Statutory guidance: Key stage 2: assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA)

Statutory guidance for assessing and reporting the national curriculum at key stage 2 (KS2).

We will update this guidance in October 2026 for the academic year 2026 to 2027.

Following the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report and the associated government response in November 2025, future assessment arrangements are under review in line with the relevant recommendations. Assessment arrangements for the academic year 2026 to 2027 will remain unchanged.

This guidance is for schools, local authorities and governing bodies responsible for end of KS2 assessment, including KS2 tests.

The arrangements apply to maintained schools, maintained special schools, academies, free schools, Ministry of Defence (MoD) schools and participating independent schools with pupils in KS2.

Changed the deadline for schools to apply for a review of pupils’ KS2 test results to Monday 7 September.

On Thursday 2 July, the Department for Education sent a letter to schools confirming a change to the timetable for the release of 2026 key stage 2 test results. Schools were due to receive their results on Tuesday 7 July. However, results will now be available on Thursday 16 July. As a result, the deadline for schools to apply for reviews of marking or clerical errors will move back to Friday 24 July. We have now updated this guidance to reflect these changes. For more information, please refer to the Department for Education's letter: https://news.service.education.gov.uk/ph75/send/uq-5k4

On Thursday 2 July, the Department for Education sent a letter to schools to confirm a change to the timetable for the release of 2026 key stage 2 test results – we will update this guidance in due course to reflect these changes: https://news.service.education.gov.uk/ph75/send/uq-5k4