The statutory tests in English, maths and spelling and grammar could soon be a relict from the past. The department of Education is rethinking how to assess the progress that children make during their time at Primary school. Currently sats are used to asses the children’s abilities at the time when they first enter primary school and their abilities are then compared to another test taken when they leave. However, teachers argue that taking the test is often experienced to be very stressful for students. Moreover, since this is often the first test that students take in their whole life it is important that they have a calm and positive experience rather than perceiving a stressful situation. Hence, teachers urge for a different assessment method where students are assessed indirectly and where they do not realize that they are being tested. These suggestions are currently under consideration.
source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-39436927