The return of KS2 results to be delayed

The UK government announced that there will be a change to the date they will return 2023 KS2 test results to schools. This is being delayed by one week due to the additional bank holiday in honour of the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III taking place on Monday 8 May 2023.

Standards and Testing Agency have said:

“After careful consideration, STA is moving the date we return 2023 KS2 test results to schools by one week, to Tuesday 11 July 2023. The Department will publish ‘KS2 attainment 2023: national headlines’ statistics at 9:30am on the same date.

The later date for return of results means we can extend the deadline for schools to upload KS2 teacher assessment data on the Primary Assessment Gateway to Friday 30 June, giving schools and local authorities more time to check and submit this data. Note the deadline for submission of key stage 1 teacher assessment data has not changed and will remain Tuesday 27 June.

Schools should note this change will also impact on the processes which follow return of results in 2023. The window for schools to submit marking reviews will move back by one week to Friday 21 July, and the date the Department launches the checking exercise for school performance data will also move back to Monday 11 September.

We have made this decision as the integrity of the results and the quality standards we apply are of paramount importance and a later date for return of results safeguards these for 2023.” Read the full statement here.

Sector Response

Commenting following the announcement that 2023 Key Stage 2 test results will be delayed by a week, Tiffnie Harris, Primary and Data Specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“This unfathomable decision will cause more workload and disruption for schools when they are already under intense pressure on multiple fronts.”

“For reasons outside of schools’ control, Key Stage 2 test dates have been moved back by one day. It’s extremely frustrating that this is leading to results being sent to schools an entire week later than planned. The decision to move the test dates was made months ago and it is extremely discourteous that it has taken so long for this latest announcement to be made. The lack of warning means many schools are likely to have already made plans for this week, including residential trips and other end of year activities. This is going to cause significant disruption.

“This decision will be particularly problematic for schools in areas such as Leicestershire, which will have finished the school year before they receive these results. We presume that leaders and teachers in schools in this position will be expected to spend the first week of their holiday checking these results, writing reports and liaising with families. It is currently unclear whether the government anticipates providing any financial recompense for this. Either way, this is another example of a decision being made without due consideration of the impact on teacher workload.

“We have made all these points to the Department for Education and it is disappointing that they have fallen on deaf ears.”

Commenting as the government announce that KS2 test results will be delayed by one week, Sarah Hannafin, senior policy advisor for school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“The delay to the return of KS2 results confirmed today is incredibly disappointing and was completely avoidable – the impact of shifting the dates of SATs week on marking and results should have been fully considered before that decision was made. It is difficult to accept that a one day delay to the tests leads to a weeks delay to results particularly with the expectations put on school leaders to fulfil their obligations and specific deadlines regarding SATs. This decision will have a negative impact on schools particularly those which break up for the summer holidays the week that results will now be returned.”