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Calder Vale St John C of E Primary School
Grow, Achieve, Explore
Assessment Data
Year 6 SATs are national tests taken in May to check your child’s progress in core subjects.
What Subjects Are Tested?
Reading – understanding and interpreting texts
Maths – arithmetic and reasoning skills
Spelling, Punctuation & Grammar (SPAG)
How the Tests Work
Taken in school under exam conditions
Reading: 1-hour paper with comprehension questions
Maths: Two papers – arithmetic and reasoning
SPAG: Questions on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary
What the Results Mean
Show how your child is performing compared to national expectations
Help teachers decide your child’s end-of-Year 6 attainment
Are only one part of your child’s learning journey
How You Can Help
Ensure your child gets enough sleep and a healthy breakfast on test days
Encourage a positive mindset – calm, confident, and ready to do their best
Support learning at home through reading, spelling, and times tables
For any questions about SATs or preparation, please speak to your child’s class teacher.
Understanding Year 6 SATs Results in Context
At Calder Vale St. John's, we understand that national test results, such as Year 6 SATs, are often used to compare schools and track progress. However, it’s important to view these results in context, especially for small schools like ours.
Last summer (2025), our Year 6 cohort consisted of just two children, both of whom moved on to specialist schools. In such cases, SATs data is not a meaningful measure of our school’s overall performance or the quality of education we provide.
Why Context Matters
Small cohorts: With very few children, individual results can dramatically affect averages and statistics, which can be misleading.
Individual pathways: Every child’s learning journey is unique, and some children may follow specialist pathways that aren’t fully reflected in standardised tests.
Holistic education: Our school focuses on supporting each child to achieve their personal best, develop confidence, and gain skills for life – outcomes that SATs cannot fully capture.
We encourage parents and the wider community to look beyond headline figures and consider the broader picture of a child’s learning, progress, and well-being. SATs are just one of many ways we assess and celebrate achievement.
If you have questions about our approach to assessment or how we support children in different learning pathways, please get in touch.