Are SAT's results that important?

Nicki6567 · Post by **Nicki6567** » Wed May 13, 2009 9:50 am

I had a conversation with a mum from the other Y5 class yesterday, about how stressed our children were feeling SAT's and the pressures we put on them.

She told me that her daughter came home with a leaflet on 'hints and tips for SATs week' in her book bag. My son didn't get this, and when I asked a couple of friends who's children are in my son's class, neither did they. Surely this isn't a level playing field if one group of children/parents are getting advice and the others aren't.

yoyo123 · Post by **yoyo123** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:37 am

year 3,4 and 5 tests are optional i.e individual schools can decide whether or not they have the pupils take them. The tests are marked internally and usually used as a guide to the pupils progress and to familiarise the children with the format of the tests.

Maybe the teacher of the other class decided that the tips would be useful for her children and didn't discuss it with the parallel class? Or maybe they weren;t handed out on the same day for a varietyof reasons. You could ask your son's teacher about them and say that you would find the information useful.

mike1880 · Post by **mike1880** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:42 am

I wouldn't stress about it - if you were to look at it I think you'd find it's probably only motherhood and apple pie advice about early nights, decent breakfast and the like. (Failed on that one this morning - son appeared for breakfast at 8:15 and got a bowl of cereal and a glass of fruit juice. He's been slightly tense about the practice tests, but so far this week he's claiming the real thing has been "easy". Unfortunately we all know what happened last time he said that about an exam

- well, most of us excluding him because I've never told him the result...)

Mike

Chelmsford mum · Post by **Chelmsford mum** » Wed May 13, 2009 10:59 am

My daughter's school have done a lovely thing. They are providing a free breakfast club from 8 onwards for this week only.They have relaxing music on and a choice of food.They feel special and cared for and the school are ensuring they are in on time and fed.

Bexley Mum 2 · Post by **Bexley Mum 2** » Wed May 13, 2009 11:17 am

Chelmsford Mum - my sons' primary school does the same thing - provides breakfast and a mid-morning healthy snack during SATS week.

But do they do the same thing when the children sit the 11+? Er, no. 11+ results aren't published so don't reflect on the school in any way, so they don't need to bother

All Too Much · Post by **All Too Much** » Wed May 13, 2009 12:16 pm

My DS is not really enjoying this week so far - he found the second science paper a bit 'tricky' and, in literacy, writing tasks were never his forte. Mind you, he found the 11+ easy and that didn't turn out well initially.

So roll on Friday for his sake.

One shock from his school this week is one family who have gone abroad for a week's holiday so their child will totally miss the SATs. I wonder how they got authorisation - perhaps they did not and have had to pay the fine.

ATM

mike1880 · Post by **mike1880** » Wed May 13, 2009 1:18 pm

It's cheaper to pay the fine than pay peak prices...

Mike

Rugbymum · Post by **Rugbymum** » Wed May 13, 2009 3:57 pm

Free breakfast at my son's school too - on the first day though he ate 8 slices of toast and drank 5 cups of hot choc so spent the morning feeling queasy

They all are being treated really well - lots of extra playtime and chilling out times in between tests etc.

Tolstoy · Post by **Tolstoy** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:32 pm

DS1 is getting free breakfasts too, his brothers are not impressed when he comes home bragging about what he had, breakfast in this house is very boring.

What with that and the treats they had when practicing before hand DS2 can't wait till he sits them next year kind of killing the argument that they cause too much stress for children

.

Snowdrops · Post by **Snowdrops** » Wed May 13, 2009 4:48 pm

Yup, DD's school doing the breakfast thing too + lots of extra breaktime.

A big party on Friday afternoon to celebrate the end of it all and then a week away the first week of June to an outdoor centre!!