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AIBU?

to struggle to understand why SAT's are such a bloody big deal?

134 replies

BloodySATStakingovertheworld · 03/05/2011 22:43

Have namechanged.

My dd is part of a sports team. They have amazingly qualified to represent their school in a National Final of a competition.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the competition has clashed with the children starting their SAT's and the school and most of the other parents aren't interested in the slightest in the competition - they're only interested in the SAT's and how the children should be focussed on them.

The headteacher even picked the children out in assembly and whilst they were waiting to be told 'congratulations' for qualifying or 'good luck' for the final, the bloody headteacher said to make sure they take their SAT books to the comp so that they can schedule in plenty of revision and whatever happens at the comp they're to make sure they have an early night ready for the SAT's next morning No good luck, kiss my arse or anything!

Some of the parents are refusing to bring their children to the competition until just before they're due compete (so no preparation time) because they want them to do more SAT's revision first. I think this is sooo unfair to the rest of the team. The preparation time is essential to the comp and it's really letting their team-mates down.

I'm so cross at the school (and the other parents!).
Yes, I know SAT's are important to the school, but they're not the be-all and end-all! These children are representing their school at a National Fucking Competition and haven't even been told GOOD LUCK!!

I'm stunned, I really am.

Dd has worked really hard in school btw and has done extra revision classes as well as lots of extra revision throughout the Easter Hols. But she's worked really hard with her team-mates too! ...and surely that's just as important?

AIBU? Because I'm mightily fucking pissed off on dd's behalf

OP posts:

Report

worraliberty · 03/05/2011 22:44

Many Teachers hate SATs and with good reason...they don't even represent what a school is truly like in terms of the kid's attainment.

ThatllDoPig · 03/05/2011 22:46

YANBU
So much pressure on the kids. IMO the only value they have is as practice for the fact that tests happen later.
When they get to secondary school the SAT results aren't even looked at, they do their own internal tests later.

Hope your DD enjoys the experience. Good luck to her!

pozzled · 03/05/2011 22:47

YANBU.

Unfortunately while schools are judged on their SATs results, it's a no-win situation all round.

musicposy · 03/05/2011 22:47

They're only a big deal for the school's league tables - and that's why schools push them. High league table position = lots of future pupils. Secondary schools CAT test almost immediately and barely give them a second glance.

It's a shame parents and children get carried along with all the stress and hype.

Rosebud05 · 03/05/2011 22:49

YADNBU. What utter bollocks.

FreudianSlipOnACrown · 03/05/2011 22:49

yanbu, how sad :(

I'm fervently hoping that by the time my eldest is in yr6 (7 years away) they will be gone just like in Wales!

Rosebud05 · 03/05/2011 22:51

Most of the schools round here boycotted them as part of industrial action last year (this may have been a national thing, I'm not sure).

The earth did not stop rotating on its axis.

bubblecoral · 03/05/2011 22:53

I can't believ people are making their dc do SATS revision! What the hell for?! They're not A levels!

But, why is a national competition planned for SAT's time? That sounds like bad planning. Or do all schools do SAT's at different times?

mumtoabeautifulbabyboy · 03/05/2011 23:02

SATs will remain important as long as parents use the league tables to decide which school to send their children to.
Most teachers dislike them (there are far more accurate means of assessing ability available). Many parents of yr 6 children claim to dislike them - However, they tend to be the same parents who used the yr6 results in order to judge the school when they applied 7 yrs previously.
A no win situation.

Have to add that it is very poor planning on the part of the 'national competition' though.

troisgarcons · 03/05/2011 23:06

Absolute bollox ...SATS can be sat any time within a 48 hour time frame - there is a published date but believe me .... the packets are held open to grab non-attendeers/absentees/ship in the sick AND Ive even known kids made to resit a KS2 SAT paper when it wasn't upto expected par, the following day.

BloodySATStakingovertheworld · 03/05/2011 23:13

The competition is not just for children of dd's age.

There are different age categories - primary age (which includes all years, not just year 6) middle school age and high school/college age.

I would imagine, though am not sure, that a relatively small percentage nationally would be in Y6.

It's good to hear most of you agree with me, and yes, it's very sad

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BloodySATStakingovertheworld · 03/05/2011 23:15

Just to clarify - the comp is the day before the SAT's start.

The children have been revising for months (and attending extra revision classes since Xmas!)

OP posts:

seeker · 03/05/2011 23:16

:Absolute bollox ...SATS can be sat any time within a 48 hour time frame - there is a published date but believe me .... the packets are held open to grab non-attendeers/absentees/ship in the sick AND Ive even known kids made to resit a KS2 SAT paper when it wasn't upto expected par, the following day."

This is not true. Or if it is true, the school is acting against the rules and should be reported.

seeker · 03/05/2011 23:19

OP - you are aboslutely sure that your dd;s yead actually said that, are you? And are you sure he wasn't joking?

And the idiot parents are the ones who have created this Frankenstein's monster - if they stopped judging schools by their SATS results, then schools could stop jumping through hoops.

seeker · 03/05/2011 23:19

head - not yead.

BloodySATStakingovertheworld · 03/05/2011 23:29

I'm pretty sure seeker.

Hmm, it could possibly be a joke ...it would have been much funnier if it had been followed with a "good luck team" though

I agree re the Frankenstein's monster btw.

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GrimmaTheNome · 03/05/2011 23:37

Parents making kids do 'SATs revison'? Bonkers. My DD did hers last year. She enjoyed them, she'd actually have been furious if the school had boycotted - they did work for them in school, but not to the exclusion of everything else (lots of sport for sure, teams in local and regional competitions). As it was by then just maths and English, no science, there was really not much to 'revise' as far as I could see. What the heck is there needing last-minute cramming - its much more about skills than facts.

Despite (or because of?) this relatively laissez faire attitude, DDs school topped the league tables around here. All work and no play ...

I can understand parents wanting children to practice skills for 11+ (or other entrance exams), but as everyone else has said, SATs are not the be all and end all for the individual child. I actually think that SATs (or some externally assessed metric) are a good thing, but only if done sensibly... not like the OPs case.

Anyway, YANBU and GOOD LUCK to your DD and her team mates! I hope they have a great experience.

northernfive · 03/05/2011 23:43

Aren't they a bit young to take part in the National Fucking Championship? If they have a senior's division, do let me know.

BloodySATStakingovertheworld · 03/05/2011 23:45

northern

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GrimmaTheNome · 03/05/2011 23:50

So thats why they have to start sex ed so early! And in teams!!

startail · 04/05/2011 00:00

YANBU,
A bit of revision, so the style of the questions is familiar and the children have an idea of how long they've got is fine. A bit of exam technique, like read the questions twice, show your workings and when in doubt put something doesn't go a miss. Oh and remember you still have to use all those things you've learned in literacy lessons even if it is a really dull question*. But beyond that I suspect it gets counter productive and the children will just get stressed.
(*DD1's class should have got several level 5s that they didn't get because there year had a terribly boring non fiction writing task and she said it was very difficult to think of anything to write let alone use interesting sentences and lots of description. DD1 got her 5 by one mark, but only because she did the comprehension very well)

FabbyChic · 04/05/2011 00:13

They use the year 6 SAT results to group them into tiers when they go to secondary school, they are really important for the child when it comes to how they are placed in Maths, English, Science lessons when they change schools.

Would you want your child to be in a low group because they done shit on their SATS because of a competion, even though you know they were actually more capable and should be in a higher group?

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BloodySATStakingovertheworld · 04/05/2011 00:40

Grouping them in high school according to their SAT's results is contrary to everthing that I've previously been told FabbyChic, but assuming that you are correct with that, I honestly don't think dd will do any worse in her SAT's because she had one revision-free day to participate in a competition.

As I've said already, dd has been working really hard in school (she's not naturally academic, but tries her very best) and has been doing revision classes within school since Xmas.

I'm pretty sure that if dd is grouped low in Maths/English etc when she get's to high school, it won't be because she's done "shit in her SATS because of a competition", it will be because that is where they feel she'll achieve best. I've got no problem with that.

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madhattershouse · 04/05/2011 00:48

Some schools do use the SAT results for streaming as fabby said..I could not give a stuff. My ds needs to go in a low group to get the help he needs..if he does too well in the SATs he will be deemed as not struggling due to his dysgraphia and get no help..I guess I'm the only mum hoping that he does not do too well!! SATs suck..the school should be supporting the teams achievements. From what you say, though bloody, I think dd will do fine and she should be allowed to enjoy her day...it's not like she is missing the tests. Good luck to her and the team!!

EvenLessNarkyPuffin · 04/05/2011 00:57

Out of interest, what would happen to the system if enough people kept their children off school 'sick' on SATS day?

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