This week I confirm arrangements for KS2 SATs, highlight publication of new DfE guidance on breakfast club support and the attainment data of pupils who completed the 2022 multiplication check.

KS2 SATs pushed back over King’s coronation bank holiday
Primary pupils will sit KS2 SATs a day later than planned in May because of the extra bank holiday to mark the King’s coronation. The Standards and Testing Agency has confirmed that English grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) papers 1 and 2 will now take place on Tuesday 9 May, the English reading paper on Wednesday 10 May, mathematics papers 1 and 2 on Thursday 11 May and maths paper 3 on Friday 12 May.

The KS2 timetable variation window for each test will also move back by a day. No changes are planned to other assessments, including KS2 teacher assessments, KS1 tests and teacher assessments, the phonics screening and multiplication table checks.

New guidance on breakfast club support
The DfE has released new guidance on how eligible schools can apply for breakfast club provision support. The support has been extended for another year with an additional £12 million in funding and will now be available until the end of July 2024. Places on the scheme are limited and schools in disadvantaged areas will be eligible for the programme if they have 40% or more pupils in bands A-F of the income deprivation affecting children index (IDACI).

2022 Multiplication tables check attainment
The statistics covering the attainment of Y4 pupils who took the multiplication tables check in summer 2022, after the assessment became statutory last academic year, have now been published.

• Of pupils who took the check, the mean average score was 19.8 out of 25.
• The most common score in the check was 25 (full marks), with 27% of pupils achieving this score.
• Disadvantaged pupils performed less well in the check than other pupils. Of pupils who took the check, the average score for disadvantaged pupils was 17.9, while the average score for pupils not known to be disadvantaged was 20.5.
• Pupils with a first language of English performed less well in the check than pupils with a first language other than English. Of pupils who took the check, the average score for pupils with a first language of English was 19.4 while the average score for pupils with a first language other than English was 21.2.
• London was the highest performing region, with an average score of 20.9. In other regions, the average score ranged from 19.1 in the South West to 19.7 in the North East.