Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the long-term impact of the introduction of SAT exams on vulnerable children.

SATs, now called national curriculum tests, were first introduced in 1991. In determining primary assessment policy, the Department considers the impact of testing on all children as a matter of course, which includes drawing on evidence from this country’s past national tests.

As part of our Public Sector Equality Duty, we also consider the impact of Government policy on different groups of pupils, including – but not limited to – those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Vulnerable children, such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds who qualify for free school meals, looked-after children who attract pupil premium plus funding, or those with special educational needs.

The Government believes that rigorous and appropriate assessment is in all pupils’ interests. National curriculum tests help teachers to understand how pupils are doing in relation to national expectations and identify where additional support is needed. They also hold schools to account for how well they support their pupils, which the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development concludes is particularly important for the least advantaged. The tests should not put undue pressure on any pupil and we trust teachers to approach them in a proportionate manner. Schools are also required to provide continuous and appropriate support for the wellbeing and resilience of all pupils.

For this year, we have introduced updated tests to align with the new National Curriculum which was introduced in 2014. In developing the curriculum we have been mindful of the possible impact on equalities and based on a wide range of evidence we have conducted a full equalities impact assessment. This paper has been attached to this answer.

The new tests will assess pupils’ attainment against the National Curriculum. In developing these tests, the Department has considered carefully their impact upon all pupils and we will continue to do so as they are introduced in schools.