This briefing paper looks at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools and pupils. It largely focuses on England, but includes some information about Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Documents to download
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Assessment and testing in primary education in England (418 KB, PDF)
SATs, or national curriculum assessments
SATs, or national curriculum assessments, are assessments of primary pupils’ progress and attainment. They are currently taken at the end of key stage 1 (infant phase) and key stage 2 (end of primary/ junior phase).
At key stage 2, the tests are more formal and school-level results are published in national performance tables allowing for comparison with other schools. These are often known as league tables.
SATs cover core academic subjects – English, maths and science.
Phonics screening check
Children in year one, which is usually the second year of primary education, also take a phonics screen to check their ability to decode words. They complete the screen again in year two if they don’t reach the expected standard in year one.
New times table check in year four from 2019-20
In the 2019-20 academic year, all qualifying schools will administer an online multiplication tables check for children in year four (normally aged 8 or 9). This will test recall of times tables up to 12. Schools had the option of taking part in a voluntary pilot phase, during the summer term of the 2018-19 academic year.
A new statutory baseline assessment in reception class: September 2020
The 2017 Government said that, from September 2020, children in all qualifying schools would take a new baseline assessment within the first six weeks of entering reception class. This would focus on maths, and literacy, communication and development. The results will be used as the starting point to assess how much progress schools are making with their pupils. Results for individual children or schools will not be published.
Documents to download
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Assessment and testing in primary education in England (418 KB, PDF)
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Education spending peaked in around 2010 at 5.5% of GDP or £104 billion (2019-20 prices). It has fallen since then, but how much of this is due to changes to definitions, where does this leave the UK compared to other countries and how does this fall in spending compare to others over the past seven decades?
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On Wednesday 21 October 2020, there will be an Opposition Day Debate on Free School Meals.
