Rise in Primary Pupils Being Entered for Super SATs: The number of 11-year-old pupils being entered for ‘Super SATs’ at the end of primary school education has increased by two-fold in just two years, new figures released by the Department for Education have shown.{Tweet this}

The DfE’s figures show that 106,000 pupils (more than one in six) took the optional test in maths, representing a rise of a third on last year and a rise of 93% since 2012. This is only the third year in which the Level Six SATs have been available since being abolished more than a decade ago. A similar increase has also been recorded in exams based on reading, and on grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Rise in Primary Pupils Being Entered for Super SATs

Introduced in an effort to stop more-able pupils coasting their way through the last year of primary education, the Super SATs are supposed to encourage teachers to devote more time to the most able students and ensure they are pushed enough to stretch them. The results also feature on school league tables and can be used as a gauge as to whether educators are managing to get the best out of talented students between the ages of 7 and 11.{Tweet this}

As an example, pupils who take the test in maths should be able to calculate the area of a circle or volume of a cube, use algebra and be able to convert fractions to decimals and to percentages. The grammar test expects pupils to be able to use the full range of punctuation – including colons and semi-colons, as well as utilising embedded subordinate clauses and to show an understanding of connectives such as nevertheless, moreover and however.

Currently, all children sit a basic-level SATs test, and the average pupil should achieve level four, whilst bright students are expected to achieve level five. Level six tests are designed to test those at an even higher level, and elements from these higher level exams will be introduced in to all SATs tests following a shake-up of the primary education system in 2015.{Tweet this}

Michael Gove has previously stated that allowing teachers to put students in to level six exams means that those pupils begin their time in secondary education ‘razor sharp’ – as opposed to some, who are allowed to coast through the final year of their time at primary school.{Tweet this}