Reading and Numeracy Tests in Wales.

[Redmasseyinmydrive]

DCs have had their tests last week, I feel they are still very young to be having 'proper' tests. Luckily they were both very calm and took it in their stride...no nerves etc.

Are these being marked in school? How is everyone's else DCs got on?

[ThistledownAndCobweb]

They are marked in school and then the results are submitted to the LEA who then send them to WAG.
They'll be standardised and then the results sent back to the schools who will report them to parents.
The school won't be able to tell you the results until the standardised scores come back, last year they were very late in the term- the last but one day for us. This year they are saying they will be returned earlier.

[PassTheSherry]

I was hoping a thread on this would come along. Presently am a bit confused as had been told that there are no SATs in Wales, but they do have assessments that are done by the teacher. Fair enough.

Then I heard from another Mum in another school that they were having 'tests' this week - asked my daughter and she said they'd already one, involving questions on sheet of paper, and a reading one the following day. None of the parents have been made aware really. It seems a bit hush hush and I'm not sure why, if they're official and all the schools are doing it as standard.

Does that mean the tests are standardised? If so how does it differ from English SATs?

[PassTheSherry]

Ugh, sorry for typos!

[ThistledownAndCobweb]

The school should have sent you home an information leaflet.

leaflet

All schools have to administer 3papers - reading, procedural (maths) and reasoning (maths) - to pupils in years 2-9 the tests must be administered between last Wednesday and next Tuesday.

[Redmasseyinmydrive]

Yes, we've had the leaflet, letter and timetable from school.

Are Yr2 and Yr3 sitting the same tests? I've heard some say yes but my DC seem to have had different questions.

Am I right in saying that the papers will stay in school and only the score sent away?

[MotorLoo]

My ds has the maths reasoning test on Monday and he is dreading it. The example practice test he brought home he found very difficult. he had reading and maths procedural last week and found them okay. Year 2 is very early to start these tests, bless them.

[MotorLoo]

Red I think years 4-6 are sitting the same reading tests so year 2 and 3 are too, I'd imagine. Though the maths are different for each year group I think.

[ThistledownAndCobweb]

I think that Y2/3 reading may have been the same, not sure about the maths.
The papers stay in school, the school have to keep them for one year.
Some schools (I think it may be 10%) will have had an LEA rep come and check the administration arrangements.

In some schools teaching staff will administer and mark the papers, however they can refuse to mark (according to Union guidelines), so it may be support staff or SMT doing it.

[ThistledownAndCobweb]

The reading was the same for 6/7 and 4/5 ( 2 papers, not one for all four year groups)

[Redmasseyinmydrive]

That makes sense then as they both seemed to have different paper for maths.

They are so young to be going through them.

[hellymelly]

My dds didn't get any practice tests to bring home, they were really stressed and worried about the tests, I do think they are very young to be doing them, particularly dd2 who is year 2. But Dd1 is year 4 and she was in a complete tizz about it, she has more tests on Monday I think?

[ThistledownAndCobweb]

We didn't send practice papers home, just used them in school.

Sample papers here

helly there are three papers in total. Your school May had decided to administer two last week and one next week.

[Redmasseyinmydrive]

My DC have been doing the practice papers in school and I have done a bit at home just to give them a boost and show them what to expect. In a recent meeting the head gave your link thistle for us to have a look and know what is expect of our children.

In our school year 4 and above have been doing the English paper too, so maths x2, Welsh and English.

[diamondage]

Having looked at the link for numeracy and then gone on to look at the reading etc. these look just like English SATS papers.

But if I've understood correctly, with these tests every year group from year 2 does them and they happen every year? I'm quite stunned! If the UK government said there'd be SATS every year for pupils I think there'd be an uproar.

Have I really got the right end of the stick????

[poorbuthappy]

They aren't stats in so much as there isn't do much fuss about it.
We've had no practice papers home, no stress from school, etc

I have no problem with tests at this age (dd in yr4) I have a problem with children being told these tests are the be all and end all of their academic lives at the ages of 7/8/9.

[LostInWales]

I'm shocked that the children know they are going tests at all. H is a primary school teacher and I am involved in my sons primary school and the children don't know what they are doing or if there is any expectation of them.

The test should be one that can't really be 'taught to' and will return a standadised score for the age of each individual child showing where they are in relation to all other children their age in Wales of their age. So it's not something that can be used to even compare children with each other in the same class even. The idea is that the tests are taken annually and shows that your child is progressing at a steady rate and if not can be helped and things looked into to see why not. DS1 and DS2 took them last year with very little stress and almost no comment from us when the standardised scores were returned. Will be more interesting this year to see whether they are still at the same levels or at least similar.

[LostInWales]

Obviously my language scores would be abysmal.

[Redmasseyinmydrive]

lost in wales and mine.

What age do children sit SATS? I thought they were secondary test.

[LostInWales]

AFAIK they don't 'sit' SATS in Wales. The teacher works within a framework and provides evidence to back up what level they believe the child to be at, I think this is at the end of each key stage, so Y2, Y6 and Y9. Of course at the end of Y6 they go to secondary and because of some war of attrition going on (according to H) the secondary teachers then tear up all the paper work and make their own decisions anyway. Ultimately, as far as I can tell, SATs, particularly at the end of primary key stages are there purely as a stick to beat teachers with. I may have been slightly jaded by years of living with a teacher though.

[LostInWales]

Although now I have posted that and it was a whole minute ago someone will have written a new framework and way of testing that will be delivered to all schools who will have to change how they do every single thing in school 10 minutes before they get the message or be given an 'unacceptable' by ofstead and beaten in front of the parents.

Did I mention being jaded by years of living with a teacher?

[LostInWales]

Sorry, ESTYN.

[Redmasseyinmydrive]

Sorry lostinwales I should have added England in my previous post! I do realise they don't sit them in Wales.

It does seem like they are changing things all the time, I really don't know how your husband and yourself cope with it! And every other teacher out there!! I personally think that footballers and teachers pay should swap. What do you think?

[LingDiLong]

We've had a couple of maths test papers home for DD in year 4. She knows she's sitting tests but seems completely unphased by it. DS in year 2 didn't come home with anything to practice and doesn't even know he's doing them!

They do seem to be SATs by another name. I really don't see the point of them, kids (particularly my DD) can perform so differently from one day to the next, I really don't think it gives anyone an accurate view of how a school or child is achieving!

[ThistledownAndCobweb]

Pupils don't sit SATs in Wales, it is still teacher assessment. However ESTYN/LEA's will be looking to see that end of key stage levels and national test scores correlate

[Missda]

One thing I will say is the tests are really really hard. They focus on reasoning and thinking skills. There are no SATS in Wales just teacher assessments and these tests.