Primary guidance - Support for schools and settings

2022/23 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

May 2023 – key stage 1 test period.
Week commencing Monday 12 June 2023 – phonics screening check week.

Key stage 2

The key stage 2 tests are timetabled from Tuesday 9 – Friday 12 May 2023.
Multiplication tables check – schools must administer the multiplication tables check within the 3-week period from Monday 5 June 2023.

Primary and secondary school accountability approach

Primary school accountability – technical guidance on primary school accountability, school-level progress measures and similar schools.
School and college accountability approach: 2020 to 2022.

Reporting to parents

Reception baseline assessment (RBA)

The RBA became statutory in schools in September 2021. Information for assessing and reporting the reception baseline assessment in the 2021/22 academic year has been published along with an equality impact assessment and an information leaflet.
The following is also available:

Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)

Early years foundation stage profile 2023 handbook – this handbook supports EYFS practitioners in making accurate judgements about each child’s attainment.
Implementing the early years foundation stage reforms – videos for practitioners assessing children’s development at the end 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.
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).

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 links are for the academic year 2021 – 2022, so have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2022 – 2023 are available.

How to keep key stage 1 and key stage 2 national curriculum tests and phonics screening check materials secure – information about keeping KS1 and KS2 tests and phonics screening check materials secure.
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

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.

The following KS1 guidance links are for the academic year 2021 – 2022, so have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2022 – 2023 are available.

Key stage 1 tests: test administration guidance – guidance for headteachers, teachers and teaching assistants about administering the 2022 key stage 1 national curriculum tests.
Notes for readers in the English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests – how to read out particular types of questions in the 2022 key stage 1 and key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests.
Key stage 1 tests: modified test administration guidance – guidance for administering the 2022 national curriculum tests to pupils with a visual impairment.
How to keep key stage 1 and key stage 2 national curriculum tests and phonics screening check materials secure – information about keeping KS1 and KS2 tests and phonics screening check materials secure.

Multiplication tables check

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

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.

The following MTC guidance links are for the academic year 2021 – 2022, so have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2022 – 2023 are available.

Multiplication tables check: 2022 – results for the 2022 MTC.
Multiplication tables check administration guidance – check administration guidance for the multiplication tables check.

Key stage 2

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 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.

The following KS2 guidance links are for the academic year 2021 – 2022, so have not been updated yet by the DfE. They are here for reference until the guidance links for 2022 – 2023 are available.

Notes for readers in the English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests – how to read out particular types of questions in the 2022 key stage 1 and key stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling tests.
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 2022.
Key stage 2 tests: test administration guidance – guidance for headteachers, teachers and teaching assistants about administering the 2022 key stage 2 national curriculum tests.
Key stage 2 tests: modified test administration guidance – guidance for administering the 2022 key stage 2 national curriculum tests to pupils with hearing or visual impairments.
How to keep key stage 1 and key stage 2 national curriculum tests and phonics screening check materials secure – information about keeping KS1 and KS2 tests and phonics screening check materials secure.
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 tests: special consideration guidance.

KS1 and KS2 moderation

External moderation is statutory. It gives confidence that schools’ teacher assessment judgements for KS1 and KS2 are accurate and consistent with national standards, as specified in the TA frameworks and the exemplification material.

Details for summer 2022 are included in the assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA).

Local Authorities will inform schools on, or after, Friday 12 May if they are going to receive an external moderation visit.

Academies and free schools must choose which LA is responsible for external moderation. They must have a written agreement in place with their chosen LA and should inform STA on the PAG if they intend to use a non-geographic LA, by Friday 18 November. If academies do not respond by the deadline, they will no longer be able to choose non-geographic LAs and must put an agreement in place with their geographic LA. STA will record academies without a non-geographic LA agreement in place by this date as being moderated by the geographic LA.

Our offer was sent by email to admin@ on 12 October 2022. If your academy or free school cannot locate this information, please get in touch and we can send you a copy of the letter and form. schooldataassessment@devon.gov.uk