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Preparing for SATS

Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:45 pm
by traceywhyte17
Now we have finished all the entrance exams and my DS has had a well deserved rest for a couple of weeks, I am struggling to get him motivated to start working through his SATS revision books. I think he feels he has finished all he needs to do in year 6 and he is planning to have an extended break till he starts at his new indie senior school in September. Am not panicking yet but I will be if he doesn't get his groove together soon :!:

Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:49 pm
by Ed's mum
Does he need to do SATs revision? Will he need the results for the next school for setting purposes?

Once we knew which school my son was to attend, any thoughts of SATs were banished. Unless the results are going to have an impact upon his schooling at his next school, I shouldn't worry. SATs are more important to schools than to pupils!

Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 10:53 pm
by sycamore
SATs assess how well your child has been taught more than anything else. Unless he is particularly stressed by the whole thing (and having sat entrance exams, I doubt it), don't bother. We're just concentrating on lots of extra-curricular stuff to make up for the hard slog of 11+ prep, not that she appreciates any of it!

SATS

Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 11:59 pm
by traceywhyte17
I think you may be right about SATS being more important to the primary school as they have done nothing but practice papers since September and to be honest the entrance exams were a welcome break for DS and gave him other things to think about rather than the dreaded 'S' word!
Am tempted to throw his SATS revision books in the bin and just see how he does without them as we have been offered a place at his 1st choice school (they will use his entrance exam results to start setting in year 7) and they can't backtrack on that offer whatever his results in July :!:
Think I must be turning into a rebel in my old age :twisted: Is that good or bad :?:
:idea: Perhaps I should start a poll - to bin or not to bin, that is the question

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:03 am
by hermanmunster
My kids didn't do year 6 SATS and it made no difference at GS.

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:19 am
by quizzer
Sats are not that important if you have prepared for the 11+ tests.

I used the past sats papers as a bit of practice and DS and Nephew would do both papers in under 1 hr without a calculator and get 95% +

They are supposed to have 45 mins for each test and the use of a calculator for the second one.

Quizzer

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:42 am
by Bewildered
Agree with the previous posters.
DS gets SATs papers for H/W and as quizzer says does papers, Maths and Eng, in half the time allocated and without need of calc. This is down to DIY 11+ prep and not the school.

The cramming done by the school is to obtain good SAT's results, which in turn goes to show that the school is good. The VA is based on the results.
So it's not about the child; but primarily about the school. I am also aware that the school which is our 2nd choice perform CAT's early on in yr7 and ignore the SAT's, as they believe the results are artificially high due to over cramming done by schools.

Therefore, personally I don't see the need, and won't be doing anything extra at home with DS.

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:54 pm
by Zed 1
Agree with all the other posters - the 11+ prep we did at home for the entrance exams is more than enough prep for the SAT's.

The work we've been doing at home has really improved my sons confidence (and results!) in maths and english.

We haven't touched any science and so may go through this, before the tests in May....other than that, I think they can have a well deserved break before GS, they might need it! :wink:

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 1:26 pm
by sycamore
Just wanted to add that although many of us can be critical of SATs tests, the curriculum itself is made up of stuff that your child really should know by the time they leave primary school!

11+ prep does not prepare for testing in Science and teaching can be a little patchy in some schools so this is the one area where parents might want to buy a couple of revision guides. Any knowledge our DCs can gain now will surely ease their transition to secondary school.

In addition, a healthy set of predicted SAT scores will undoubtedly help to support a case if any of us need to go through the Appeals process.......

Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:43 pm
by poi
I admire Zed 1's approach - it sounds like his child's GS place is in the bag and meanwhile I am waiting with fragile nerves and baited breath about the outcome for my child BECAUSE I'VE REMEMBERED WE HAVE NOT REACHED OFFER DAY YET!!!!!!!! How is it some people have such unjustified certainty?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!