SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Key Stages 1-2 and SATs advice

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worri3d_mum
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:10 pm

SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by worri3d_mum »

My DS told me today that he's upset about missing his IT and music classes for SATS boosters, his school apparently want him to take "advanced SATS" or something.

The thing is, he passed his 11+ in catchment and we have been told he will definitely be given a place at one of the 2 grammar that he has applied for (due to low I/c pass rate).

So if he has a place at GS, what would the benefit of advanced SATS be? As far as I can tell, they're used for streaming in secondary schools (which the GS's don't do) and for primary school league tables.

He worked really hard for his 11+ and gave up an awful lot for study time, I don't think it's fair to ask him to give up 2 subjects he really enjoys just so the primary school gets a better league table ranking!!

What are people's thoughts on this?
yoyo123
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Location: East Kent

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by yoyo123 »

I would go in and have a friendly talk with his teacher
moved
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Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by moved »

His KS2 results are what his secondary school will use to set his targets for progress. The school is judged on how its pupils achieve at GCSE with respect to their level at 11.

I don't think that the school should be pushing him beyond what he wants to do though. His achievement is supposed to represent where he has got to academically at the end of yr 6. Not what he can be pushed to achieve.
Daogroupie
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Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by Daogroupie »

Sats booster classes has always been the name given to the classes held for student who are underperforming and in danger of not getting a Level 5 in all the primaries I have been involved with. If they are in fact prep classes for Level 6 papers in English and Maths then I am surprised that the school has not consulted you about them. I suggest you ask the teacher exactly what it is that he is doing that is causing him to miss IT and Music lessons. DG
worri3d_mum
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:10 pm

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by worri3d_mum »

Thanks for the replies.

Moved, I'm pretty sure that Southend and Westcliff boys don't have "streams", and my partner remembers asking about this at the school visits, and was told they expect all their pupils to be high acheivers, so don't "stream" them. I'm going to ring the schools this morning to ask tho.

Daogroupie, if he was a low acheiver I could understand that, but as he was one of only 4 children in his school that passed their 11+, he quite obviously isn't. The school hasn't said anything to me about SATS, be they the level 3-5 or 6.

I have a parent consultation meeting next Wednesday so I'm going to bring it up then.
ginx
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by ginx »

My dd is in the top set for maths, but after four tests, she has missed a level 6 by one mark - and more humiliating for her, she came bottom (she's not used to that).

Obviously, this wasn't the "real" exam, but if she doesn't get a level 6, will her gs (assuming she gets a place) put her in a lower set, or something? She has suddenly decided she prefers maths to literacy - one mark is not a lot - but she is worried.

Do gs's take much notice of SATS results? Presumably she will achieve a level 5.
Pumpkin Pie
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Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:27 pm

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by Pumpkin Pie »

I know that not all schools actually do level 6 so I can't see the GS paying much attention to them if not all children have sat them. I really don't agree with the level 6 being 'optional' to take. Everyone should take them or no one. At my DD's school the teachers choose who is going to sit them and they haven't said yet who is...... It seems to be creating an 'elite' group in the children's minds as to who will and who will not be chosen!
Belinda
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Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2007 10:57 pm

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by Belinda »

In the big scheme of things, whether or not your DC sits, or doesn't sit, a SATS extention paper in Y6 is not going to affect what grade he gets in his maths / English GCSE or how he progresses with maths / English at secondary school. It doesn't really matter, from that point of view, so don't make too big a deal over it all with the teacher when you see him / her. Why not come to a compromise and take one paper / worksheet to do at home over the week and let DS do music / IT. A paper / worksheet spread over a week at home won't be too difficult. Your DS gets to do his music / IT and his teacher is happy the work is covered. It's not worth falling out with the school. Try and compromise somehow.

With regards to initial 'setting', and later effects of being in a lower initial set at secondary, again, more than enough learning and 'assessment' goes on throughout secondary school to negate being in a lower set initially - if this were to be the case (and even if they set at all) :? All schools do things slightly differently but remember, the students all work (at grammar) towards the same GCSE's. Top set don't do different ones! Too much happens in secondary school and I'm pretty sure my kids' teachers didn't have a clue what any of them got in their Y6 Sats by the time they were in Y11 doing GCSE's.

All that said, a friend's DD got all L5's in her Sats in Y6, no extention papers in those days but found herself in a lower science set in Y9, a double science set, and not the triple science set. Now in Y11 and looking at sixth form options she would like to do A level Biology, however, she has been told she must get A* in her double science and those doing triple science only need to get an A. She's leaving and going to another school where an A will suffice. Is any of this fair? Probably not... but there may be more to it than what appears at first glance!

The point is... Encourage your child to work hard when he gets to secondary school but don't worry what set he is in when he arrives there based on his Y6 SATS exams!
Best wishes.
Guest55
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Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by Guest55 »

Just think how demoralising it is for a bright child to end their Primary school life feeling a failure because they did not get the 'artificial' level 6.

It is cruel imho.
moved
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Joined: Fri Oct 12, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Chelmsford and pleased

Re: SATS and grammar school - worth it?

Post by moved »

worri3d_mum wrote:Thanks for the replies.

Moved, I'm pretty sure that Southend and Westcliff boys don't have "streams", and my partner remembers asking about this at the school visits, and was told they expect all their pupils to be high acheivers, so don't "stream" them. I'm going to ring the schools this morning to ask tho.

Daogroupie, if he was a low acheiver I could understand that, but as he was one of only 4 children in his school that passed their 11+, he quite obviously isn't. The school hasn't said anything to me about SATS, be they the level 3-5 or 6.

I have a parent consultation meeting next Wednesday so I'm going to bring it up then.

It is a while since I was over that way, but they certainly used to set in year 7 and used the key stage tests as part of that process. But the last time I have any knowledge of this was for the current yr 10, so very out of date.
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