To fucking hate SATS?

[justwait]

Dd is in year 6. I'd like to say the school has been low key about SATS but it hasn't. She's been tested about 6 times this year. She had a test the morning she got back after easter and didn't do very well in it. We did no sats practice over easter because she's on a sports talent programme and was away a lot.

She's thin, not eating. She said she she sat at the table yesterday and everytime she looked at the paper everything went 'prickly and she didn't feel real'

I think she's massively anxious. She's doing really well in literacy predicted over 110 and maths just over 100. I have told her time and time again not to worry.

Just wanted to rant. The best thing she's done this year was make a little Anderson shelter during the ww2 topic and write a beautiful story about it. I'm gutted she's not done more of this kind of thing in her last year at primary. It's shit.

[Fuzzipeg]

I can utterly sympathise, DD had this last year. The school dropped music, french, art, DT and PSHE in year 6 to push the SATS. School was boring and stressful. Tests were repeated again and again and the children got into trouble if they didn't improve on their score each time. The teacher, who we knew to be lovely also became shouty and stressed.
You just have to continue to put things into perspective where the school haven't. Remind dd that high school do different tests ( much more low key) in year 7, so although it would be nice to do well it's not the end of the world if you don't. SATS are there to test the teachers and how well they are doing their jobs. Once they are over there will be time to do the special end of Primary school things. Don't stress over SAtS practise at home but do fun, relaxing things instead. If she is already predicted to reach the expected standard, doing extra at home isnt really necessary. 💐

[justwait]

I have spoken to five other parents and they all have tutors! Honestly I wouldn't have believed that if I hadn't heard it myself. It's NUTS.

[justwait]

I think dd is worried because she doesn't have a tutor. One girl in her class cried because she got ONE QUESTION WRONG IN THE MATHS PAPER

This is a normal state primary. Wtf is wrong with us??!!

[Girlwhowearsglasses]

Yanbu

We were asked to do half an hours work every day over Easter and I have had enough now and we didn't do it. DS has anxiety amongst other things and he needed a break.

I would have boycotted the tests if that would have made any difference -but it's all the preparation and continual talk about them that's actually the pressure. School was really good about the age 7 ones but they just can't afford to ignore these ones and we all pay a massive price.

What with all the angst over school open days and application in the autumn term year six is a massive waste of a really crucial year in a child's life

[justwait]

One girl has given up her sport so 'she can concentrate on sats'

Over my dead body

[CassandraAusten]

My DS is in year 6. His school has a low key approach to SATs, so it does exist! They've been doing a bit of revision but not OTT and none of the kids seem to be worried about it. Maybe speak to the teacher and share your concerns?

[JennyOnAPlate]

We're in a similar situation only with year 2 sats. Dd was in tears and inconsolable at bed time last night because she got a few questions wrong on a practice test. Once a month or so all year they've spent a whole week doing practice papers. It's shit and I hate it.

My 7 year old has gone from loving school to not wanting to go.

[RedSkyAtNight]

DD's school is thankfully lower key than that but even then she's had the odd moment.

I always point out on Primary Education threads that the reason that school A has better results than school B may well be because of hothouse madness in Year 6. Often wonder how many parent who picked a school for its better SATS results in YR or Y3 are complaining about the SATS hothouse in Y6 ...

[RedSkyAtNight]

And totally wrong that 7 year olds are stressing. 7 year olds should not even know what SATS are IMO

[justwait]

"Often wonder how many parent who picked a school for its better SATS results in YR or Y3 are complaining about the SATS hothouse in Y6 ..."

Not me. This is my local village school where I've lived for years. In fact their SATS results weren't that great in 2015 which I guess is why they've ramped it up this year.

[justwait]

My older children went private at year 6 and yes, no sats were good. Their school did have quite full on exams at the end if year 6 though.

[C0untDucku1a]

Sats are pointless. They will be reassessed in secondary and sets changed of needed. Usually Needed. Sometimes quite dramaticlly depending on yr 6 attitudes to sats.

[friendlyflicka]

Mine is year 5, already school has got really boring - and this is a nice good fun school generally. I think that is the real shame of it - suddenly all normal stuff is dropped in favour or unimaginative cramming.

[Whatsername17]

My school used to be a middle school- year 6-9. The best thing about it was that all kids followed a secondary timetable. Therefore, they still did PE, humanities, drama, science, ADT as normal because it was time tabled. Our results were always fantastic. We are now 11-16 so all the focus is on gcse. We try hard not to put pressure on three kids but it's hard when the government are hammering you for results. It's so wrong. I blame Gove.

[Creampastry]

SATS are a waste of time as where we live all schools in year 7 reassess the kids. Primary schools also, IMO, focus too much just because if targets and league tables. Just tell your kid to try their best and they are for the government and have little no impact in the next school.

[CPtart]

DS2 did SATS last year and was 'set' on the results. Despite the year group being retested there has been virtually no movement, even of children from different schools. Same with DS1 two years earlier.

[Whatthefudger]

I hate these DS is about to do them now. He has a tutor but I've told him not to worry.

[justwait]

I do think the secondary feeder sets on the SATS results. So I suppose they are important for those reasons.

[Morphene]

Every time I have a wobble over whether or not to continue home eding, a thread comes up like this.

Honestly, please just take your children out of school if they are getting so ill and distressed by what the school is putting them through. It isn't for the good of the child, or their education, it is purely for the good of the school and its league position. It doesn't just have no value for the children, it has negative value. It makes many of them ill immediately and many many more will suffer anxiety disorders later in life. It reinforces terrible conceptions of learning that they will have to spend time and effort escaping from when they move to Higher education.

We are facing a mental health crisis in Higher Education already, and we don't yet have students that have had the full whack of the current testing regime yet.

[loonieleftie]

I hate these DS is about to do them now. He has a tutor but I've told him not to worry.

But you are saying it's important by getting a tutor! What on earth is the tutor for? I don't get it. Nobody will know what they got in the test and as PP said, they will be tested again at secondary.
They seem to be quite low key at my DDs school. She has not revised, just had a passed maths paper every other week from school. She quite likes the tests and I wonder if it is because they are not under pressure.
She spent Easter playing with her friends and going out in the woods, the beach and visiting family as she should.