Year 6 SATs 2027: dates, papers, results and how to help

Key takeaways

• →The Year 6 SATs run from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 May 2027, with tests in reading, maths, and grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• →Writing and science have no test. Teachers judge them from your child’s work across the year.
• →Test scores run from 80 to 120. A score of 100 or more means your child met the expected standard.
• →Schools can see results from Tuesday 6 July 2027, and parents should have them by the end of the summer term.

1. What the Year 6 SATs are

SATs is the everyday name for the key stage 2 national curriculum tests. Children in England take them in Year 6, the last year of primary school.^[1]

There are tests in three subjects: English grammar, punctuation and spelling, English reading, and maths. The tests show how your child is doing against the national curriculum, and where they may need more support.^[1]

English writing and science have no test. Teachers decide those results from your child’s overall work and performance. The local authority may also check a school’s writing judgements. This is called moderation.^[1]

The test results are also used to report on how schools are doing, through a government service called Compare School and College Performance.^[1]

2. Year 6 SATs 2027: dates and papers

The SATs 2027 tests run over four days, from Monday 10 to Thursday 13 May. Pupils must take each test on its scheduled day and in order, unless the school has approval for a change to the timetable.^[2]

The marks column below comes from GOV.UK’s guidance on scaled scores. It adds up to 70 marks for grammar, punctuation and spelling, 50 for reading and 110 for maths.^[3]

3. Missed tests and paper lengths

If your child is absent on a test day, the school may be able to arrange for them to sit the missed test up to five school days later. The school has to apply and get approval from the Standards and Testing Agency, the government body behind the tests.^[1]

The official timetable lists the days and papers. Ask your child’s teacher for the school’s start times and how long each paper takes.

Dates can change: We checked these dates against official GOV.UK pages on 31 October 2026. Look at your school’s letters nearer May and July in case anything moves.

4. Scaled scores and the expected standard

Each paper gives your child a raw score, which is the number of marks they got. The marks in a subject are added up and turned into a scaled score. This keeps results fair from year to year, because the questions, and how hard they are, change a little each time.^[3]

Scaled scores at key stage 2 run from 80 to 120. A score of 100 or more means your child met the expected standard. A score of 99 or below means they did not.^[3]

Your child gets one scaled score for each tested subject. A score below 100 may mean your child needs more support to reach the expected standard. GOV.UK says not to worry if that happens, because the results help teachers see where extra help may be needed.^[5]

Tables that show how raw scores turn into scaled scores go up on GOV.UK on Tuesday 6 July 2027.^[2]

Writing and science are reported in words, not numbers. In writing, the teacher says whether your child is working towards the expected standard, working at it, or working at greater depth within it. In science, the teacher says whether your child is working at the expected standard or has not met it.^[5]

5. When results arrive

Schools can see the test results online from Tuesday 6 July 2027.^[2]

Schools decide how to pass results on, but parents should have them by the end of the summer term. Before the summer holidays, schools also talk with parents about their child’s overall performance and invite questions or concerns.^[1]

Your child’s results come in the school’s annual report. It lets you compare your child’s test results with other Year 6 pupils in the school and across England. The school and the Department for Education do not publish individual results.^[5]

If a school thinks a paper was marked wrongly, it can ask for a marking review. Applications close at 11:59pm on Friday 16 July 2027, and the outcomes come back on Wednesday 8 September 2027.^[2]

The secondary school your child is moving to can see their results. It uses them to plan support for when your child starts.^[1]

6. Access arrangements and extra time

Access arrangements are extra support that lets a child with particular needs take part in the tests. GOV.UK lists examples such as extra time, readers, scribes, word processors, prompts and rest breaks. Schools must think about which pupils may need them before the tests, and some arrangements need an application.^[4]

Most pupils with special educational needs or disabilities take the standard tests. Pupils who use modified large print or braille papers automatically qualify for up to 100% extra time.^[2]

Some children who are working below the level of the tests are assessed in a different way, and the school will tell parents if that applies. If you think your child may need support, speak to their teacher well before May.^[1]

7. How you can help without adding stress

The best help is steady and calm. The tests last a few days, but they sit on top of everything your child has learned over many years. It helps to tell your child what the tests are for: they help teachers see where support is needed.^[1]

Read together most days, even if your child reads well alone. Chat about what happens, why characters act as they do, and what new words mean. Reading well means following a story or an article and explaining it, and talking about books builds that.

Times tables help with all three maths papers, and the arithmetic paper rewards quick, confident sums. Five minutes a day works better than a long session once a week. Our free times tables check practice tool is a friendly way to do it. The multiplication tables check is a separate test that children take in Year 4, so it is not part of the Year 6 SATs.

Spelling and grammar are tested too. Try ten spellings a week, and spot grammar in the books you read together, such as commas, apostrophes and tricky verbs.

GOV.UK publishes past test materials, including the 2026 papers. Try one section now and then so the layout feels familiar. Keep it short, and stop if your child is tired.^[6]

In the week of the tests, keep bedtimes regular, give a proper breakfast and plan something nice for afterwards. Praise effort and how your child tackles hard questions, not just scores.

The tests last a few days. Your child’s confidence has to last much longer.

Little and often: Ten to fifteen minutes a few times a week is enough for most children. Stop if your child is tired or upset, and try again another day.

8. How Brainhub can help

Brainhub teaches one-to-one primary lessons, live online across the UK, from £25 an hour. If your child needs help with reading, maths or grammar before May, a tutor can work on the gaps at your child’s pace. Every family starts with a free 45-minute assessment, so you can see where your child is now before you decide anything.

1. 1. When are the Year 6 SATs in 2027?

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2. 2. What scaled score means a child met the expected standard?

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3. 3. Which subjects are judged by teachers rather than tested?

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Your next steps

• Put 10 to 13 May and 6 July 2027 in the family calendar.
• Start five minutes of times tables most days.
• Book a free 45-minute assessment to see where your child is now.

Subject guides to go with this

Want one-to-one help? See how our online lessons work.