriculum tests (commonly called SATs).
• Teacher assessment guidance – administration and moderation of statutory key stage 1 (KS1) teacher assessment (TA) in 2023.
• Teacher assessment frameworks at the end of key stage 1
• Pre-key stage 1 standards
• Key stage 1 and 2 national curriculum tests: information for parents
• The engagement model – the engagement model is statutory for use from 2021/22 academic year. Schools can no longer assess pupils against P scales 1 to 4. Further information will be available in the 2022 assessment and reporting arrangements scheduled to be published in the autumn term.
• The engagement model: information for parents – this leaflet contains information for parents about the engagement model teacher assessment tool.
• Key stage 1 tests: test administration guidance – guidance for headteachers, teachers and teaching assistants about administering the 2023 key stage 1 national curriculum tests.
• Key stage 1 tests: modified test administration guidance – guidance for administering the 2023 national curriculum tests to pupils with a visual impairment.
• Notes for readers in the English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests – how to read out particular types of questions in the 2023 key stage 1 and key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests.

Multiplication tables check

The multiplication tables check (MTC) is statutory for primary schools in the 2021/22 academic year.

The following MTC guidance is for the academic year 2022 – 2023  and have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2023 – 2024 are available.

• 2022 key stage 2: assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) – further information on the MTC is included.
• Multiplication tables check assessment framework – assessment framework for the year 4 multiplication table.
• Multiplication tables check: information for parents – information for parents about the multiplication tables check, taking place in June 2022.
• Multiplication tables check: IT guidance – this guidance is designed to help IT support staff who manage a school’s ICT network prepare for check administration.
• Multiplication tables check administration guidance – check administration guidance for the multiplication tables check.

Key stage 2

• Key Stage 2 teacher assessment guidance 2024

The following KS2 guidance is for the academic year 2022 – 2023  and have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2023 – 2024 are available.

• Assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) KS2 – statutory guidance for assessing and reporting the national curriculum at key stage 2 (KS2) in the 2022/2023 academic year.
• Changes to key stage 2 assessment dates in 2023 – A change to the KS2 test schedule next year will be necessary due to the additional bank holiday in honour of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III taking place on Monday 8 May 2023.
• Key stage 2 tests: access arrangements – guidance for schools about access arrangements available for pupils participating in 2023 key stage 2 national curriculum tests (commonly called SATs).
• Key stage 2 tests: varying the test timetable – information about how headteachers, or someone with delegated authority, can reschedule the key stage 2 tests.
• Teacher assessment guidance – administration and moderation of statutory key stage 2 (KS2) teacher assessment (TA) in 2022.
• Teacher assessment frameworks at the end of key stage 2
• Pre-key stage 2 standards.
• The engagement model – the engagement model is statutory for use from 2021/22 academic year. Schools can no longer assess pupils against P scales 1 to 4. Further information will be available in the 2022 assessment and reporting arrangements, scheduled to be published in the autumn term.
• The engagement model: information for parents – this leaflet contains information for parents about the engagement model teacher assessment tool.
• Key stage 2 submitting teacher assessment data guidance from DfE –
• Key stage 1 and 2 national curriculum tests: information for parents – this guidance is scheduled to be updated in April 2022 for the 2021/22 academic year.
• Key stage 2: guide to registering pupils for the tests – information for primary schools on how to submit details of pupils who are eligible for key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests (commonly called SATs) in 2023.
• Key stage 2 tests: test administration guidance – guidance for headteachers, teachers and teaching assistants about administering the 2023 key stage 2 national curriculum tests.
• Key stage 2 tests: modified test administration guidance – guidance for administering the 2023 key stage 2 national curriculum tests to pupils with hearing or visual impairments.
• Notes for readers in the English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests – how to read out particular types of questions in the 2023 key stage 1 and key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests.
• Key stage 2 tests: special consideration guidance.
• Key stage 2 tests: returning test scripts – guidance for completing attendance registers and returning key stage 2 (KS2) test scripts for marking.
• Key Stage 2: how to access results and test scripts

KS2 moderation

External moderation is statutory. It gives confidence that schools’ teacher assessment judgements for KS2 are accurate and consistent with national standards, as specified in the TA frameworks and the exemplification material.

Details for summer 2024 will be included in the assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) once they are published for the 2023 – 2024 academic year.

Academies and free schools must choose which LA is responsible for external moderation and monitoring. As far as we are aware academies need to have a written agreement in place by 12 January 2024 but we will keep updating this website and the date will be included in the offer once everything is confirmed by the DfE.

Our offer is in the processed of being finalised and once we have the guidance for the new academic year we will be emailing academies and free schools with the offer. We anticipate this will be during the month of October 2023.