Sats week!

[Pumpkin Pie]

with DS2 we had a letter home about revision/practice (it went in the bin ).

Sorry, but that's something I don't quite understand. Do you not see the 'revision/practice' as part of your DC's continued education......their homework. I always support my DC with this. Surely it can only benefit your DC's education.....whether it's for SATs or not!

[scary mum]

No, not when they are 10! Of course I support them in their homework, but endless teaching to the test rather than teaching them interesting and useful skills does not really get my vote.

[Daogroupie]

Indeed! You would think that SATs papers were on the life of the lesser spotted owl rather than English and Maths, subjects that underpin every other subject at secondary school.

Scary mum, have you looked at the English SATS papers? Why would you think that learning how to answer those questions properly is not going to help them all the way through secondary school, not to mention tests in KS3 and with GCSE English? The same goes for the Maths papers. There is not a different set of Maths and English that is just wheeled out for SATS.

Pumpkin Pie, there is also a Level Six SPAG paper as well as the 3.5 one.
My former students have come back to do Level Six and SPAG mocks for the past few weekends because they and their parents want to do their best, not just for the school but for themselves. I am looking forward to hearing about what comprehension is used for the Level Six Reading paper this afternoon and if the mocks we did followed the format they will be facing right now! DG

[scary mum]

I am well aware of that and agree that the material taught is relevant to their general education (much more so than VR, for example), but I think at this age they should cover what is needed in class and not have letters sent home about revision. Many of the children managed to do well without hours of practice, other than that which was done in class. Boosting the numbers of level 5s is an advantage to the school, not the pupils.

[Pumpkin Pie]

Yes Daogroupie, my DD will be sitting the Level 6 reading test this afternoon and the Level 6 SPAG tomorrow. We did a little bit of work over the weekend and she wants to practice some spellings tonight......and that is because SHE personally wants to do well.

[Belinda]

I think Scary Mum is emphasising that the 'sats' are just one test, on a given day (week) and that she, like many others - with young children sitting them - do not make them out to be more than they are.

Just because a parent chooses not to 'revise' for these SATS, does not mean that they don't wish their children to work hard at school (all year). And it certainly doesn't mean any of such children are not supported wholeheartedly in their learning, be it at school, or at home.

Mine didn't overly fret about them, nor did I, and maybe the school didn't either... and any additional hype these days is not a reflection of what, when and how children will progress in secondary school. Too many other factors come into play. From what I've read on here from respected teachers, I'm not sure they acknowledge the results children get in Y6 SATS as being a true reflection of their abilities for varying reasons when they arrive in Y7. It appears to be a measure, and not always a helpful one for secondary schools in some cases.

When some of mine were little they were the first cohort to go through the whole SATS 'process'.
Baseline testing in year R. Tested in Y2 to see if they have attained the expected improvements. Tested in Y6 - again measured, tested in Y9, measured again. GCSE's, A levels and university degrees.

I'm not going to comment on the why's of SATS etc. - plenty of others with expert knowledge on here to do that but, a parent choosing not to make a massive deal with revision for SATS unnecessarily worrying little children have my vote! It's really not that a big a deal for parent or child in Y6.

Not revising for SATS does not equate to not caring about child's educational well-being. The exact opposite can equally be argued. It is important individual children are supported according to their needs and best interests. That means no A levels and uni, but vocational BTEC and employment for some. Not all who sit SATS are destined for academic careers. Equally, not revising for (or caring about) SATS in Y6 doesn't mean a child won't bring home a 1st from Oxford.
Best wishes.

[ginx]

I haven't looked at any Sats papers either. We've continued with homework as usual, we did look up "article" after I'd seen it mentioned on here, but to my surprise my daughter knew about definite and indefinite articles and told me. I'm feeling guilty now I haven't looked at a single paper or done any Sats related work.

So I have very little idea what she is doing. She's always lazy with homework, school have always assured us she works hard at school, and I have left it at that. She never asks for help and hates doing homework, we nag her, check her maths, make her read occasionally, check she understands spellings, and that is it. I can't help thinking, that is how it should be.

[Belinda]

She's always lazy with homework, school have always assured us she works hard at school, and I have left it at that. She never asks for help and hates doing homework, we nag her, check her maths, make her read occasionally, check she understands spellings, and that is it. I can't help thinking, that is how it should be.

Sounds like she is developing beautifully.

Just out of curiosity, I dug out the scrap bits of paper from 'School Reports Folder' (some never got given to me I think...) Anyway, the DC that got a 4 in Maths Sats Y6 got a level 8 in Y9. The child that got a 5 in Y6 got a 7 in Y9. One is doing physics at uni, the other is having a gap year to contemplate her future life in the arts industry; that may or may not happen! Which one is doing which now was driven not by me, or even the school, but by the desires and wants of the child concerned. Both were supported - the same, to develop their interests and work hard. I equally respect the child who is self driven to be first in every subject - and top of the class. They respect admiration no less than the child who wants to be 1st on the sports field and no less than the child who wants to merely blend in the middle. I'm not quite that naive - not today anyway!

Children do have a tendency to let you know in which direction they want their lives to go, whether you like it or not. Very many factors come into play during the teen years to make all sats levels attained in Y6 null and void!

There's lots of ways to support a child into a happy and healthy adulthood.

[ginx]

Thanks, Belinda. I am feeling a little better. Not sure she is developing beautifully.

Interesting to hear that your dc haven't followed their levels as predicted and once at university, who cares about Sats?

[neurotic kent mum]

My dc sat the level 6 reading test at school yesterday. Had only completed four past papers since September at school - all level 3-5. Had never seen a level 6 paper before and had no idea that the school intended this. So I have to say rather inadequately prepared ! But to give the school credit there has been no pressure, no extra work and very few test papers in school - and none out of school. The results will be interesting!