Sats tests in Year 6 should be replaced with random sampling from Year 3 onwards, researchers say.
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), a centre-left think tank with close historical ties to Labour, has called on the Department for Education to overhaul the publishing of Sats results.
The think tank also wants it to replace the method of scaled scores with a more “sophisticated” framework, removing the possibility of pupils failing tests.
The IPPR research report published today builds on survey findings from July, revealing 93 per cent of primary senior leaders said Sats preparation impacted the breadth of curriculum and just 7 per cent wanted the tests to be “kept as they are”.
Getting rid of Sats tests
In its recommendations for the DfE, the IPPR says that replacing the single-year testing window with random key stage 2 sampling across a broad range of subjects would provide a “genuine solution” to existing problems while maintaining the need for accountability.
Under the proposals, a sample of schools would be assessed by the DfE each year. Year groups would be randomly selected, as would the subjects pupils are assessed on.
Researchers say that the year groups and subjects would be “unpredictable” each year, and that some schools may not be assessed at all.
For the IPPR, the sampling would “ensure schools are not incentivised to narrow the curriculum or teach to the test”, and encourage settings to offer a broad curriculum.
The DfE and Ofsted would also utilise school-level data to identify settings regularly underperforming and offer appropriate support, researchers say.
The call for reform comes after DfE data, published in September, revealed that the KS2 disadvantage gap had risen to its highest level in four years.
In their analysis of the results, researchers found that disadvantaged pupils are nearly three times less likely to achieve the highest marks in Sats compared with their more affluent peers.
Last year, some 4 per cent of disadvantaged pupils met the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), compared with 11 per cent of their peers.
Spag test ‘not fit for purpose’
The researchers also call for the Spag (spelling, punctuation and grammar) test to be scrapped, arguing it is not “fit for purpose”. The IPPR does not call for it to be replaced with any other assessment.
Moreover, the content of Sats tests routinely assumes background knowledge that many pupils don’t have, the researchers say. For example, past assessments have referred to skiing or foreign travel.
The IPPR says that the DfE should commission an independent “statutory accessibility and bias audit” delivered independently of the Standards and Testing Agency (STA), which oversees the delivery and monitoring of Sats.
The audit would be tasked with reviewing test papers against “defined criteria”, including cultural bias, linguistic complexity, cognitive load and accessibility for pupils with additional needs.
Responding to the findings, a spokesperson for the More Than A Score campaign said: “The report from IPPR is an important and timely intervention in the debate on primary assessment.
“Their recommendations are considered, pragmatic and fair. Most importantly, they would make primary school - and Year 6 in particular - a broader and more rewarding experience for our young learners.”
The DfE is conducting an ongoing review into failings with the Sats system last academic year. Tes revealed results would be delayed by more than a week in July.
