Will be glad when SATS are over!

[Dibsie]

Our school seem to have gone all out in their SATS preparation. Last year workbooks were given out and children were allowed to work through them at their own pace. This time year 6 have weekly SATS homework, morning & after school challenge/support sessions, challenge sessions during the school day instead of other lessons and practice SATS exams which were to be done at home during the Easter holiday. I'm all 'SAT'd' out never mind my poor son!

[Guest55]

And people wonder why their levels have dropped when they get to Secondary in September ...

[wonderwoman]

That sounds sad Dibsie, but makes me suspicious of what happened last year. Was there a dip in results, if so a school can't afford for that to look like a trend.

And people wonder why their levels have dropped when they get to Secondary in September ...

Having moved from teaching primary to secondary, I think there are a variety of issues that combine to cause the drop in achievement. The SAT results are often an elevated score because of good and extensive exam preparation as above (just like secondaries do for GCSEs ); many primary Y6 pupils really do very little after SATs and progress slows, (but some continue to push ahead); some secondaries do not believe the results and insist on starting at a prescribed level (particularly MFL, my own children were a good level in French due to excellent teaching at primary, but had to start at counting and colours again ); the primary curriculum and resulting level 5s and 6s are not equivalent to level 5 and 6 at secondary, because it only tests a tiny part of the curriculum and finally (and hopefully G55 and other secondary teachers will tell me I'm wrong and unlucky) writing and reading dip because, in my experience, secondary teachers do not teach literacy skills through their subjects and it drives me nuts!

[Guest55]

secondary teachers do not teach literacy skills through their subjects and it drives me nuts!

I make them write proper English in my lessons - there are marks for communication in maths GCSE so you can't neglect that.

[wonderwoman]

I make them write proper English in my lessons - there are marks for communication in maths GCSE so you can't neglect that.

That is good to hear G55 but too many do not - part of my job is to address the issue.

[moved]

So will I as a primary head. At least mine get to have fun in the afternoons!

[quasimodo]

I don't know what the fuss about SATS is all about.I told my youngest dd the results in the 11+ were important and after she had taken the exams she could relax.Which is what we did after September last year and the next time we will push is when the GCSE preparation begins.We will do the work her existing school wants and they have set a lot for the holidays but frankly it doesn't concern me.I am not bothered how she performs as long as she is enjoying her final year in primary.
The reality is at her new school there will be a period of consolidation to ensure all the children are working at similar levels as they will have come from so many different backgrounds.

We have focused on only a couple of issues.My dds writing is awful and we have tried to make it more legible and to improve her typing speeds with not much success on the latter.Am I missing something?

[Guest55]

Well quasimodo - if a child arrives with level 4s then their GCSE target will be the equivalent of a grade C ... and value-added a B.

So if those targets are fine by you then don't worry ...

[quasimodo]

Well quasimodo - if a child arrives with level 4s then their GCSE target will be the equivalent of a grade C ... and value-added a B.

So if those targets are fine by you then don't worry ...

Do you recall the TV series "7 Up".I think my dds socio economic background will determine more accurately her performance in exams in the future than her SATS.I still recall the phrase "show me the boy I will show you the man".

[Bookmark]

Well quasimodo - if a child arrives with level 4s then their GCSE target will be the equivalent of a grade C ... and value-added a B.

So if those targets are fine by you then don't worry ...

Sorry I just do not get why a target set from y6 results is so important for GCSE results? My experience with DD now in y11 has been so different. Was I just very lucky with her school that set targets in relation to the results she is actually getting in secondary school?
If I had known about these targets linked to SATs I would have been so worried, she arrived (from abroad) in y7 with probably a level 3 in English and maybe 4 in maths. Her GCSE targets are all A and A*.
I would have thought that any child who work hard would improve their grades and targets. Please don't tell me some schools limit the children's progression, that would be very sad.
I have not bothered about SATs for DS now in Y6, I know he will take level 6 maths but his primary is not even entering kids for level 6 English.