Primary assessments: investigating maladministration allegations
Procedures and guidance for local authorities about investigating claims of cheating, malpractice or maladministration in the national curriculum assessments.
- From:
- Standards and Testing Agency
- Published
- 27 March 2018
- Last updated
-
2524 March20242025 — See all updates
Documents
Details
This guidance is for local authorities and provides details about investigating maladministration in the national curriculum assessments, including the:
- reception baseline assessment
(RBA)(RBA)
KS1key stage 1 phonics screening check (PSC)- multiplication tables check
(MTC)(MTC)
KS2key stage 2 tests and teacher assessment
The investigation procedures outline how the Standards and Testing Agency (STA)(STA) investigates allegations of maladministration and covers:
- types of maladministration allegations
- roles and responsibilities
- investigation and decision making processes
- potential investigation outcomes and further actions
The investigation visits guidance explains how local authorities carry out school visits as part of STA’sSTA’s investigations into allegations of maladministration.
Updates to this page
Published 27 March 2018
Last updated 2524 March 2024
2025
+ show all updates
-
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-03-23 09:30
Updated for the academic year 2025 to 2026.
2025-03-24 09:30
Guidance updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025. Updates to the maladministration procedures include: additional examples of maladministration, details added to roles and responsibilities, changes to what information will be reviewed regarding the reception baseline assessment and in decision meetings, and changes to the treatment of single test annulments in key stage 2. Updates to the maladministration visits guidance include: clarification on keeping photographs from visits confidential.
2024-03-25 09:30
Updated guidance for 2024.
2023-04-17 08:27
Updated for the 2023 test cycle
2022-03-21 14:40
Updated guidance for the current academic year. (The investigation visits guidance, remains unchanged and was last update May 2019)
Details
This guidance is for local authorities and provides details about investigating maladministration in the national curriculum assessments, including the:
- reception baseline assessment
(RBA)(RBA)
KS1key stage 1 phonics screening check (PSC)- multiplication tables check
(MTC)(MTC)
KS2key stage 2 tests and teacher assessment
The investigation procedures outline how the Standards and Testing Agency (STA)(STA) investigates allegations of maladministration and covers:
- types of maladministration allegations
- roles and responsibilities
- investigation and decision making processes
- potential investigation outcomes and further actions
The investigation visits guidance explains how local authorities carry out school visits as part of STA’sSTA’s investigations into allegations of maladministration.
Updates to this page
Published 27 March 2018
Last updated 2524 March 2024
2025
+ show all updates
-
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-03-23 09:30
Updated for the academic year 2025 to 2026.
2025-03-24 09:30
Guidance updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025. Updates to the maladministration procedures include: additional examples of maladministration, details added to roles and responsibilities, changes to what information will be reviewed regarding the reception baseline assessment and in decision meetings, and changes to the treatment of single test annulments in key stage 2. Updates to the maladministration visits guidance include: clarification on keeping photographs from visits confidential.
2024-03-25 09:30
Updated guidance for 2024.
2023-04-17 08:27
Updated for the 2023 test cycle
2022-03-21 14:40
Updated guidance for the current academic year. (The investigation visits guidance, remains unchanged and was last update May 2019)
Details
This guidance is for local authorities and provides details about investigating maladministration in the national curriculum assessments, including the:
- reception baseline assessment
(RBA)(RBA) KS1key stage 1 phonics screening check(PSC)- multiplication tables check
(MTC)(MTC) KS2key stage 2 tests and teacher assessment
The investigation procedures outline how the Standards and Testing Agency (STA)(STA) investigates allegations of maladministration and covers:
- types of maladministration allegations
- roles and responsibilities
- investigation and decision making processes
- potential investigation outcomes and further actions
The investigation visits guidance explains how local authorities carry out school visits as part of STA’sSTA’s investigations into allegations of maladministration.
Updates to this page
Published 27 March 2018Last updated
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2026-03-23 09:30
Updated for the academic year 2025 to 2026.
2025-03-24 09:30
Guidance updated for the academic year 2024 to 2025. Updates to the maladministration procedures include: additional examples of maladministration, details added to roles and responsibilities, changes to what information will be reviewed regarding the reception baseline assessment and in decision meetings, and changes to the treatment of single test annulments in key stage 2. Updates to the maladministration visits guidance include: clarification on keeping photographs from visits confidential.
2024-03-25 09:30
Updated guidance for 2024.
2023-04-17 08:27
Updated for the 2023 test cycle
2022-03-21 14:40
Updated guidance for the current academic year. (The investigation visits guidance, remains unchanged and was last update May 2019)