Case Studies 2025 Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 Technical Pre-Tests and Key Stage 2 Item Validation Trials for the Standards and Testing Agency (STA)

Schools UK Trialling

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AlphaPlus is delighted to announce that we are working with the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) to deliver the Technical Pre-Tests (TPT) for KS1 and KS2 as well as the Item Validation Trial (IVT) for KS2.

Timeline

January 2025 LAs and MATs to be contacted about school participation in the trial
January to February 2025 Teachers to be contacted about children’s participation in the trial
April to June 2025 Trialling period

FAQs

What are the purposes and aims of this trial?

AlphaPlus has been commissioned by the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) to trial test materials for assessment at KS1 and KS2.

As part of that process, we are asking a number of schools to trial new English reading, English grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS), and mathematics tests. The trial is aimed at testing the performance of individual questions rather than the performance of any pupil and means that schools can have confidence that the tests function appropriately for pupils and that the results will be valid and reliable.

How have schools been selected to take part?

The schools have been randomly selected by STA and make up a nationally representative sample. If your school has been selected, we will have written to your headteacher and if your school is LA maintained or is part of a multi-academy trust (MAT) with more than 5 schools, we will have informed your LA or MAT that your school has been selected.

It is important that all schools that have been selected participate in the trial so that the data from the trial includes pupils from all backgrounds across the whole of England. This means that you can have confidence that future national curriculum tests are valid, fair, accessible and reliable.

Is participation in these tests required?

Participation in all these trials is statutory across both key stages. For more information please go to:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-participation-in-trialling-of-national-curriculum-assessments

How will my school benefit from being selected for the trials?

Your involvement in this trial is an excellent opportunity for children to practise and for your feedback to be considered in the development of future assessments.

We are unable to give feedback to the schools who take part in the development of tests. As these trials test the suitability of the questions, in some cases this may mean that they are too difficult or too easy. The results the pupils achieve will not be indicative of their actual ability and may be misleading as standalone results.

Contact us

For any media enquiries, please email adam.hussain@alphaplus.co.uk.

If you are a school participating in the trial and have any questions, please contact us by calling or emailing the relevant trial:

KS1 TPT

Email: KS1TPT@alphaplus.co.uk

Phone: 0161 989 8047

KS2 TPT

Email: KS2TPT@alphaplus.co.uk

Phone: 0330 175 8700

KS2 IVT

Email: KS2IVT@alphaplus.co.uk

Phone: 0161 503 2924

Privacy notice

We take privacy and confidentiality very seriously and adhere strictly to the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). To ensure confidentiality, no information concerning individual pupils, parents/carers, teachers, or schools will be identified or identifiable in any reporting. This privacy notice explains what DfE, and its approved contractors, will do with the information we collect from children and teachers as part of the STA trial, and how we will ensure privacy of personal information. It includes:

  • Information to be collected for the trial
  • Organisations that information will be shared with
  • How we will use the personal data
  • What makes it lawful to collect and share the information
  • How participation affects you
  • Security and confidentiality
  • Contact details and further information

Collection of pupil data

This is a trial of new materials, the data from which will help to develop future National Curriculum tests (commonly known as ‘SATs’). To do this the collection of pupil data is essential, all of the following information will be generated via the National Pupil database and shared with teachers for them to check the classes, participation in the trial is statutory.

  • UPN (TPT only)
  • Name (forename and surname)
  • Date of Birth
  • Gender
  • School
  • Language group (minor) (TPT only)
  • SEN provision (TPT only)
  • Date of tests
  • Attendance information for each test paper


Parental consent

Under GDPR, parental consent is not required for statutory assessments such as this one, which are mandated by the Department for Education (DfE). The trial has been designed with GDPR compliance in mind, and the data collected will be anonymised. The only information collected will be related to the trial and will not be used for any other purposes. Schools are not required to seek additional consent from parents for students to participate in the trial.

Process for collection of data

  • AlphaPlus will send a list of agreed schools to STA who will generate the latest pupil data from the National Pupil DatabaseOnce the data is uploaded and added to the corresponding folder, AlphaPlus will generate a secure link to the specific folder within the secure area.

  • The secure link will be created using AlphaPlus’ encrypted SharePoint platform that ensures data is transmitted safely.

  • The secure link will be sent to each teacher individually via the client SharePoint area through a secure link in an email. The email will include instructions on accessing the data, and a reminder about the importance of maintaining confidentiality.

  • All teachers will receive the unique password sent separately, enabling them to securely access their individual folders and review the pupil data.

Organisations that information will be shared with

AlphaPlus will collect this data on behalf of DfE. The data will be maintained as strictly confidential by AlphaPlus and will be passed to STA, the Data Controller, for the purposes of informing the analysis of the test results and ensuring that the tests are operating appropriately for all pupils. No individual school or pupil will be identified by AlphaPlus or STA in any report arising from the trial.

How we will use the personal data

For the purposes of this trial, DfE and its contractors will link the information to other information DfE already holds (such as data from the National Pupil Database) or that it is lawfully permitted to access from other sources. This avoids repeatedly asking participants to provide information we already hold and enables analysis of the longer-term benefits of national assessments.

DfE will keep the personal information indefinitely with appropriate safeguards in place, for the purposes of research and statistical analysis (as permitted under Article 19 (1)(b) of the Data Protection Act 2018 and Article 9 (1)(j) GDPR). This helps further understanding of the educational system and ensures that national curriculum tests are valid and accessible.

What makes it lawful to collect and share the information?

Personal data will be collected by DfE’s appointed contractor (AlphaPlus) on DfE’s behalf for the purposes of research and statistical analysis that serves the public interest, pursuant to Regulation 3(6) of the Education (Individual Pupil Information) (Prescribed Persons) (England) Regulations 2009.

The legal basis for processing this data is Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation, which allows processing necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.

How participation affects you

No individual child or teacher will be identified or identifiable in any reporting. Participation (or non-participation) in this trial will have no influence on the child’s educational outcomes or experience. Parents/carers are free to change their mind at any time and withdraw their consent or withdraw their child/children from the trial.


Security and confidentiality

All personal data collected by DfE and its contractors will be handled securely and confidentially. It will only be used for the purposes of research and statistical analysis relating to the development and validity of national curriculum assessments.

Contact details for further information

For further information on how AlphaPlus will process your personal data for the purposes of the STA trial, please contact AlphaPlus’ data manager Gillian Parkinson on gillian.parkinson@alphaplus.co.uk

Under data protection legislation, you have the right to:

  • Object to processing of personal data that is likely to cause, or is causing, damage or distress
  • Prevent processing for the purpose of direct marketing
  • Object to decisions being taken by automated means
  • In certain circumstances, have inaccurate personal data rectified, blocked, erased, or destroyed
  • Claim compensation for damages caused by a breach of the data protection regulations