Commenting as the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) today emailed schools to confirm that all existing statutory KS1 and KS2 assessments will return in 2021/22, following their usual timetable, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“We know many school leaders will be deeply disappointed to see the government proceeding with a full suite of primary assessments next year. We have long argued that there are too many formal tests and assessments during a child’s time at primary school. Given the crucial work schools are now doing to support educational recovery, reintroducing so many statutory assessments at this point in time will likely serve as an unhelpful distraction and provide schools with little information that they don’t already know.”