UK Schools & Education News: July 2026

Delayed key stage 2 SATs results finally published

The 2026 key stage 2 test results were released to schools on the National Curriculum Assessments portal on the morning of Thursday 16 July, after a delay from the original date of 7 July caused by technical problems with the marking contractor. National headline figures show 63 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, up one percentage point on 2025. In grammar, punctuation and spelling 74 per cent reached the expected standard, up from 73 per cent, while science held steady at 82 per cent.

The Department for Education published the results and the scaled score conversion tables together, so schools could work out how raw marks translate into the scores that sit behind these percentages. Full national figures are set out in the key stage 2 attainment 2026 headlines on GOV.UK and covered in detail by Tes.

Ofsted chair to lead review into the marking failings

Alongside the results, the government confirmed an independent review into the delay, to be led by Ofsted chair Dame Christine Gilbert. The review will establish how the failings happened and will examine the roles played by Pearson, which runs the tests on a contract worth around £130 million, the Standards and Testing Agency, the DfE and, where relevant, Ofqual. This is the first year Pearson has managed the tests since winning the contract in 2024.

Markers reported weeks of problems with the online marking platform before results were held back. The review's scope and background are reported by Schools Week.

OCR defends refusal to re-mark disputed GCSE maths paper

Exam board OCR is standing by its decision not to re-mark a 2025 GCSE maths paper, after Ofqual upheld a complaint about the mark scheme for one question. OCR's managing director said the board accepted that the earlier mark scheme was incorrect, but argued the disputed answer was mathematically wrong and that it cannot award marks for incorrect answers without undermining the integrity of the qualification.

Campaigners argued that around 1,000 candidates finished one mark below a grade boundary, raising the prospect of unnecessary resits, though OCR disputes that the issue had any meaningful effect on results. The board's position is set out by Tes.

What it means for parents and schools

For Year 6 families the headline is stability: attainment nudged up slightly rather than shifting sharply, so this year's results sit broadly in line with last year. The bigger questions are about the systems behind the tests. Both the SATs review and the GCSE maths dispute turn on trust in marking and data, and the outcomes will shape how much weight schools and parents place on this summer's numbers. Our guides to how Ofsted ratings work and what Progress 8 measures explain the frameworks behind these headlines.