KS2 SATs - practice work

[Guest55]

It won't affect secondary for some time ...

The new KS2 'levels' will be mapped against KS1 'levels' ... expected progress will need to be defined.

[J50]

How do a childs sats scores help, do secondary schools use this info to stream children initially, then they do their own assessments? Or does it help the primary schools performance table only? Just wondering!

They're for the schools' performance measurement. So don't bother preparing for them as they are a waste of time for the child, and sitting a load of tests in one week so a school can have some pupils on Level 6 is [Edited by moderator]. The school seems obsessed by the SATs and we've already this year had two mock weeks of them in Sep and Jan. His teacher is always making comments such as --If you don't concentrate you won't do well in your SATs. No wonder DS wants to take the rest of the year off. Reckon he might be sick in May when the SATs are being taken...

[neveragainmum]

Yes that's what I thought too, interesting to see people get so upbeat about them still.

[Daogroupie]

Your opinion represents how some forum members feel but others feel that for a student in Year Six to be working towards tests in English and Maths is a good thing. Especially for those who have prepared for the eleven plus and need to have some more challenges. Students can go backwards as well as progress or just stay the same. They need to be prepared for the challenges of Year Seven. They are going to have a long six week holiday before September so it is important that they actually focus in Year Six. The students I know of are excited about Level Six tests, especially the English as they know it is a hard nut to crack. They want to have a go and it is nothing to do with the performance measurement of the school for them. Telling Year Six students that tests in school are a waste of time is not really a great way of encouraging them to do well in secondary school. DG

[berks_mum]

If a child scores low in KS2 SATs(bad day) but advances to a high level in KS3 will the child still have lower GCSE targets?

[Guest55]

They need to be prepared for the challenges of Year Seven.

DG - there are PLENTY of ways of doing this other than level 6 tests! They might be better prepared by broadening and deepening their knowledge ...

Low KS2 won't change the targets the school is judged by but the school might set different 'internal' targets. However they may feel a level 4 to a grade C is 'good enough' and a grade B is 'accelerated progress' - so why push for more?

Now there are no 'official' KS3 tests this is more likely to happen ...

[Daogroupie]

Of course there are plenty of other ways of doing this but the hard cold facts are that this is what Y6 teachers are told to spend their time doing by the Head so it is not a good idea for the Y6 students to check out. In Y7 at my dd's school some students find it very hard to adjust to three pieces of homework every night having done very little work for most of Year Six. Students who have knuckled down to Sats don't have this problem. DG

[Guest55]

Sorry, I don't agree.

How did children cope before level 6? They were absolutely fine - in fact better prepared ...

This focus on level 6 means often once the tests are over , no Maths or English is done at all as a 'reward' ... these pupils are all at sea in September and are certainly not level 6!

Hopefully this nonsense ends this year with new tests in 2016 ...

[Amber]

In Y7 at my dd's school some students find it very hard to adjust to three pieces of homework every night having done very little work for most of Year Six. Students who have knuckled down to Sats don't have this problem. DG

I have honestly never come across Y7 children collapsing with anxiety over homework they can't cope with. Nothing that a sit down with a parent and a bit of a chat hasn't sorted out. As you know, I wouldn't let my kids do homework at primary school (something they now tease me rotten for, incidentally) and I acknowledge this may have been an extreme stance, but there were certainly no problems with coping at their (superselective, sorry horrid term) grammar school. There was no 'knuckling down to SATs' either - rather getting as much fresh air and down time as they could to get away from the pressure at school. Maybe my lot were so grateful to be finally allowed to do homework that they threw themselves at it with unbridled enthusiasm and gratitude when they got to Y7.

[J50]

In Y7 at my dd's school some students find it very hard to adjust to three pieces of homework every night having done very little work for most of Year Six. Students who have knuckled down to Sats don't have this problem. DG

I have honestly never come across Y7 children collapsing with anxiety over homework they can't cope with. Nothing that a sit down with a parent and a bit of a chat hasn't sorted out. As you know, I wouldn't let my kids do homework at primary school (something they now tease me rotten for, incidentally) and I acknowledge this may have been an extreme stance, but there were certainly no problems with coping at their (superselective, sorry horrid term) grammar school. There was no 'knuckling down to SATs' either - rather getting as much fresh air and down time as they could to get away from the pressure at school. Maybe my lot were so grateful to be finally allowed to do homework that they threw themselves at it with unbridled enthusiasm and gratitude.

Quality comment.