So here we are- KS2 SATS Week...

[ampere]

Feeling more nervous than DS2!

He's 'borderline', particularly in Literacy. He'll be so happy if he gets a 4 (as will I!) so off he went just now with me offering my last minute bon mots ('Read carefully! Most of the answers are in the text! If it doesn't make sense, you've not read it properly' etc).

[sphil]

Ha ha ! Ive just said EXACTLY the same to DS1 . I have come to loathe the SATs over the last few weeks - the constant pressure to improve marks, the practice tests, Ds1's teacher's obvious and palpable anxiety - have turned DS from a boy who loves school into one who is fed up, bored and lacking self-belief. Can't wait for Thursday.

[KitKatGirl1]

My ds awoke with the storm at 2.50am and stayed up reading all night! Concentration should be good today...

[Scholes34]

Zero pressure at our school. I'd actually forgotten until last Friday that they started this week.

[sandyballs]

My two are doing them this week, one seems completely relaxed about it, the other is a bit stressed. i think it depends on the teacher doesn't it.

[bizzey]

My ds is more concerned about having to remember his P.E kit everyday .!!! Lots of fun activities are planned for every afternoon.

[ChickensHaveNoLips]

Ds1 has been practicing and under pressure from his teacher since before Christmas. He is an anxious mess, and I have been down to the school more times than I can count. As a result, we're moving Ds2 (year 4) at the end of term. School's response? What a shame, he's a bright boy too . I was half tempted to tell Ds1 to draw pretty pictures on the paper. After all, his teacher has already told him what levels he will achieve. If I sound passed off, it's because I am.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

I'm with Scholes - they'd actually passed me by until DD2 joyfully told me she could take a chocolate bar in for break each day this week.

Energy, you see.

[ChaosTrulyReigns]

Oh Chickens - your poor boy. Sounds like moving schools will give you some much needed relief.

[Ragwort]

It is so sad that some schools put so much pressure on the children regarding SATs - I agree with Scholes and Chaos - my DS is very laid back about them, not worried at all - the school have done a few practice papers but the whole thing is really low key. Good idea about the chocolate bar - I did offer my DS extra drinks/snacks but he gave his usual 'can't be bothered' reply .

[Rosebud05]

My friend moved her younger DC after her eldest went through something similar to what *chickens' describes. Actually, for the most of KS2, so minimal art, drama, trips out etc

The middle one does his as his new school this week - has had no stress at all. Has also had a year 6 of plenty of art, drama, trips out etc.

The first school is 'outstanding' by the way, and the new one in 'special measures'.

[ChickensHaveNoLips]

It has totally ruined primary school for him. He has always enjoyed school, but not any more. Both me and DH have been in to speak to teacher/head, and nothing has changed. DS is sitting level 6 SATS, so he has another month of practicing and pressure. I have lost all faith in the school, and when they leave I will be handing in a letter to the head saying as much. This is a bog standard state school, btw. I wish I'd moved DS1 last year

[Ragwort]

Anyone know how the tests actually work - does the school receive a sealed envelope or something like that with the papers in the week before - does the teacher look at them before they are given to the pupils?

[Scholes34]

Perhaps the laid back attitude in the Scholes household is because it's DC3 doing his SATS and with DC1 coping with the stress of GCSE controlled assessments for the whole of this year, SATS haven't particularly grabbed our attention.

Our primary has a good reputation academically, but they've always just built up to SATS gradually over four years, rather than lots of cramming in Year 6. As a consequence the children seem to take it in their stride and focus on the afternoon's entertainment rather than the morning's tests.

[startail]

Maths is becoming a rude word in this house

I don't want it to.

I know the senior school are very keen on Maths HW and I don't want DD2 to be totally fed up of it before she even gets there!

[Iamnotminterested]

A couple of bits to do at home for practice and some past papers done in school but DD1 hasn't moaned about it, certainly not mentioned any "pressure" from the teachers, and believe me she is the Victor Meldrew of her year so she most certainly WOULD moan if she thought it wrong!

I think todays paper will be fine, BTW.

[Iamnotminterested]

IndigoBell How's your DS today?

[VivaLeBeaver]

DD was hyperventilating this morning about it all. I said what's the worst that can happen? It goes a bit wrong and you don't score at your usual level? Not the end of the world - when she goes to secondary yes they use the scores for streaming but if she's in the wrong group at secondary I'm sure they'd realise and then move her up or down to the group they feel she is best placed in.

[O2BNormal]

It has been made v clear to DS1 that they are important (by the school) but he seems to be taking it in his stride.

2 boys called for him at 8am this morning as they're being given breakfast at school this week (the kind of school where lots of children don't usually get any ) He's been looking forward to having breakfast with his mates for a fortnight! One of his friends seemed most unconcerned. The other was visibly worried.

Viva, I admire your laidbackness, but I know from my own school experience, that if you're in a low set it's much harder to get put up than it is to stay in the slightly higher than you should be one. (What level would that sentence get me?!!)

Someone asked what happens with the papers - they arrived about 3 weeks ago in a sealed envelope and have been under lock and key ever since. I don't know what checks are made to ensure that happens at every school though...

[Iamnotminterested]

VivaLeBeaver Poor thing! Hope she was ok during the test.

As you said, the High School that DD is going to in September teach in mixed ability groups until October half-term and then do their own assessments, obviously with a nod to the KS2 data along the way, so DD does not feel under pressure today.

I feel for the children and parents whose high school place in selective schools rests upon the results of this week. Glad I'm in an area with good comprehensive schools.

[bizzey]

We are all talking about our year 6 dc's but...i wonder if it makes a difference on "stress levels" if they are in the last year of primaty school(2 tier ed) or 2nd year of middle school(3 tier)......

I don't have any answers but we are at primary school , they had school journey in March to have a week chill, and next week onwards will be "fun" activities to end their time at school...still educational but away from the learning that they have been doing.

Would love to know anyones views because if we had not moved my fb ds1 would be doing these now in middle school ??

BTW we have had homework but no added stress..

[CointreauVersial]

DD1 has come home tearful and exhausted a few times over the last few weeks, as the school have ramped up the practice papers.

She is sitting Level 6 papers in Maths and Literacy, which of course are difficult, and she got a bit stressy that she couldn't answer some of the questions (not surprising, as some of is is beyond what she's covered at school).

The school have laid on breakfast all week for all the Y6s which she was quite pleased about!

To be honest, I don't think it's a bad thing, learning how to take tests, stay calm under exam conditions, remembering what you've learnt. And it is used for streaming at secondary.

However, I contrast this with DS, who did his SATs this time last year. He hardly mentioned them, was utterly unstressed and didn't give a monkeys how well he'd done. But then he is a very different child.

[IndigoBell]

IAmNotInterested - DS has been on rescue remedy for the last 6 weeks, and it has helped a lot.

He wasn't too bad this morning. Stressed, more stressed than he needed to be - but not so stressed that I was worried about him :)

However, threads on the tes indicate the paper wasn't too bad......

[Babelange]

DS Y6 also becoming v lack-lustre... lots of past papers & had a dreadful mock result on Friday for not finishing a reading paper - got a 4C but assessed at 5A - held up as a salutory example to the rest of the class (then miserable for the rest of the weekend...). Practice is a good thing - but what is happening is that they are self-marking so either cheating (or so I am told) or not speaking out if they didn't know. If the papers are homework, at least I check them and go over the wrong answers.
Y6 is a nightmare - "11+ lite" (tests managed by consortium of schools incl local comp for banding) in the Autumn, SATs now, then CATs for the school (comp) in June on a SATURDAY.

[littlelegsmum]

I also have a changed 11 year old :( who has had SATS piled on her each day since xmas!! They have only been doing SATS work since then and after xmas the pressure really kicked in for them.

I have my own personal view on them and how they've changed my daughter but this is purely down to the teachers. She has high levels of anxiety but never this extreme and never about school.

Can you imagine only doing English & Matchs for 5 months!?!?!? :(

[bigTillyMint]

DS said his tummy felt a bit funny this morning, so he must be feeling a bit of pressure. Awww.
He'd better get used to it - he's going to a data-rich secondary school which means they test them every five minutes, and proper annual exams in GSCE-style conditions!