National Curriculum Tests
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the delayed publication of 2025 Key Stage 2 SATs results on pupils, parents and schools; what discussions she has had with Pearson regarding reported issues in the marking process; and if she will undertake an independent review of the administration and marking of the 2025 SATs to ensure that pupils receive accurate results and have an opportunity to request reviews of marking where appropriate.
Answered by Department for Education
Schools rightly expect results to be delivered on time, and the department recognises the frustration this delay caused. Pearson Education Limited has fully apologised for failing to return the 2026 SATs results on time and for the impact on schools, pupils and parents. A thorough independent review, led by Dame Christine Gilbert, will be conducted into how such a serious failing could have occurred and is expected to report in the Autumn.
The government is very clear that the delay was due to issues with Pearson’s systems and not concerns about the quality of the tests or the results. Marking was completed and test scripts were marked according to the required quality assurance processes. The standards maintenance process, which underpins our ability to compare the expected standard of the tests from year to year, was completed to schedule on Thursday 2 July 2026.
Results were returned on 16 July. The deadline for schools to apply for reviews of marking or clerical errors has been extended until 7 September.
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