The Education (National Curriculum) (Assessment Arrangements for English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, History and Geography) (Key Stage 1) Order 1992

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

Section 4(1) and (2) of the Education Reform Act 1988 places a duty on the Secretary of State to establish the National Curriculum by specifying by order appropriate attainment targets, programmes of study and assessment arrangements for each of the foundation subjects. Attainment targets and programmes of study for pupils in the first key stage in English, mathematics, science, technology, history and geography are specified by the Orders mentioned in article 3 of this Order.

This Order replaces the Education (National Curriculum) (Assessment Arrangements for English, Mathematics and Science) (Key Stage 1) Order 1991, and the Education (National Curriculum) (Assessment Arrangements for Technology) (Key Stage 1) Order 1991 (which are revoked), and specifies the assessment arrangements for English, mathematics, science “the core subjects ”), technology, history and geography in the final year of the first key stage, as they apply to maintained schools in England.

Pupils are to be assessed by teachers on the basis of classroom work “teacher assessments ” in all six subjects by four weeks before the end of the summer term. A record of the results, consisting of pupils' levels of attainment in relation to each relevant attainment target, is to be made (article 4).

For the core subjects only, Standard Assessment Tasks (SATs) published by HMSO on behalf of the Secretary of State are to be administered to pupils during the second half of the Spring term and up to four weeks before the end of the Summer term, and the results recorded (article 5). For technology, history and geography, teachers may take into account the outcomes of previous assessments, including non-mandatory SATs.

In making both teacher assessments and administering SATs, teachers must take into account guidance issued by local education authorities (in the case of schools maintained by LEAs) or by the School Examinations and Assessment Council (in the case of grant-maintained schools) (article 4).

Rules are specified:

• for determining the inter-relation of teacher assessment results and SAT results in the core subjects (article 6);

• for applying the levels of attainment to produce profile component levels in English and technology (article 7);

• for applying profile component levels to determine subject levels of attainment in English and technology (article 8); and

• for applying attainment target levels to determine subject levels of attainment in mathematics, science, history and geography (article 9).

These rules are modified in the case of pupils to whom provisions of the National Curriculum do not apply (article 10) and in the case of pupils who have been unable to complete SATs due to absence from school (article 11).