National Reading and Numeracy Tests and entitlement to free school meals: 2019

Main points

• Overall, the performance of pupils eligible for free school meals (eFSM) is lower than their non eligible counterparts (nFSM) in each of the national tests.
• eFSM pupils are between two and a half and four times less likely to achieve an age-standardised score above 115 in each of the national tests.
• eFSM pupils are between two and two and a half times more likely to achieve an age-standardised score below 85 in each of the national tests.

Further information

This complements other similar outputs looking at teacher assessments results, KS4 results and attendance by entitlement for free school meals.

The main results from the 2019 paper-based national reading and numeracy tests were published in August 2019. The notes in that report contain important background and quality information for the tests and should be read in conjunction with the data in this report.

Transition to online assessment for reading and numeracy

Online personalised assessments are replacing the current paper-based national tests for all learners in Years 2 to 9 over a three-year period. In 2019, pupils took a new online personalised assessment for Procedural Numeracy instead of a paper-based test. This report presents results for the paper-based tests only.

Due to the transition to online assessment, the statistical reports for 2019 tests will be the last to be produced (see 'future plans' within the August 2019 national reading and numeracy tests statistical report).

Comparability

Age-standardised scores provide a measure of relative performance only. A score above 115 indicates test results that are higher than those for most children of the same age. A score between 85 and 115 indicates test results that are in line with most children of the same age. A score below 85 indicates test results that are lower than those for most children of the same age.

The results for each year group and test are independently standardised every year. Therefore the data in this report cannot be used to compare the relative performance of pupils between the different tests.

Please note that because data are independently standardised each year, the results cannot be compared over time.