Teaching Assistant

Navigating the KS2 SPaG SATs: Strategies for Teaching Assistants

Do you want to improve your strategies for supporting pupils through the challenging KS2 SPaG SATs?

This essential professional development course for teaching assistants is your comprehensive guide to KS2 SPaG SATs success. Learn how to demystify the test format, structure and expectations, giving you the clarity and confidence to effectively support pupils. The course focuses on identifying common question types, boosting test literacy, the ability to interpret question wording, and employing powerful strategies to help pupils effectively manage anxiety and apply their SPaG knowledge under timed conditions.
Write your awesome label here.

Adam Barrett, Fiona Roberts & Carly Watkins

2 hours

Online Course

By completing this course, you will:

demystify the KS2 SPaG test format, structure and expectations so you can support pupils with clarity and confidence;
identify the most common question types, including tick‑box items, circling, underlining, matching and inserting punctuation, and understand what each one is assessing;
support pupils in developing ‘test literacy’: the ability to interpret question wording, avoid common ‘traps’, and apply knowledge under timed conditions;
help pupils manage test anxiety by making the format predictable, familiar and low‑stakes through rehearsal and modelling;
strengthen pupils’ ability to transfer knowledge from identification tasks (e.g. spotting an adverb) to meaningful use in their own writing.

Course Lessons

Written by: Adam Barrett 

Empty space, drag to resize
Adam Barrett is an experienced teacher, academic and SENDCo. He has previously specialised in behaviour management, leading and reforming approaches to behaviour management in primary schools with the aim of creating inclusive environments for all. As well as a PGCE, Adam has an undergraduate degree in history and an MA in English literature.

Presented by: Fiona Roberts

Empty space, drag to resize
Fiona Roberts is a video content creator for the Twinkl CPD team. She has over 10 years experience as a primary school teacher and private tutor. Before completing her PGDE, Fiona also achieved an MA(Hons) in Film and Television Studies. She has previously supported the development of her school’s English curriculum and is particularly passionate about this subject. Fiona has also thoroughly enjoyed acting as a mentor to trainee teachers and early career teachers during her time in the classroom.

In collaboration with: Carly Watkins

Empty space, drag to resize
Carly Watkins has over twenty years of experience as a primary school teacher, including several years as an assistant headteacher, with responsibility for whole school curriculum development and overseeing pupil progress and attainment. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Education Practice and an NPQ in Leading Teacher Development.

Carly has been a mentor for both student and Early Career Teachers and currently facilitates the Early Career Framework for ECTs and their mentors, delivering training at conferences and via online seminars. At Twinkl PD, Carly heads up pedagogical professional development, a role which means she can support educators to develop their personal practice and pedagogy, something she is passionate about, on a national scale.