Key stage 1 non‑statutory assessment
Assessment at the end of key stage 1 (KS1) is no longer statutory, and schools have the flexibility to assess pupils’ learning in ways they feel are most appropriate.
However, the Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report (November 2025) on GOV.UK recommends that all schools use the non‑statutory Key Stage 1 tests to provide greater insights for Key Stage 2 teachers.
Further information about the tests and ordering test papers can be found in the optional key stage 1 tests guidance on GOV.UK.
Where these tests are used, Luton’s School Improvement Service recommends that they are considered as one element within a wider, holistic evidence base. Assessment should be grounded in clear principles that support accurate judgments, effective transition, and high‑quality teaching.
Principles of assessment
Assessment at key stage 1 should:
- support learning, not drive it – assessments should inform teaching and next steps, rather than narrowing the curriculum
- be valid, reliable, and proportionate – schools should use assessment approaches that are manageable and meaningful, ensuring that evidence genuinely reflects what children know and can do
- draw on a broad evidence base – teacher assessment should be informed by a range of evidence, including day‑to‑day classroom practice, observations, discussions with pupils, listening to children read, and their responses to texts and learning tasks
- value professional judgment – teachers’ knowledge of pupils’ learning over time remains central to assessment decisions and should not be reduced to test outcomes alone
- support smooth transition to key stage 2 – assessments should provide helpful, shared information that supports continuity and progression in learning, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics
Non‑statutory KS1 writing assessment
Assessment of writing at Key Stage 1 is non‑statutory. Writing judgments should be informed by pupils’ independent work overtime and aligned with the principles set out above.
Further information can be found in the optional key stage 1 teacher assessment guidance on GOV.UK.
Phonics screening check
The phonics screening check at Key Stage 1 remains statutory. For further information, refer to the separate phonics screening check guidance on GOV.UK.