SATS: Can schools exclude children from taking the SATs?

[user1475317873]

Just wondering if schools are allowed to exclude children from taking the SATs due to SEN or other reasons? and if so, do they need to justify this?

I am trying to read the results from some schools as the number of eligible children who sat the exams don't add it to the number of children in year 6.

Thanks.

Yes, schools can apply to have pupils exempted from SATS and the usual reasons are SEN of a severity that would make the test pointless, or inadequate English in a (usually recently arrived) pupil with English as a second/additional language.

Percentages are rounded up and down. It may not match actual numbers on roll. Most children in mainstream primary sit SATS but parents remove children for SATS because they object to them and plenty said they were doing just that last year. Children could also have been ill.

Ds didn't sit y2 SATs (back in the day when they were formal tests) because he wasn't at a level to achieve even a level 1. He did sit y6 SATs and achieved 5,5,4 so a fantastic achievement for him.

Those who were below the level for the test could be exempted previously. So generally if they were on the p scales rather than the nc levels they wouldn't take the test. I expect it's similar now the tests have changed but it's been a while since I worked with the tests.

Thank you

So, can I actually trust these results or could schools use the exemptions to manipulate it a bit?

Personally I wouldn't read too much into the results, lots of 'teaching to the test' going on in my view. Plus you don't know what the starting points were, or if you just happen to have a weaker or stronger year group (especially where the school is only 1 or 2 classes per year, as smaller group sizes are more likely to be affected by unusual year compositions. For example one school near us a year or two back had one year group in which a third of the pupils were coincidentally all August birthdays.) They are one piece of info about a school, but not everything.

Children who are working below the level of the tests are disapplied, however they are still included in the school data so it offers no advantage to the school.

Here

Some parents choose to absent their pupils during SATS week, thus affecting percentages

Thank you. That's very helpful