SATs, Stress, and the Cost to Childhood

Classrooms and SATs:

As the SATs period approaches, a familiar shift begins to take place in many primary schools. Classrooms that are usually vibrant, curious spaces can start to feel narrower in focus. Conversations change. Practice papers appear more frequently. For many children, so too does a quiet but very real sense of pressure.

How I have seen this affect children:

Over recent weeks, I have been reflecting on the growing levels of anxiety and dysregulation I am seeing in children around this time. While some level of challenge can be healthy, what we are witnessing in many cases goes beyond this. Children who are typically confident begin to doubt themselves. Others experience sleep disruption, emotional overwhelm, or heightened sensitivity. For some, the pressure manifests in behaviour that adults may find difficult to interpret—withdrawal, frustration, or sudden emotional outbursts.

What are the true costs imposed on our children?

It raises an important question: what are we asking of children, and at what cost?

SATs are intended as a way to measure attainment and provide data about how schools are performing. In theory, they offer a snapshot of academic progress in core areas such as reading, writing, and mathematics. This information can be useful at a systems level, helping to identify gaps and inform support or resource allocation.

However, in practice, SATs are also a measure of how effectively teaching has enabled children to access the curriculum. When a child does not meet the expected standard, it does not mean they are incapable. Often, it reflects a mismatch between how something has been taught and how that child is able to learn.

This is something I see consistently in my work. When the approach shifts—when learning is made more accessible, relational, and attuned to the child—those same children who once appeared to be “underperforming” are able to engage, make progress, and demonstrate what they know. Their capacity was never absent; it simply had not yet been reached through the methods being used.

This distinction matters, yet it is rarely felt by the child sitting the test.

Are SATs allowing us to support children?

For a child of ten or eleven, the stakes can feel disproportionately high. Despite reassurance from adults, many children internalise the message that these tests define their ability or worth. This is particularly true for those who already find aspects of learning more challenging. Instead of feeling supported, they may feel exposed.

There is also a developmental consideration that cannot be overlooked. Children at this age are still building their sense of self, their resilience, and their relationship with learning. When assessment becomes a dominant narrative, it can shift learning from something exploratory and engaging into something performative and high-risk. This can have lasting implications for how children view education moving forward.

From a therapeutic perspective, the increase in anxiety and dysregulation during SATs season is not surprising. When a child perceives pressure without a corresponding sense of control or safety, their nervous system responds accordingly. We may see fight, flight, or freeze responses—none of which are conducive to clear thinking or authentic demonstration of ability.

So where does this leave children's mental health?

It is important to acknowledge that assessment in itself is not inherently harmful. Understanding where children are in their learning can be valuable. The difficulty lies in how that assessment is framed, communicated, and experienced.

If the process results in a significant number of children feeling anxious, inadequate, or overwhelmed, then it is worth asking whether the balance is right.

As adults—educators, parents, and professionals—we have an opportunity to buffer some of this impact. This might involve:

• Actively de-emphasising the idea that SATs define a child’s worth or future

• Maintaining a broad and balanced curriculum where possible

• Prioritising emotional wellbeing alongside academic preparation

• Noticing and responding to signs of stress early, with curiosity rather than judgement

  
  

Knowledge is power

If you are concerned that SATs are having a severe adverse effect on your child’s wellbeing, parents do have the option to withdraw their child from sitting the tests. This is not a decision to take lightly, and it is usually best approached through conversation with your child’s school so that the wider implications are understood and the child remains supported.

At a wider level, there is also space for ongoing conversation about the role and timing of formal assessment in childhood. Are we gathering the right information, in the right way, at the right stage of development? And crucially, are we doing so in a way that supports rather than undermines children’s wellbeing?

These are not simple questions, and there are no easy answers. But they are important ones.

Ultimately, our responsibility is not only to measure learning, but to protect the conditions in which learning can thrive. If a process compromises a child’s sense of safety, confidence, or self-worth, then it is worth pausing to consider whether change is needed.

Children deserve to experience education as something that grows them—not something that diminishes them.

If you are supporting a child through SATs at the moment and are noticing signs of anxiety or dysregulation, you are not alone. Gentle reassurance, predictable routines, and a focus on effort over outcome can make a meaningful difference.