Welcome to
Statutory Assessments
Official Primary School Testing in England
Throughout primary school, pupils take part in several national assessments designed to track progress and support their learning. Below is an overview of all the official tests and checks your child will encounter during their time at Kincraig Primaey School.
Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception)
- Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA)
All pupils take part in the Reception Baseline Assessment within the first six weeks of starting school.
This short, one-to-one activity with the teacher assesses early literacy, communication, language, and maths skills.
The results are not shared with parents or used to label pupils; instead, they provide a starting point to measure progress across primary school.
Year 1
- Phonics Screening Check
Taken in June, this is a short, individual assessment where children read 40 words and non-words (or alien words e.g. “vap”, “thrisk”) to test their ability to decode sounds.
The check helps identify children who need extra phonics support to improve reading skills.
Pupils who do not reach the expected standard retake the check in Year 2.
Year 2 (End of Key Stage 1)
- Key Stage 1 (KS1) Assessments
These teacher assessments cover reading, writing and mathematics.
The KS1 tests are optional for schools but at Kincraig Primary School we use them to inform teacher judgements.
Year 4
- Multiplication Tables Check (MTC)
Taken in June, this is an online check of times tables knowledge up to 12×12.
It consists of 25 quick-fire questions, and pupils have six seconds to answer each one.
The check helps ensure pupils have secure recall of multiplication facts, which supports later maths learning.
Year 6 (End of Key Stage 2)
- Key Stage 2 (KS2) National Tests (SATs)
These statutory assessments take place each May and cover:- Reading
- Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (GPS)
- Mathematics (arithmetic and reasoning papers)
Writing and science are assessed by teachers rather than formal tests.
Results are shared with parents and used to measure both individual progress and the school’s overall performance.
Year 4 children will be taking the Multiplication tables check in June of this year. The purpose of the check is to determine whether pupils can fluently recall their times tables up to 12, which is essential for future success in mathematics. For more information please click the button below.
For more information about the 2026 Year 4 Multiplication Check, please click on the button below.
The Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) is a statutory assessment from September 2021 onwards. It provides a snapshot of where pupils are when they arrive at school. It will provide a starting point to measure the progress schools make with their pupils between reception and the end of primary school.
Reception Baseline Assessment Information
The Phonics Screening Check is a test for children in Year 1. Children take it during June in a one-to-one setting with a teacher. Whilst children learn phonics to help them with both word reading and spelling, the Phonics Screening Check only tests their skills at word reading. This is sometimes called decoding.
Children will be assessed and those who do not achieve the standard in June will re-sit the Phonics Screening Check the following year.
