Primary – DAISI EDUCATION

Your SATs Story Starts Much Earlier

13th October 202615th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

When SATs results arrive each summer, it's natural to focus on Year 6. After all, they're the pupils who sat the tests, the teachers who carried the immediate responsibility, and the results that will shape improvement discussions in the months ahead. SATs can feel like the final destination. The end point of primary education. The moment when years of learning are distilled into a set of results. But every destination is shaped by the journey that came before it. And if SATs are the destination, perhaps school improvement begins by understanding the journey.. The Danger of Only Looking at the Ending Imagine picking up a book, reading only the final chapter and believing you understand the whole story. You might know how it ends, but you wouldn't understand the twists, challenges and turning points that shaped the plot. SATs results are much the same. They tell us where pupils finished their journey, but not what happened along the way. The most important lessons are often found in the chapters that...

From Assessment to Action

28th September 202614th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

Every school does assessments. Baseline assessments at the start of the year. Mock tests before SATs. Progress checks throughout the term. Pupils sit the tests. Teachers mark them. Leaders review the percentages. Then comes the important question: What happens next? For many schools, assessment data stops at a score. A pupil achieved 72%. A class average was 68%. A cohort performed broadly in line with expectations. But percentages alone cannot improve outcomes. They cannot reveal misconceptions. They cannot explain why pupils struggled. They cannot identify the curriculum content that needs revisiting. And they certainly cannot provide the evidence needed to justify future actions to governors, trust leaders, school improvement partners, or Ofsted. The most effective schools understand that the real value of assessment lies not in measuring performance, but in understanding it. At DAISI Education, we believe the Assessment is only the Beginning. Many assessments provide a score, a percentage, or an attainment judgement. While that tells you how pupils performed, it rarely explains why they performed that way...

From Numbers to Narrative…

22nd September 202613th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

The words "Ofsted inspection" can still make even the most experienced school leaders feel a little nervous. Not because they're unprepared, but because inspection is about far more than presenting a set of results. It's about demonstrating that you truly understand your pupils, your curriculum and the impact your school is having every day. The schools that navigate inspection most confidently are rarely those with the thickest folders or the slickest presentations. They're the schools that know their children, understand their data and can clearly explain the story behind both. Moving from Numbers to Narrative... Beyond the Headline Results When KS2 SATs results arrive, most schools naturally focus on the headline figures. Expected Standard Greater Depth Progress Measures School Comparisons These measures matter. But they're only the starting point. The real opportunity lies in understanding why pupils performed the way they did and what those results tell us about curriculum effectiveness, teaching, learning and future priorities. And that's where DAISI Education's Question Level Analysis (QLA) can really help... Looking back...

The Best Schools Don’t Just Collect Data. They Use It.

15th September 202613th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

Schools today have access to more data than ever before. Assessment scores, attendance figures, behaviour records, pupil progress measures, intervention tracking, benchmarking reports, and survey responses can provide a wealth of information. Yet having data is not the same as using it effectively. The most successful schools understand a fundamental truth: The best schools don't just collect data. They use it. The biggest difference between good and great schools is often not the quantity of data they hold, but how they turn that information into meaningful action. Moving Beyond Data Collection Collecting data has become routine in education. Every assessment, test, and observation generates another set of numbers that can be stored, analysed, and reported. However, data in isolation tells us very little. A pupil scoring 65% on a test provides a headline figure, but it doesn't explain what they understand, where misconceptions exist, or what support they need next. Looking only at overall scores can leave crucial insights hidden beneath the surface. This is where effective schools take...

“The 1% Principle” (or How to Change your School)

22nd April 202513th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

In a world that often celebrates giant leaps and massive achievements, "The 1% principle" brings a refreshing and empowering perspective to education. This concept challenges everyone to rethink their approach to growth and success - focussing instead on the small gains that make up our everyday life in a school. At its core, it is about the cumulative effect of incremental improvements - a journey of a thousand miles, but by one step at a time. Used to great success by Sir Dave Brailsford and others, it takes the idea that lots of small improvements collectively make a huge difference as this quote from Shirley Mansfield – founder of CoachSME - explains.. “From cycling to education; car making to holidays, people are finding that 1% certainly makes a big difference. But why? It simply means focusing on small changes to everything in the business; 1% at a time. Concentrate on making many 1% improvements and you’ll find the compound effect is huge.” Susan Mansfield – Ultimate Guide to Marginal...

Are you making the most of your KS2 SATs Results?

20th March 202413th October 2026 By mattwo Comment Closed

SATs outcomes are a measure, not a verdict. They don’t see your school, your community. The published figures are data points in time that prompt questions to drive your school forward? Are your results in line with internal tracking? Did the cohort include a significant number of SEND or EAL pupils? How did other cohorts perform? Were different topics taught differently? But you need to look deeper to find the real truths hidden inside. As one headteacher said.. “Do an in-depth analysis - cohort context, subject breakdowns, question-level analysis, and internal tracking vs outcomes… and you’ll find some good news in there. ” Confidence and Evidence for Ofsted When KS2 SATs results arrive, most schools naturally focus on the headline figures: Expected Standard, Greater Depth, Progress Measures, School Comparisons etc. These measures matter. But they’re only the starting point. The real opportunity lies in understanding why pupils performed the way they did and what those results tell us about curriculum effectiveness, teaching, learning and future priorities. Inspectors aren’t looking for rehearsed answers or...