GovWire

KS2 tests should be administered to the whole cohort on the days specified in the statutory timetable outlined in section 2.3 of the KS2 assessment and reporting arrangements.

In limited circumstances, pupils may be able to take a test at a different time, or on a different day, from the rest of the cohort. In exceptional circumstances, a school may need to reschedule a test for the whole cohort to a different day. This guidance explains when and how to do this.

Failure to follow this guidance could result in a maladministration investigation.

Administering a test in multiple sittings on the scheduled day

Schools can administer a test in multiple sittings between 7am and 7pm on the scheduled date without seeking approval from the Standards and Testing Agency (STA). Schools should be prepared to explain the arrangements if they receive a monitoring visit from the local authority.

Schools may vary the start time of a test on the scheduled day if:

• the school needs to stagger the administration to accommodate the availability of staff or facilities
• the school has a large cohort and needs to administer the test in 2 or more sittings
• there are pupils who need scribes, readers, prompters, signers or translators, and there are not enough staff members to support these pupils to take the test at the same time
• a pupil is not going to be in school at the time the rest of the cohort is taking the test
• a pupil is unwell when the rest of the cohort takes the test, but is in a fit state later in the day
• a pupil arrives late in school
• arrangements need to be made to support a pupil who arrives in school with an injury that affects their ability to take the test with the rest of the cohort

In all these circumstances, the headteacher must ensure that pupils taking tests later in the school day do not have any opportunity to access test materials or discuss test content with other pupils or staff who have been involved with earlier sittings of tests.

Administering a test after the scheduled day

Schools must submit an application for a timetable variation on the Primary Assessment Gateway (PAG) to seek permission to move a test up to 5 school days after the date specified in the statutory timetable.

Schools are encouraged to submit applications for known, authorised absences as early as possible.

We will consider an application if a pupil:

• has an important appointment that cannot be rearranged for example, a hospital appointment, a court appearance, national or international sports participation or a funeral
• is observing a religious or cultural festival

We will also consider applications if the school:

• is being used as a polling station for local or general elections and it is not possible to continue with test administration in another part of the school
• must deal with an unforeseeable problem for example, flooding or fire
• has been issued with a notice to close because of health and safety concerns
• has a short working day for example, in a pupil referral unit or alternative provision

We will also consider applications for pupils who use braille test papers, where it is not possible for the pupil to complete more than one paper in one day. A timetable variation can be used to split the papers out, if necessary.

We will not allow timetable variations for:

• unauthorised pupil absences
• staff absences, including industrial action
• family holidays
• school activities for example, staff training events or field trips
• temporary exclusions during the test period
• a pupil who started but did not complete a test, and has left test conditions

In exceptional circumstances where a test is being rescheduled for the whole cohort, the headteacher must ask parents to help protect the integrity, security and confidentiality of the tests by ensuring that pupils do not have contact with pupils from other schools who have already taken the test or have access to test content via the internet or social media.

Pupil absence on scheduled test days

If a pupil is absent on the day of the test, headteachers must take steps to ensure the pupil does not have contact with others for example, by speaking to the pupils parents about how they can help prevent contact with other pupils who have already taken the test, or about arrangements for entering the premises on the day the pupil returns to school.

If a pupil is absent on the day of a test because of illness, the school should wait until they have returned to school before making an application. This is to ensure the pupil is in a fit, physical and mental state to take the test on the day and time stated in the application.

If a pupil returns to school during test week or the timetable variation period following an absence, the school must ensure the pupil is supervised so there is no opportunity for the pupil to discuss test content.

In the case of pupils who live in the same household, if one pupil is absent on the day of a test but other pupils from the same household are in school (and the school intends to administer the test to those pupils), the school should consider delaying the test for all the pupils in the household. This is to ensure the integrity, security and confidentiality of the test is maintained. The school must ensure the pupils do not have any opportunity to discuss test content with pupils who have already taken the test.

If some siblings, or pupils from the same household, have taken the test and the others have not, the school may need to work with parents to ensure that the pupils do not have any opportunity to discuss the test content if a timetable variation application is planned.

If a pupil attends an alternative provision (including pupil referral units) for some days of the week, the maintained school or academy where they are registered may have to apply for a timetable variation to enable the pupil to sit the test as soon as is practical when the pupil is back in school. Appropriate measures should be taken to ensure the integrity, security and confidentiality of the test is maintained.

In all the above circumstances, if the headteacher can guarantee that no test content has been discussed and the pupil has been supervised at all times, a timetable variation application can be submitted, selecting No in answer to question 1 in the application.

Making an application Monday 10 February to Thursday 22 May 2025

When the headteacher, or someone with delegated authority, applies to vary the test timetable, they will be asked to confirm that they believe:

• the content of the tests has remained confidential
• the pupil has not had any opportunity to discuss test content with pupils who have already taken the tests
• the pupil has not had access to the test materials for example, via the internet or social media
• the pupil is in a fit physical and mental state to take the tests, particularly in cases where the pupil is returning to school after an illness or injury

The final date that schools can administer a test with an approved timetable variation application would be:

• Monday 19 May for English grammar, punctuation and spelling papers 1 and 2
• Tuesday 20 May for the English reading paper
• Wednesday 21 May for mathematics papers 1 and 2
• Thursday 22 May for mathematics paper 3

If the headteacher is aware of any reason why these conditions cannot be confirmed, the application will not be approved, and the pupil must not take the test.

During test week and the timetable variation period, schools must allow up to one hour for an application to be processed within school hours. Missed or rescheduled tests must not be administered to pupils until the school receives STAs approval.

If a timetable variation application is rejected, the pupil must not take the test.

If an individual pupil is absent on the rescheduled test date following an approved timetable variation application, and it is possible to reschedule further within the timetable variation peri

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