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National Curriculum Tests

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 13 July 2026UIN 17279

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the risk that pupils may be disadvantaged in accessing reviews of Key Stage 2 SATs marking as a result of schools closing for the summer holidays before the review deadline.

Answered by Georgia Gould

Schools rightly expect key stage 2 results to be delivered on time, and Pearson Education Limited has fully apologised for failing to return the results on time and for the impact on schools, pupils and parents.

Following feedback received from schools and trusts, the government has extended the deadline to apply for reviews of the tests until 7 September 2026. This is to allow schools more time to make applications during term time. The Standards and Testing Agency communicated this to schools on Tuesday 7 July.

Guidance for schools on the review process was published on Monday 13 July and confirmed the date for the return of review results to be Wednesday 30 September.

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