National curriculum assessments: optional key stage 1 tests
Guidance for headteachers, teachers and test administrators involved in administering the optional national curriculum tests for the end of key stage 1 (KS1).
Following the 2017 consultation on primary assessment, we announced in July 2022 that end of KS1 assessments will no longer be statutory from the academic year 2023 to 2024 onwards. This took effect from 1 September 2023.
The following KS1 assessments are now optional:
- teacher assessment judgements in English reading, English writing, mathematics and science
- tests in English reading and mathematics (the English grammar, punctuation and spelling test will also remain optional)
- where relevant, using the pre-key stage standards or engagement model
There is no legal requirement for schools or local authorities to report KS1 teacher assessment data back to us and we will not ask them to do so. There is also no requirement to report results from end of KS1 assessments to parents. As with other years in which there are no statutory assessments, there will still be a requirement for headteachers to provide an annual report to parents or carers about a pupil’s general progress in year 2.
The reception baseline assessment (RBA) will replace the end of KS1 assessments as the baseline for cohort level primary progress measures. This will happen when the first cohort with a statutory RBA reaches the end of key stage 2 (KS2) in 2028.
The existing end of KS1 teacher assessment frameworks remain available on GOV.UK for schools who wish to use them optionally as part of their ongoing assessment of children. We will also continue to develop and supply materials for the optional, non-statutory end of KS1 tests in:
- English reading
- English grammar, punctuation and spelling
- mathematics
The optional tests will be developed to the same specifications as previous KS1 papers, to give schools access to test papers to support in the measurement of pupil achievement and to help identify where their pupils need additional support as they transition into KS2. They may also provide helpful information when reporting to parents. To enable us to do this, there will continue to be a legal requirement for a small number of selected schools to participate in the trialling of the tests each spring. Trialling does not test the pupils’ abilities and is not a test of the school; it only tests the materials in development. We will continue to take a proportionate approach to trialling; testing the optional assessment materials will not create any additional work for schools compared to the current requirements. For more information, refer to our page about statutory participation in trialling of national curriculum assessments.
Maintained schools and academies do not need to place a test order for standard versions of the optional KS1 tests, but will still need to order modified tests by the deadlines specified in the guidance, if required. If maintained schools and academies do not wish to receive paper copies of the KS1 tests, they can decline them on the Primary Assessment Gateway (PAG) during the dates specified in the guidance. Schools who decline test materials will still be able to download them from the PAG from early May.
Test materials, mark schemes and scaled scores from previous assessments are available on the practice materials page.
The phonics screening check is still statutory. While there is no legal duty on local authorities to moderate KS1 teacher assessment, they are still required to monitor the phonics screening check. For more information, please refer to the phonics screening check guidance.
Optional end of KS1 tests and assessments guidance
Access arrangements
Test administration
Updates to this page
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Updated links to the test administration guidance for the optional end of key stage 1 tests in 2024.
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Updated guidance for the academic year 2023 to 2024, including information to clarify arrangements now that end of key stage 1 assessments are no longer statutory.
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Updated to reflect that key stage 1 assessments are now optional.
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Added information about changes to key stage 1 assessments from the 2023/2024 test cycle
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Banner removed from page - collection has been updated to include: 2023 assessment and reporting arrangements; Primary assessments: future dates; 2022 scaled scores at KS1.
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2017 scaled score guidance page added.
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Addition of 2017 assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) and planner.
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First published.