After an unexpected delay, schools across England are finally receiving this year’s Key Stage 2 SATs results.
For Year 6 pupils, it’s the culmination of months of hard work and preparation. For teachers and support staff, it’s the result of countless hours spent planning lessons, building confidence and helping every child achieve their potential.
At Progress Teachers, we’d like to congratulate every pupil receiving their results this week, and every member of staff who has supported them along the way.
SATs matter
There’s no denying the importance of SATs.
They provide an academic benchmark, help schools understand pupils’ progress and support a smooth transition into secondary education. They’re a significant milestone for Year 6 pupils and something schools rightly take pride in.
This year’s delay has only highlighted how much anticipation surrounds results week.
But working with primary schools every day reminds us that these results are just one part of a much bigger story.
Primary school shapes more than academic achievement
Primary school is where children learn to read, write and count. It’s where phonics become fluent reading, handwriting becomes stories, and play-based learning becomes multiplication and division.
Those foundations are incredibly important.
But primary school is about so much more than academic progress.
It’s where children make their first friendships, discover how to work as part of a team, where they perform in their first school play, go on their first residential trip, overcome challenges, develop resilience, try new foods and begin to understand who they are.
For many children, it’s where they receive support from teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs and pastoral teams to help them thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
Those moments don’t appear in SATs results, but they matter just as much.
Behind every result is a school community
As a workforce partner to primary schools, we see first-hand the challenges schools navigate every day.
Balancing staffing pressures, managing budgets, supporting increasingly complex SEND provision and ensuring every child feels safe, included and supported.
Despite those challenges, schools continue to create environments where children can flourish.
Every SATs result represents far more than a test paper. It reflects the dedication of teachers, teaching assistants, school leaders, office staff, lunchtime supervisors and countless others who have supported those children throughout the year.
A full circle moment
Helen, our Primary School Lead, understands just how special this time of year is for schools.
“SATs Results Week is always a proud moment. Schools want their pupils to achieve academically because they know how much effort has gone into getting here. But alongside the results are all the achievements that can’t be measured on a test paper: the confidence that’s been built, the resilience that’s grown, the friendships formed and the support given every single day.
For Year 6 teachers especially, it’s a full-circle moment. They’ve watched these children grow into the young people they’re becoming, and that’s something every school should be incredibly proud of.”
Congratulations to every school
As another academic year draws to a close, we’d like to say thank you.
Thank you to every member of staff who has encouraged a child, celebrated their successes and supported them through the challenges.
This week, schools will celebrate SATs results, but we also hope they take a moment to celebrate everything else they’ve achieved this year.
🔗 If you’re looking for your next opportunity in education, or your school is looking to strengthen its team for the new academic year, we’d love to hear from you
🔗 And if you’re considering a teaching position, you may also find the resources from Get Into Teaching helpful; they offer fantastic guidance on how to start a career in teaching.