Level the Field: SATs, SEN, and the Cost of Ignoring Access Needs
As we all know, every May, children across the UK sit their Year 6 SATs, the final assessments of primary school. For many, these tests are stressful but manageable. For others, especially children with special educational needs (SEN), the experience can be distressing, disempowering, and profoundly unfair.
Let’s be clear: when access arrangements are recommended but not honoured, we’re not just bending a rule, we’re breaking trust. And the child? They carry the cost.
A Matter of Equity, Not Favouritism
If you follow me and my blog, I know I don’t need to remind you that SEN access arrangements are not about giving some children an advantage, they’re about creating a level playing field. They exist because we recognise that fairness is not sameness. They are there to honour how a child learns best.
Whether it’s extra time, a reader, a rest break, or a scribe, these are not ‘special treatments’. They are tools that enable a child to show what they actually know without the barrier of an unmet need standing in the way.
So, when those tools are removed or denied during SATs, we send a harmful message: “Your needs matter, until they’re inconvenient.”
The Quiet Harm of Ignored Adjustments
It happens more often than we’d like to admit. In fact, I was told about exactly this today. A child with diagnosed needs, supported throughout their schooling with tailored strategies reaches SATs week. But for reasons of policy, pressure, or misunderstanding, the access arrangements they rely on are suddenly deemed “unnecessary”. And so, they sit a test that does not reflect their ability, only their struggle.
They may leave the room feeling like they failed or believe they weren’t “good enough.” They may start to internalise a message that they are less than. This is more than an educational misstep. It’s an emotional injury. It is not enough to say, “It doesn’t matter, they wouldn’t have reached the expected standard anyway.” Because actually, it does matter.
- It matters that they did the work.
- It matters that they showed up, day after day, trying.
- It matters that, with the right support, they were making progress, their progress.
Denying access arrangements doesn’t just skew results. It erases the child’s growth, their effort, and their right to be seen in their fullness. This isn’t about scores. It’s about self-esteem, identity, and belonging. When a child is denied the support, they’re used to, the message lands in their body: “You’re on your own.”
SEN access arrangements are a right, not a reward.
Their purpose is to reduce barriers, not to give shortcuts. If a child thrives with a reader, they should have one. If they need rest breaks to regulate, those breaks must be protected. Otherwise, we are not assessing learning. We are assessing endurance and setting them up to fail.
If you have found that this has happened this week, whether your child had access arrangements or not, make space to reflect with them:
- “What are you proud of from this year?”
- “What felt hard, and what helped you through it?”
- “What do you want the adults in your life to know about how you learn best?”
These conversations heal what standardised testing can’t see. They reaffirm the child’s voice and worth.
SATs will come and go. But the memory of being seen or being side-lined stays with a child.
Let’s continue to advocate for these children, for their dignity, not just their data. No score is worth damaging a child’s belief in themselves.
