SATS,do they matter to your child?
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Exactly.
It s for the schools, the money and ultimately the league tables.
Call me old fashioned but isn’t it supposed to be for the kids. The whole system needs a re think. Year 6 in a waste of space as far as the child is concerned.
ps a Doctor is only obliged to issue a cert if you are off for 7 days!
It s for the schools, the money and ultimately the league tables.
Call me old fashioned but isn’t it supposed to be for the kids. The whole system needs a re think. Year 6 in a waste of space as far as the child is concerned.
ps a Doctor is only obliged to issue a cert if you are off for 7 days!
I agree with you, please don’t take any offence. But the behaviour from on top is what is driving the schools behaviour. It should be about the kids not tables.
Some how the 11+ tests and the KS2 need to be brought together and more emphasis should be placed on how the children achieve in the medium to long term. Not saying I have any answers just some very frustrating questions.
How can a Jnr School claim to be performing when the majority of its pupils do not get a space in the good schools and end up in the community school where they will not achieve good exam success and will not stand a chance of further education.
When he applies for a job or goes to university nobody is going to take into account that he had SAT scores at level 2. The Jnr school must take more responsibility somehow. They have to have a duty of care.
My Son was achieved 5b last year, in his latest tests he got 5c’s. In my opinion he has gone backwards, due to lots of reasons, but the school are not interested as he is above 4B and hence will give them a good SAT score. How can this possibly be right?
Year 6 is a complete waste of space (IMO) the sooner he moves on the better. Anyway as you can see I have lost all faith in the system!
Some how the 11+ tests and the KS2 need to be brought together and more emphasis should be placed on how the children achieve in the medium to long term. Not saying I have any answers just some very frustrating questions.
How can a Jnr School claim to be performing when the majority of its pupils do not get a space in the good schools and end up in the community school where they will not achieve good exam success and will not stand a chance of further education.
When he applies for a job or goes to university nobody is going to take into account that he had SAT scores at level 2. The Jnr school must take more responsibility somehow. They have to have a duty of care.
My Son was achieved 5b last year, in his latest tests he got 5c’s. In my opinion he has gone backwards, due to lots of reasons, but the school are not interested as he is above 4B and hence will give them a good SAT score. How can this possibly be right?
Year 6 is a complete waste of space (IMO) the sooner he moves on the better. Anyway as you can see I have lost all faith in the system!
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Bexley Mum 2
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- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
Watdad - agree with everything you say. Our junior school is officially (according to Ofsted) a "good" school. Out of 75 children this year 3 passed the 11+, last year 1, year before that 3....... A large percentage of this year's Year 6 are off to the officially (according to Ofsted) "unsatisfactory" non-selective which is now in special measures....
But I wouldn't get hung up about your son's grades. The difference between a 5B and a 5C could presumably be just one mark. My Y6 son was level 5 in everything at the end of Y5 and has had marks ranging from 4A to 5A in the numerous and completely pointless tests he's done this year. I'm sure it's the case that more able children will start to underperform in Y6 if they're bored and not stretched. What you will probably find, as I did when my eldest started grammar, is that next year his grades will shoot up once he's not banging his head on the level 5 ceiling that primary schools have.
For parents of able children Y6 is a really, really depressing year - watching your child tread water and get more and more bored as they go over all the work they did, and understood, in Y5. Wish I knew what the answer was!
As an aside, I was very amused to hear from one of my son's friends that a teacher doing PPA cover last week gave their class a reading test that they'd all done before. The entire class agreed to keep quiet about it and redid the test with hopefully(!) overly-inflated scores! My better self thinks how dishonest, but my more rebellious self thinks - "great, a small triumph against the tedium of Y6 tests!"
But I wouldn't get hung up about your son's grades. The difference between a 5B and a 5C could presumably be just one mark. My Y6 son was level 5 in everything at the end of Y5 and has had marks ranging from 4A to 5A in the numerous and completely pointless tests he's done this year. I'm sure it's the case that more able children will start to underperform in Y6 if they're bored and not stretched. What you will probably find, as I did when my eldest started grammar, is that next year his grades will shoot up once he's not banging his head on the level 5 ceiling that primary schools have.
For parents of able children Y6 is a really, really depressing year - watching your child tread water and get more and more bored as they go over all the work they did, and understood, in Y5. Wish I knew what the answer was!
As an aside, I was very amused to hear from one of my son's friends that a teacher doing PPA cover last week gave their class a reading test that they'd all done before. The entire class agreed to keep quiet about it and redid the test with hopefully(!) overly-inflated scores! My better self thinks how dishonest, but my more rebellious self thinks - "great, a small triumph against the tedium of Y6 tests!"
SATs have helped to rebuild confidence
Hi all
I've already commented on this previously, but felt that this thread was another place that our experiences may be of interest. Having failed the 11+ (and our appeal), my son's confidence and happiness at school declined. However, the practice SAT scores he has recently achieved have given him a huge confidence boost. He got the best score every achieved at his school for maths (and a 5a) and got 5c in english and science and is predicted to get 5bs for these subjects by the time he sits the real thing. If we were to consider trying for the 12+ next year he would need to have at least two 5s to be considered, so SATs results are important for our child (and not just for the school's performance, which, by the way, our son's school is in the bottom third in the league tables in Bucks). Lastly, as our son isn't going to go to GS, good KS2 results are needed to ensure that he is placed into the top stream of the Upper school he is going to, and are used to predict his future results, and whether or not he may be able to sit some GSCE subjects early.
Overall, my feeling is that anything that encourages our son to keep trying and not giving up is worth it, and despite not passing the 11+, he now doesn't feel that he's failed. For those of you who think that good SATs results are only a reflection of the school, and not the child, I would ask you to consider again, especially when a child achieves well in a relatively underperforming school.
I've already commented on this previously, but felt that this thread was another place that our experiences may be of interest. Having failed the 11+ (and our appeal), my son's confidence and happiness at school declined. However, the practice SAT scores he has recently achieved have given him a huge confidence boost. He got the best score every achieved at his school for maths (and a 5a) and got 5c in english and science and is predicted to get 5bs for these subjects by the time he sits the real thing. If we were to consider trying for the 12+ next year he would need to have at least two 5s to be considered, so SATs results are important for our child (and not just for the school's performance, which, by the way, our son's school is in the bottom third in the league tables in Bucks). Lastly, as our son isn't going to go to GS, good KS2 results are needed to ensure that he is placed into the top stream of the Upper school he is going to, and are used to predict his future results, and whether or not he may be able to sit some GSCE subjects early.
Overall, my feeling is that anything that encourages our son to keep trying and not giving up is worth it, and despite not passing the 11+, he now doesn't feel that he's failed. For those of you who think that good SATs results are only a reflection of the school, and not the child, I would ask you to consider again, especially when a child achieves well in a relatively underperforming school.
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Bexley Mum 2
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- Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2007 9:55 pm
- Location: Bexley
Sharone - I take your point, KS2 SATS do serve a purpose. However, my gripe is that they should not take over the whole of Y6. They should be routine tests carried out towards the end of Y6 rather than the whole of Y6 being given over to SATS. My eldest child and my current Y6 child have been bored witless in Y6. Why should they spend a year being tested endlessly at levels they reached the year before? Shouldn't their education carry on rather than stand still for a year? Every child in my son's Y6 is in at least one booster class. He went to an English booster for a few weeks but was then told not to bother because he is a very solid level 5. So why not organise an extension class for brighter children? Surely they have as much right as other children to be stretched? But no - they just have to kick their heels now until September. 
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proud mum x2
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- Joined: Mon Dec 31, 2007 7:35 pm
Hi, my DD is also is in Y6, at her school they have split the class so that the different expected levels are taught seperately. The top "band" (about 6) are taught by the class teacher 3 mornings, whilst the "middle" group (expected 5's) are taught by the head teacher, the "lowest" band are taught by a very good supply teacher. I don't quite know what the "top" band are aiming for,maybe 5a's perhaps?
There is a cross over as some of the children are obviously not in the same groups for different subjects. The children seem to be ok with this, my DD in particular loves the intensity of sats (strange child!) and is spending ages every night doing "optional" revision work in her bedroom.
There is a cross over as some of the children are obviously not in the same groups for different subjects. The children seem to be ok with this, my DD in particular loves the intensity of sats (strange child!) and is spending ages every night doing "optional" revision work in her bedroom.
Hi Bexley Mum
Sounds to me that different schools treat preparation to KS2 in different ways. At my son's school, booster classes have been offered, but these are held after school if children and/or parents feel that they would like some extra help. Also, the children are still doing lessons, not just tests day in day out.
I do understand your point, especially if your child is saying that they are bored. Personally, if you feel this strongly, I should think that you'd be an ideal person to try to become a parent governor at your child's school. If not, have you talked to one of the parent governors to say how you feel? You are supposed to be able to approach them with your concerns for them to bring up at governor's meetings, and although the board of governor's might not have the funding or resources to offer more stretching classes (or lunch time clubs) to the more able, at least they may take your views into account when planning the next year's budget. It might be too late now to help your child, but if no one says anything then nothing will ever change.
Sounds to me that different schools treat preparation to KS2 in different ways. At my son's school, booster classes have been offered, but these are held after school if children and/or parents feel that they would like some extra help. Also, the children are still doing lessons, not just tests day in day out.
I do understand your point, especially if your child is saying that they are bored. Personally, if you feel this strongly, I should think that you'd be an ideal person to try to become a parent governor at your child's school. If not, have you talked to one of the parent governors to say how you feel? You are supposed to be able to approach them with your concerns for them to bring up at governor's meetings, and although the board of governor's might not have the funding or resources to offer more stretching classes (or lunch time clubs) to the more able, at least they may take your views into account when planning the next year's budget. It might be too late now to help your child, but if no one says anything then nothing will ever change.
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Bewildered
- Posts: 1806
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:29 pm
- Location: Berkshire
An interesting amendment to KS2 Sat's, (coming soon, to a school near you 
)
At the moment, a pupil can achieve anywhere between level 3 and level 5 on each test paper. In future pupils will sit a level 3, level 4 or level 5 paper. This obviously has huge implications for teacher assessment and it looks as if the child will sit such papers when they are considered ready by their teacher rather than waiting until the spring term of Year 6.
At present the tests are done very formally. Rigorous procedures are in place, to allow for a fair test for all. For example all English papers are sat on the same day, in every school in the country. An Exam assessor may land on the schools doorstep, at any point in the SAT's week, to insure the tests are being run as specified. (in much the same way GCSE's or A-Levels would be implemented.) Unless the child has a very good reason, for not being at school, they will not be allowed to do a test if they have missed it, as the school has to apply to the powers that be, to be allowed to let the child be able to do it and again the school would have to ensure that exam conditions would apply for that child, just as they had for the other children.
So will schools allow children to sit Level 5 papers in Yr's 4 or 5? If they do what will they do with the children for the subsequent years of their schooling at that school?
Will the child be able to sit the paper again, if they don't get the said level, at a later date?
Will the school have the time and the resources to implement exam conditions each time the teacher assesses the child to be ready?
How will it be policed? Will the exam assessor be advised each time a test is going to be sat, so they have the opportunity to 'pop in', to check all is as it should be?
There's a whole plethora of questions around this subject.
The biggest one, is do these people in their think tanks actually go into schools and find out what the consequences of their initiatives mean to the children or the school and Will it show the powers that be, that capping primary to Level 5 can be unproductive for certain children?
)At the moment, a pupil can achieve anywhere between level 3 and level 5 on each test paper. In future pupils will sit a level 3, level 4 or level 5 paper. This obviously has huge implications for teacher assessment and it looks as if the child will sit such papers when they are considered ready by their teacher rather than waiting until the spring term of Year 6.
At present the tests are done very formally. Rigorous procedures are in place, to allow for a fair test for all. For example all English papers are sat on the same day, in every school in the country. An Exam assessor may land on the schools doorstep, at any point in the SAT's week, to insure the tests are being run as specified. (in much the same way GCSE's or A-Levels would be implemented.) Unless the child has a very good reason, for not being at school, they will not be allowed to do a test if they have missed it, as the school has to apply to the powers that be, to be allowed to let the child be able to do it and again the school would have to ensure that exam conditions would apply for that child, just as they had for the other children.
So will schools allow children to sit Level 5 papers in Yr's 4 or 5? If they do what will they do with the children for the subsequent years of their schooling at that school?
Will the child be able to sit the paper again, if they don't get the said level, at a later date?
Will the school have the time and the resources to implement exam conditions each time the teacher assesses the child to be ready?
How will it be policed? Will the exam assessor be advised each time a test is going to be sat, so they have the opportunity to 'pop in', to check all is as it should be?
There's a whole plethora of questions around this subject.
The biggest one, is do these people in their think tanks actually go into schools and find out what the consequences of their initiatives mean to the children or the school and Will it show the powers that be, that capping primary to Level 5 can be unproductive for certain children?
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Bewildered
- Posts: 1806
- Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 2:29 pm
- Location: Berkshire
You'll find a few governors on this forum, and from what I've seen they have a similar experience.sharone wrote: I do understand your point, especially if your child is saying that they are bored. Personally, if you feel this strongly, I should think that you'd be an ideal person to try to become a parent governor at your child's school. If not, have you talked to one of the parent governors to say how you feel? You are supposed to be able to approach them with your concerns for them to bring up at governor's meetings, and although the board of governor's might not have the funding or resources to offer more stretching classes (or lunch time clubs) to the more able, at least they may take your views into account when planning the next year's budget. It might be too late now to help your child, but if no one says anything then nothing will ever change.
G&T, is a taboo. Primary schools do not have the resources and are happy to cover these children by just giving them extension work in class. How each school goes about this differs, from more of the same, to broadening the subjects. They primarily concentrate on the majority of the cohort and bringing them up to the pre-requisite L4b. The bottom line is trying to get their VA score up, and this is most easily done by focusing on the lower attainers.
Aren't we lucky we have to deal with such a wonderful system.
I'll be getting off my soapbox now.
