Times tables check

[drspouse]

I've got a bit confused by this. DS is in Y4 and working well on his times tables despite missing school (not just lockdown, he was excluded and is now in a PRU but mainstream curriculum).
I thought all the national tests were cancelled but the teachers seem to be making sure he can answer the questions quickly and talking about "knowing" rather than "working out". They mentioned the check in September but this was this week.
Are they still running this?
I'm not sure he was aware this was a test (I don't think he knows what a test is) but he can get very anxious if told he has to do something X way.

It's optional this year.

Do parents get told the results if run?

I expect that will be up to individual schools as well.

Whether or not they’re taking the test, they will still be expected to get children to the same standard. It’s right that they are encouraging children to know their times tables properly rather than accepting them slowly working out each one. Ask your school what they are doing about the test and tell them if you think something they are doing is making your son anxious, but remember they can’t change the NC.

Children need to know their times tables fluently by the end of year 4. That's why they put the test in - not the other way round (children don't only need to know them because of the test!). Children who don't know their times tables, numbers bonds etc. find the work and expectations in year 5 and 6 a lot harder.

Oh he is learning them very well actually, without the instructions to "learn them this way because you need to" and more because he likes to get things right and likes to do his work quickly (he has ADHD and likes to do everything quickly!)
I guess it's not so much "are they optional" as "aren't they cancelled now" but I can see the school will still emphasise how best to learn them.
We were told that he passed the phonics check but that was a different school.

There are loads of example tests online that are exactly the same as the real one - you could just get your child to sit one if you don't find out their official score from the optional test.

Oh I'll take a look - he's using an app (Doodle Tables) that gives us a pretty good idea but it doesn't always set a time limit (but he's very motivated to go fast).