What happens if DC don't attend SATS?

[cakedup]

SATS start tomorrow, so I know this is a bit late in the day.

Does anyone know for sure what happens if a child does not attend any of the SATS exams? Are they made to re-take them in year 7, or do they need to re-take them anyway if they don't achieve the required grade?

DS is profoundly dyslexic and although he gets a bit of help in some of the exams, I still am generally opposed to SATS and his taking part.

I spoke to his teacher about this who was going to speak to the SENCO and head, but no-one got back to me.

I emailed the SENCO at the secondary school DS will be going to, she said that he will 'probably' have to resit some exams in year 7. Again, not very clear! And she didn't specify whether this would apply whether he took part or not (and got low grades).

I was going to send DS in to school and get it over with but having last minute second thoughts again. He is super stressed, and even with extra time and a reader, he is still at a huge disadvantage. Also, he doesn't get a reader for the Reading paper - he can barely read and will be lucky if he gets one question right. I feel his having to take part is also discrimination towards a child with learning difficulties.

[KingscoteStaff]

He can take them up to two weeks later, I think, so you'd have to keep him off for quite a while. In my experience, children do better if they take the tests with their friends - there is a herd mentality of 'we're all going to show those examiners what we know'.

It's pretty miserable doing them all on your own in the head teacher's office when all your friends are skipping about being pleased they're all over!

[MrsKCastle]

Yes, he will have to do them when he returns unless you keep him off for two whole weeks and risk being fined for unauthorized absence.

[MrsC24]

My son is possibly dyslexic but I have been told they don't test for it in primary school and looks like I will have to pay for it if I want a confirmed diagnosis. For his Sats he will go into a separate room with the TA who will scribe for him but he hates it. All weekend he has been stressed out about this week as he hates the thought of sitting there for upto an hour as he finds it boring and will make the day last longer. He already knows he will not do very well. Last night I could not get him to sleep and he ended up in my bed. I am all form raising standards but for the children who are failing there is no money or resourses available to find out any underlying problems or how theses children learn differently so they get left as the percentage who will just fail anyway. I have no idea if I will get him in to school today but I know I will have a battle on my hands and he said last night can't I be sick all week!

[cakedup]

Thanks all, especially tiggytape that really clarifies things and explains why both schools were unclear on the resit policy.

MrsC24 apparently the school are able to apply for a student to be disallowed if they can't access the paper....I found this out too late. I don't think schools are keen to do this. DS doesn't have a formal diagnosis either, the only way to get one would be to pay £££ for one, and his school have told me all along it is unnecessary as it would not affect the support he is getting at school. We all know he is dyslexic and a piece of paper confirming this wouldn't make any difference.

However, I have spoken to the SENCO at the secondary school he'll be going to and she said they have the resources to diagnosis him and she was even positive about applying for an EHC plan (previously, statement) which I thought was unheard of for dyslexic people. Hopefully your ds' secondary school are also able to provide more targeted support?

How was your DS this morning MrsC24? I had to give DS lots of reassurance last night. He actually woke up early this morning and set off to school early, armed with lucky mascots!

[bojorojo]

Children still have to take the papers even if they are barely working at the old level 2. SEND children are not universally disapplied but very low attaining children will not take the tests.

Children with dyslexia can get a "statement" and where I live too, the bar is very high these days. However, the children most severely affected were able to access special "units" in secondary schools to help them with studying from Y7 onwards and many schoools do understand how to help. (In years gone by, parents successfully got the LA to pay for boarding schools for dyslexic children because the LA's schools were deemed unable to meet the needs of the children so things had to change!) My LA, therefore, does evaluate needs prior to Y7 and I am very surprised a primary school has not given you access to an Educational Psychologist to see what his needs are prior to secondary transfer. I would have thought this was critical.

[MrsC24]

cakedup DS was in tears this morning and was trying to make himself sick! Refused to get changed and a bit of bribing with a treat at the end of the week if he went in everyday and got him to school just after 9am and then he refused to get out of the car. His teacher did phone me up at lunchtime and said he had done the test but was saying his tummy hurt so was sat in the corner of the classroom while the rest of the children were revising. As my husband finished work at 2pm I got him to collect him early but I know my DS wasn't really ill just very anxious. I did apply for an EHC plan last summer but it got rejected as I think only about 2% now get approved as Schools have a sum of money to spend on those children on the SENCo register. The school have told me that a diagnosis of dyslexia wont make any difference to the help and support he is already getting. He did get assessed by an EP in yr 5 at my insistence but his teacher this year who is also the SENCo has said he doesn't need a follow up although after the Christmas break he refused to go to school and also ran out of school gates. I am hoping there will be more support in secondary school and have already been to see the SENCo and had a very positive meeting and she has already said that the primary school had sent through the reading ages and he is below where she would like him to be so will probably put him on 1 to 1 reading for 3 months. They do CAT test them on one of the transition days which could be interesting and hopefully wont put him off but just concentrating on getting him through this week first!

[MrsC24]

cakedup DS was in tears this morning and was trying to make himself sick! Refused to get changed and a bit of bribing with a treat at the end of the week if he went in everyday and got him to school just after 9am and then he refused to get out of the car. His teacher did phone me up at lunchtime and said he had done the test but was saying his tummy hurt so was sat in the corner of the classroom while the rest of the children were revising. As my husband finished work at 2pm I got him to collect him early but I know my DS wasn't really ill just very anxious. I did apply for an EHC plan last summer but it got rejected as I think only about 2% now get approved as Schools have a sum of money to spend on those children on the SENCo register. The school have told me that a diagnosis of dyslexia wont make any difference to the help and support he is already getting. He did get assessed by an EP in yr 5 at my insistence but his teacher this year who is also the SENCo has said he doesn't need a follow up although after the Christmas break he refused to go to school and also ran out of school gates. I am hoping there will be more support in secondary school and have already been to see the SENCo and had a very positive meeting and she has already said that the primary school had sent through the reading ages and he is below where she would like him to be so will probably put him on 1 to 1 reading for 3 months. They do CAT test them on one of the transition days which could be interesting and hopefully wont put him off but just concentrating on getting him through this week first!

[cakedup]

bojorojo we have seen an EP throughout DS' school life. The EP advised that there was no need to get apply for a EHC plan because it would make no difference to the support he was getting. To be honest, this particular EP wasn't keen on 'labels' anyway. Then a new EP came along, agreed an EHC plan would not make any difference and even implied that the approach towards dyslexia in an educational environment was changing, i.e. leaning towards dyslexia not being treated or labelled any differently to any learning difficulty that meant a child was not achieving required standard (perhaps losing the label 'dyslexia' altogether! ). The SENCO also advised me that it was almost impossible to get a plan based on dyslexia alone, i.e. there would have to be some other need. Then DS moved schools during year 6, so although I still liaised with the new primary school SENCO, I've been more focused on the support he'll be getting in his secondary school - where they seem to be a lot more geared towards getting an EHC plan and seem to have a good support system in place.

Just to give you an idea, when DS was in year 5 and I was trying to push for an EHC plan, his reading level was year 2. So not as if he was just scraping by or anything.

Sorry to hear that MrsC24. DS had to sit in a separate room to sit his SATS today (I think he might have to do that for them all because of the extra time/having a reader?). I thought he'd feel better for having got today out the way but he is having another wobble tonight. It was the reading paper today - and he can barely read - so he just sat there confused and frustrated for most of it. Glad to hear your secondary school also seem to be on board, hopefully they'll take it more seriously now the DC are older? Hope your DS will feel a bit better tomorrow. Only three more days to go!! (as I keep saying to DS!)