Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Primary School Assessment

Monday 21 July 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Primary school standard assessment tests have been reported to negatively affect the wellbeing of a significant number of Year 6 pupils.
  • Ninety-six percent of headteachers believe that SATs harm children's wellbeing and fifty percent doubt their accuracy.
  • National curriculum tests are essential for supporting schools in providing strong educational foundations for children, regardless of their background.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Lee Barron Lab Corby and East Northamptonshire
Education Children & Families
Context

A recent survey by Young Minds found that over a third of Year 6 pupils felt ill due to standard assessment tests, with over a quarter saying they made them feel bad about themselves. Ninety-six per cent of headteachers say that SATs harm wellbeing and 95% doubt their accuracy.

Question

A recent survey by Young Minds found that over a third of Year 6 pupils felt ill due to standard assessment tests, with over a quarter saying they made them feel bad about themselves. Ninety-six per cent of headteachers say that SATs harm wellbeing and 5% doubt their accuracy. Our children and teachers are telling us that SATs are broken. Will the Department consider a more holistic assessment approach that ensures the wellbeing of our children at such a young age?

Answer from The Minister for School Standards (Catherine McKinnell)

It is our ambition that all children get the chance not just to achieve at school but to thrive. SATs are carefully developed to ensure that they are accessible. It is clear that schools should not over-prepare children for the assessments at the expense of their wellbeing.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to considering a more holistic assessment approach or scrapping SATs but stated that schools should support children's wellbeing during assessments.

How: Stated Ambition Without Commitment

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Q2 Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath
Children & Families
Context

It is well known how damaging formal assessment can be for some children; their wellbeing should be at the forefront of our minds. Primary school teachers in Bath have raised concerns.

Question

It is so well known how damaging formal assessment can be for some children, and their wellbeing should be at the forefront of our minds. I know that from primary school teachers in my Bath constituency. Is it not time that we completely scrapped SATs?

Answer from The Minister for School Standards (Catherine McKinnell)

National curriculum tests and assessments are crucial to support schools in building strong foundations for children regardless of background and prior attainment. We will continue to keep the matter under review. Of course, children should not be made to feel stressed; they should be supported to achieve and thrive in any assessment at school.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not commit to scrapping SATs but stated that national curriculum tests are crucial while keeping the matter under review.

How: Stated Importance Of Assessments Without Committing

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