2.  Tests could be carried out anytime from September – June  Teachers could use a couple of set past papers which they would become familiar with and generate a level themselves from the tests.  2016  Tests must be carried out in May.  Children’s raw scores will be translated into a scaled score using a conversion table. The conversion tables will not be published until June 1 st. A scaled score of 100 will represent ‘expected standard’

3.  Children have to meet all the expected criteria given in the interim report.  Teachers should not however only teach to these.  As previously, the test is only a guide to inform a judgement. However, teachers need good evidence should they want to give children a better standard.

4.  Each child will have a raw score calculated. This will then be converted into a scaled score, out of 100. Each child will be told whether he or she has achieved the required standard on the test. We won’t know, until after the 2016 test has taken place, what the required standard will be.

5.  Working towards the expected standard  Working at the expected standard  Working at greater depth within the expected standard  Not meeting the ‘working towards standard’

6.  What is assessed? Old assessmentsNew assessments Maths Reading Writing – short/long writeSPAG Spelling

7.  Previously children working at ARE completed the Level 2 paper.  More able children completed Level 3 paper.  Less able children completed Tasks.  Equipment was available.  NOW- 2016  All children complete 2 papers regardless of ability.  No equipment is allowed.

8.  Paper 1 Mental arithmetic ( 25 marks) – 20 minutes.  Paper 2 Reasoning ( 35 marks) – 25 minutes.  80-90% number based.  Guidelines for timings are given but not specified in current documents.  Children have to ask for questions to be read.

9.  Children have to answer 25 questions in suggested 20 minutes.  Questions are purely arithmetical, ranging from addition facts to 10 (e.g. 4 + 2) to fraction work (e.g. ¼ of 20), with most questions coming from the raised expectations in the 2014 National Curriculum Programme of Study.  Children are not allowed to use calculators or concrete apparatus, such as number lines.  There is one mark per question, with no marks awarded for correct working if the answer is incorrect.

10.  Reasoning is now covered in a single test (rather than two), consisting of approximately 30 questions.  As with the arithmetic paper, it won’t be strictly timed but children should have around 35 minutes for the paper.  Again, calculators and concrete apparatus are not permitted, but children may use bilingual aids for translation if this is part of their normal classroom set-up.

11.  Questions cover number including recognising equivalent fractions, geometry including recognising 2D shapes, measurement, statistics and solving simple word problems.  Content comes from both Year 1 and 2 but children will need to have been taught the majority of the content from year 2 to confidently tackle the paper.  There is usually one mark per question, although occasionally there are two marks awarded for the correct answer and one mark awarded if the answer is incorrect but the correct method has been used. 35 marks in total.

12.  Previously, children working at ARE completed the level 2 paper.  More able children completed Level 3 paper.  Less able children completed Tasks.  NOW  All children complete 2 papers regardless of ability. Could be poetry.

13.  The first paper is similar to the old Level 2 paper with short passages of text followed by questions. ( 20 marks) – 30 mins  The second paper is similar to the old Level 3 paper with a text booklet and an answer booklet. ( 20 marks) – 40 mins  Children need to be on gold level book banding in order to stand a good chance of being successful in this test.  Interim assessment – reading 90 words per minute.

14.  Teachers no longer have to assess 2 pieces of writing.  Paper 1 -Spelling test – similar to old test but harder spellings e.g. ‘peaceful’ ‘teddies’. 20 words given in sentences. ( 20 marks not 7 as previously!)

15.  Paper 2 SPAG test – very similar to Year 6 with some multiple choice, underlining and filling in missing words. (18 questions- 20 marks) Guidance says test can be read out.  4 types of sentences – commands exclamations questions statements

16.  Paper 1 – spelling 50% of total marks  Paper 2 – grammar – 25-38% punctuation 13 – 25% vocabulary 3-8%

17.  faster paints baking hurried  sunny kitten knew petal  face thanked model rainbow  group Saturday whale peaceful  fingers sweets world teddies