The KS2 Sats results went back to schools today, and teachers and school leaders were up early to discover how their pupils had done.

Around 600,000 10- and 11-year-olds took tests in reading, maths and spelling, grammar and punctuation (Spag) in May. Pupils’ writing is assessed by their teachers.

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Live blog: Sats results 2019

This year’s maths test was seen as particularly tricky, with reports that some children were left in tears. This morning, it was revealed that the score needed to reach the expected standard in maths was three marks lower than last year.

But there was good news for some schools, who posted congratulations to pupils and staff on social media.

We have some super proud staff this morning looking at KS2 SATs data for all of our children. Blown away and incredibly grateful for the hard work they put in throughout the year to ensure our Y6 children have a broad curriculum that isn’t purely SAT focussed. Well done everyone!

— Meadow Balsham (@Meadow_Balsham) July 9, 2019

We are thrilled with our KS2 SATS results. What a super achievement. Massive, massive congratulations to our Year 6s. pic.twitter.com/U7YlZUg2g1

— ASSR - Heathfield (@AssrHeathfield) July 9, 2019

The results are returned to schools at 7.30am - and some teachers and heads shared their thoughts during the wait.

Sat at my desk, playing calming music as I wait for 7:30am 🤞🤞🤞

— Paula Trahern (@MawganTr) July 9, 2019

This is it, people...

Moment of truth.
All or nothing.
Succeed or go home.
To the victor, the spoils.
The winner takes it all.

#SATs2019

— The Primary Head (@theprimaryhead) July 8, 2019

Year 6 SATs...

Did your children do their best?
Did they try their hardest?
Did they stick at and keep going?

If the answer is “Yes” then be happy with the results and proud of the children.

The worries are about the high-stakes nonsense that surrounds the SATs.

— Simon Smith (@smithsmm) July 8, 2019

It is the second year that they have been released at 7.30am - before 2018, the results were released at midnight.

To get the results, schools log on to a secure website known as NCA Tools.

Answer: 3,976

Question: How many NCA Tools password resets will be requested by schools this morning?#SATs2019

— @SATs_Test_Chen (@SATsTestChen) July 9, 2019

Meaning the website has to cope with a lot of traffic.

Same here! Although getting up at midnight isn’t my thing at least it saved us all trying to log on at the same time 😬

— Mrs_Teacher09 (@Mrs_Teacher09) July 9, 2019

Schools can decide when they give the results to pupils. A Tes Twitter poll last year found that 43 per cent told pupils the results straightaway, with 33 per cent leaving it a few days and 16 per cent in the last week of term. There were also 8 per cent who answered ‘other’.

Last year, 64 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, maths and writing. 

The national results are due to be published at 9.30am.

The results came out as the NEU teaching union revealed that 97 per cent of primary school teachers would support a campaign against Sats. More than 54,500 members returned papers in an indicative ballot held last month.

The school standards minister Nick Gibb responded to the poll saying: “Abolishing these tests would be a terrible, retrograde step. It would enormously damage our education system, and undo decades of improvement in children’s reading and maths.”