Mock/familiarisation test on the day before actual exam?

[UncleBob]

Has anyone spoken to the LA about this? This is 'additional preparation' for the test imho.

If the purpose is to practise the routine then surely the children have done a test before?

deleted by Mod. So it's ok for all the out of area people who don't even pay Kent council tax to all get an idea of the paper after our kids but if a few schools run over the familisation paper and some others all **** breaks out!

Trust me the private schools have been pre testing THIER year 6s already.

Maybe speak to your kids schools and see what they are doing.

[mystery]

I wouldn't complain because I don't think that doing this kind of thing the day before would help. Fir a child who has done no prep whatsoever (which is what kent appears to want) receiving a full gl familiarisation paper the day before could get you more nervous.

As the question papers are shorter I would imagine that gl assessment is using fewer question types in vr and nvr and that they will be avoiding the types that benefit most from practice and technique perfection. I would imagine also that in the maths and English that they are avoiding material where parents could say that school did not teach it or taught it badly.

With the exception of sevenoaks, primary education across kent is not impressive. Medway is worse though.

[frangipani]

I'm so glad my son's school are not doing this!
I think that having a mock the day before the test will increase anxiety and may cause a restless night! I feel sorry for the children affected.

[Essex2Kent]

I'm so glad my son's school are not doing this!
I think that having a mock the day before the test will increase anxiety and may cause a restless night! I feel sorry for the children affected.

Surely that depends on the child?

I think knowing where they are sitting and knowing how it will all work will actually ease the anxiety

[frangipani]

I think knowing where they are sitting and knowing how it will all work will actually ease the anxiety

Yes i agree with that, but doing it the day before (in my opinion) is a badly conceived idea and could create unnecessary anxiety.
It may give them an advantage but it also might disadvantage them. Personally, I would not want to gamble at this late stage.
Just my opinion.

[mystery]

Me neither. Yes, sure sit them in the room they will use with the clock and the same seats and tables etc and the extraneous noises - but don't give them something taxing to do which you are calling a "mock" the day before ......... unless it's the real thing or closely based on the real thing, of course, and you are going to go through the answers several times afterwards!

If our school does this tomorrow without my knowledge I will be furious. So far it's me that's taken all the responsibility for preparation, they have been useless on maths and English and informing parents of changes to the Kent system, and if they mess it up the day before with some pathetic attempt at a mock I will not be happy. We are not far from Sevenoaks, UncleBob. Can you name the schools?

[UncleBob]

All

I cannot mention schools but one private but as far as I'm told it's getting them in a hall/room showing them seats and running over the Kent familisation booklet that is available to everyone.

Thats a very good thing. Kids are anxious enough and I suspect a few parents are too and perhaps maybe are a little pushy who knows, each to their own, but taking away one stress of where will we sit us no bad thing.

[mystery]

Absolutely --- gives the teachers a chance to see that their arrangements will work too. We'll probably have wobbly tables with legs missing on the day.

[frangipani]

Well that is a very different thing altogether, not really a mock test is it, that seems perfectly acceptable.

[Essex2Kent]

Well that is a very different thing altogether, not really a mock test is it, that seems perfectly acceptable.

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