Assessment Information
Primary School Assessments in England: A Guide for Parents
At Park Primary School, assessment helps us understand how children are progressing and how best to support their learning. Below is a simple guide to the main assessments that take place during primary school and what they measure.
Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception)
Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (GLD – Good Level of Development)
When: End of Reception (age 4–5)
Children are assessed against the Early Learning Goals in areas such as communication, reading, writing, maths, and personal development.
A child achieves a Good Level of Development (GLD) if they reach the expected level in key areas. This helps teachers understand how well children are prepared for Year 1.
Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2)
Phonics Screening Check
When: Year 1 (age 5–6)
This checks how well children can read using phonics (sounding out words). Children read a list of real and made-up words to show their decoding skills.
Children who do not meet the expected standard will retake the check in Year 2.
KS1 SATs (Non-Statutory)
When: Year 2 (age 6–7)
These tests assess reading and maths and help teachers judge pupils’ progress at the end of Key Stage 1. They are non-statutory, which means schools are not required to formally submit the results, but many use them to support teacher assessments.
Teacher assessments are used alongside these tests to decide each child’s level.
Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)
Multiplication Tables Check (MTC)
When: Year 4 (age 8–9)
The MTC is an online check that assesses how quickly and accurately children can recall their times tables up to 12 × 12. It helps schools identify children who may need extra support.
End of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)
KS2 SATs
When: Year 6 (age 10–11)
These statutory tests assess:
- Reading
- Grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS)
- Mathematics
Writing is assessed by teachers using pupils’ work over-time.
The results help secondary schools understand each child’s academic level and support their transition to secondary education.
Ongoing Teacher Assessment
In addition to national assessments, teachers continually assess children through:
- Classwork
- Homework
- Observations
- Quizzes and tests
- Discussions
This ongoing assessment helps teachers adapt lessons and provide targeted support.
Why Assessments Are Important
Assessments help to:
- Track children’s progress
- Identify strengths and areas for development
- Inform teaching and support
- Ensure pupils are meeting national expectations
We aim to ensure that assessments are carried out in a calm, supportive way so that children feel confident and able to do their best.
If you have any questions about assessments, please contact the school office or your child’s class teacher.
Please see below for link to KS2 Performance Data:
Park Primary School - Compare school and college performance data in England - GOV.UK