Written in May 2025. Checked and corrected on 13 October 2026 against the 2027 key stage 2 assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA), which cover 2026 to 2027 (tests Monday 10 to Thursday 13 May 2027), and Ofsted's current deferral policy. Corrections are marked.

In the month before SATs week, our community raised the same concerns again and again: logistics, roles and responsibilities during national assessments. These are the questions asked most often in our Facebook group, with guidance based on DfE, STA and Ofsted policies.

Can Ofsted Inspect During SATs Week?

A number of headteachers have asked whether Ofsted can visit during the SATs window. While inspections are not routinely scheduled for this period, they can occur. Ofsted's deferral policy says it will only consider a deferral in exceptional circumstances, and the request must be evidenced. (Correction: we previously said SATs week may qualify. The policy does not mention national tests, so there is no SATs-week ground; any request is judged on its own merits.)

If you are notified during test week and believe the tests would be significantly disrupted, ask for a deferral as soon as possible after the notification call, with your evidence.

Key Guidance: Refer to Ofsted's published inspection deferral criteria for details on how to make a formal request.

Should the Headteacher Be On-Site During SATs?

Several queries have been raised about whether the headteacher must be present throughout the week. While there is no legal requirement for the head to be on site at all times, they are ultimately responsible for test security and correct administration.

The ARA says that references to headteachers "include acting headteachers or anyone with delegated authority" (section 4.1). The headteacher must complete and submit the headteacher's declaration form (HDF), confirming the tests were administered according to the published guidance, by 5pm on Friday 28 May 2027 (section 4.1).

Recommendation: If you will not be on site, record who holds delegated authority and make sure they know every protocol. (We previously advised telling the local authority; the ARA does not require this, though your LA may ask.)

Delays or Concerns with SATs Materials

Some posts referenced delays in receiving KS2 test papers. For 2027, schools receive their initial consignment of test materials in the week of 26 April. If they have not arrived by Friday 30 April, or arrive unsealed or damaged, contact the national curriculum assessments helpline on 0300 303 3013 (ARA section 5.6). (Correction: we previously said materials arrive at least five working days before the tests; the ARA gives the delivery week and deadline above.)

Schools should also check all deliveries against the inventory provided and keep a secure record of receipt and storage.

Action: Contact the national curriculum assessments helpline if materials are incomplete or delayed.

Pupils Unable to Sit SATs Due to Illness

Concerns have been raised about how to manage cases where a Year 6 pupil is too unwell to sit the tests. Pupils who are "not in a fit physical or mental state at the time of the tests" should not take them (ARA section 6.1). With STA approval, a pupil can take a test up to 5 school days after the scheduled day through a timetable variation (section 6.4). A pupil who cannot sit the test within that period is marked 'A' (absent for the test and timetable variation period) on the online test attendance register in the NCA Portal. (Correction: we previously said 'B'. In the STA's codes, 'B' means working below the standard of the test.)

The attendance register is submitted on the NCA Portal, by Friday 21 May in 2027 (section 3.2). (We previously said absence through illness would not affect school performance data; the ARA does not say this, so check the DfE's performance measures guidance.)

Protocol Breaches and New Headteacher Queries

Newly appointed headteachers have sought advice after encountering potential SATs protocol breaches. In all such cases, immediate transparency is essential. Any issues must be reported without delay. Schools can report maladministration through the 'Maladministration allegations' form in the 'Incidents' section of the NCA Portal, or to STA at STA.maladministration@education.gov.uk (ARA section 11); local authorities must also tell STA of irregularities (section 4.2). Pupil cheating is notified through the NCA Portal by Friday 21 May (section 3.2).

The STA takes test security seriously. Prompt and open reporting demonstrates professional responsibility and supports a fair outcome for the school.

Procedure: Use the NCA Portal forms above and keep a detailed log of all relevant events and actions taken. (We previously named a "Key Stage 2 Test Incident Form"; the ARA routes reports through the NCA Portal.)

What SATs Week 2026 Added

Moved here on 13 October 2026 from our SATs Week 2026 community summary (dated 11 May 2026), now merged into this page. These points come from the 2026 test administration and returning test scripts guidance; check the 2027 versions when they are published.

Test order and timing. Tests must be given on the published dates and in the published order, unless there are exceptional circumstances such as an approved timetable variation. Schools choose their own start times and, where possible, give each test to the whole cohort at the same time.

Online attendance registers. 2026 was the first year the KS2 attendance registers were online. Designated staff review, update and submit the register for each test on the NCA Portal. Check the register as soon as it is available, but complete it after the test has been given:

  1. Before the test: check the register is available and pupil details are correct.
  2. During and after the test: record who sat the paper and whether any aid was used.
  3. Before submitting: leave a pupil blank if they may still sit the test through an approved timetable variation.
  4. Submit only when the register is complete and accurate.

If the NCA Portal is busy. The guidance allows registers to be completed in Excel: download the register, update it, upload it, and check the online register has updated before you submit. Check portal access early, make sure the right staff have logins and MFA access, and keep working notes if you need them, but the official record is the register submitted on the NCA Portal.

Recording aids. The register is a formal record, not a present or absent list. For each pupil who used an aid, select “Record aid”, enter the details and save, one pupil at a time.

Missed tests. A missed test must not be given until the school has confirmation that the timetable variation is approved. If the pupil does not sit it by the final timetable variation day, or the application is rejected, mark them 'A'.

The HDF comes last. The headteacher's declaration form cannot be completed until every online attendance register has been submitted. Where no registered pupils sit a test, the registers must still be completed with the correct non-attendance codes before the HDF.

Storage. Keep all test materials secure with limited access, including unused papers until the date STA sets.

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