Anyone else in Wales with dc doing these new tests this week?

[Takver]

I hadn't followed this at all until we got a letter home last week. Have they un-abolished SATS?

It makes dd's endless complaints of endless repetitive boring maths since Easter make much more sense if they are trying to get the whole class up to a certain level.

[Purplehulk]

Yes my 2 have them.
DD1 in yr5 had English today, then there's Welsh for her and DD2 yr3 tomorrow with numeracy for them both next week.
Taken us all by surprise I think. No mention of them till a letter last Thursday.
They have been told they won't find out their marks, so they are confused about the purpose of them too.

[Flyonthewindscreen]

Yes, mine also (yrs 4 & 6). The school mentioned it in a newsletter at the start of term and DC mentioned doing tests this week. They are doing end of year tests which they do anyway as well. The school are very low key about it and the DC are pretty laid back about them also. I feel a bit bemused when I read about the hysteria that goes in so many English schools...

[2kidsintow]

Yep. I'm a teacher too, so my class have been doing them this week.
They remind me soooo much of the SATs when we had those.

The difference being, they only have to do a reading test and a maths test this year. Next year there is also a reasoning-in-maths test too.
And every year needs to do them, from y2 - y9.

Not nice.

What also doesn't help is that these tests are linked to the new LNF (literacy and numeracy framework) which doesn't become statutory until September.

So lets test them on it now and get a poor-ish score, then start teaching to the framework and show how much of an improvement it will make, eh?

To be fair, they aren't that different to what my class would have normally sat as end of year assessments, and our head teacher was all for preparing the children, but not stressing them out, so we haven't had weeks of preparation.

My own DDs found them easy, but they are good with their reading and their maths.

[2kidsintow]

Kamer, there was plenty of hysteria in Wales when we had to do SATs. back in the day. Then, there were 3 tests in English (writing, reading, handwriting/spelling/punctuation), 3 tests in Maths (2 written papers and a mental maths test on tape) and 2 science tests. Lots of schools spent a lot of time teaching to the test as you felt you were failing the children if your didn't prepare them satisfactorily.

I was sooo pleased when they disappeared and we were able to just teach normally all year.

[Takver]

I didn't know they were all years, we just had a letter about yrs 2 & 6. We've been told we will get the results, at the end of the summer term (I assume in with the reports).

DD did Welsh reading today and said it was pretty easy.

[ParkerTheThief]

The confusion about scores may be because schools don't have the tables to convert raw scores to standardised scores and NC levels.
We have to submit the raw scores and then will be sent the data once it has been processed.
The WAG even provided Sample
papers online which are probably what your DD has been doing since Easter.

[Takver]

I'm sure it is the sample paper, Parker. They have an inspection in the sister school too (same HT / deputy) so overall it doesn't sound like it has been very relaxed this term!

[ParkerTheThief]

Sounds like s difficult term.

The sample papers can be found on the links from this page.

[Takver]

I imagine the teachers will be very glad to get to half term . . .