Year 2 Primary School SATs Spelling Test Cancelled After It Was Published Online As A Practise Paper

A national spelling test for Year 2 pupils has been cancelled by the Schools Minister after a teacher spotted it had mistakenly been published online as a practise paper.

Charlotte Smiles was teaching at a school that was officially trialling the final exam ahead of the national roll, when she realised one child had already seen the test paper.

Approximately half a million children were due to take the Key Stage 1 spelling and grammar test in May, as part of their SATs.

Nick Gibb, Schools Minister, said: "To remove any uncertainty and clarify the situation for schools, I have decided that we will remove the requirement on them to administer the Key Stage 1 grammar, punctuation and spelling test for this year only."

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Smiles said she was alerted to the fact some children had already seen the paper, when a boy in her class said he "knew the answers" and appeared to know what was coming next.

When she checked the Department of Education's (DoE) website she found the paper had published as a sample.

"It's actually been there since January 26," she told the BBC.

Gibb explained the steps that were taken when the DoE was "informed of the breach".

"I ordered the Standards and Testing Agency [STA] to undertake an investigation into how this breach occurred," he said.

"I have also commissioned a root and branch inquiry into the operations of the STA.

"In the meantime we have worked swiftly to find a solution to the administration of this year’s KS1 grammar, punctuation and spelling tests.

"Schools will still need to submit a teacher assessment judgement based on pupils’ work in the classroom as has always been the case.

"However there will be no requirement this year for them to administer the KS1 grammar, punctuation and spelling test or use the result as part of that assessment.

"Our immediate inquiry has shown none of the other KS1 test papers have been affected by this error.

"This is a clearly regrettable incident and I am sorry for any concern it has caused teachers, parents or pupils."

Jennifer Coupland, Chief Executive of the Standards and Testing Agency, said: "We were made aware on 20 April that sample guidance material published by the STA, to be used with the modified version of the Key Stage 1 spelling test, contained the live test words rather than the sample test words.

"As soon as we were made aware, we removed the document from the website.

"We believe this issue has arisen as a result of human error by a member of staff within the Agency and a failure to follow appropriate clearance processes.

"An immediate review is underway to establish the precise facts and we would like to apologise to schools and parents for any distress caused."

Pupils in this year group take six test papers for their SATs: two papers on English grammar, punctuation and spelling; two papers on English reading and two papers on mathematics.

SEE ALSO:
‘Let Kids Be Kids’ Petition: Parents Call For Year 2 SATs Tests To Be Scrapped
The Huff Post Parents Guide To Primary School SATs
Extra Time In Exams: Your Child May Be Eligible

Before You Go

Boredom Banishing Ideas For Creative Kids

Paper chains(01 of05)

Making paper chains is a great activity to do with young children. All you need is some brightly coloured A4 paper, a pair of scissors and some glue. Start by cutting the paper into strips (a width of about 2cm is perfect) and then create a loop with the paper, sticking it with glue on one side. Once it’s dry, feed the next strip through the loop and glue the end of that one too. Keep going until you have you desired length of chain. You could even think about drawing your own designs on the paper before you cut them up. (credit:D. Sharon Pruitt Pink Sherbet Photography via Getty Images)

Potato print making(02 of05)

Potato print making or relief printing, to give it its proper name is a brilliantly cheap and effective way of creating artwork. Grab a selection of potatoes (big or small and any type) and cut them in half. Then draw on your design to the flat surface of the potato and carefully cut round the shape. A good tip is to blot the potato with some kitchen roll, so it’s not too wet. Next, choose your colours (poster paints work well). Paint on a very thin layer and print onto the paper to make your own homemade birthday cards or wrapping paper. (credit:Michaela Gunter via Getty Images)

Decorated biscuits(03 of05)

Everyone loves a homemade biscuit, especially when it has your own design iced onto it. First up, there’s the baking (a light butter biscuit is ideal). They can be any shape you like round, heart or even star-shaped. Then it’s time for the icing, make up a thick, glossy paste with icing sugar and water and split the mixture evenly into different bowls, mixing a different gel food colour into each one. Scoop the icing into separate piping bags and you’re ready to go. Don’t forget to wear an apron. (credit:Donald Iain Smith via Getty Images)

Homemade glitter globes(04 of05)

Glitter globes are a lovely idea to try out with children. There’s a few things you’ll need before you begin, a couple of empty glass jars with lids (make sure you wash them out first), a tube of glitter, some strong glue, a jug of water and a figurine of your choice. Open up the jar and glue your figurine to the lid (make sure its stuck fast), then fill up the jar with water and shake in your glitter (you can add a few teaspoons of glycerine if you want the glitter to shake better, but that is optional), then just screw on the lid. To make a really personal gift you could laminate a photo of yourself or a loved one and pop that in the jar instead of a figurine. (credit:Flickr CC-BY Amy Gizienski)

Bunting(05 of05)

A variation on the paper chain idea is making bunting. Start by getting colourful or patterned paper and folding it in half, this way the design will be on both sides. Then cut out a cardboard triangle template so all of your bunting will be the same size. Carefully cut out all the triangles you need from the paper (they will look like a diamond shape if you open them out fully). Then lay out a length of string. Open up the triangle and hang it over the string and dot a little bit of glue at the point of the triangle, so it stays together. It’s a simple but effective decoration. (credit:journeyswithasimplegirl ~ Angela Hendrix Petry via Getty Images)

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