worried about SATS

[Mrsmistletoe]

Ds is sitting his SATS in May and iv never been so worried about anything in my life.

His school is in special measures and I have tried to move him school due to the poor standards but all schools are full.

He's struggling so much even when he's working his hardest and the school don't have much resources to help children out. They didn't have any extra help up until year 6 as there has never been the funding.

The comprehensive school he's wanting to go to has improved loads but it's also in an area where there is a lot of trouble from misbehaving students and I feel that if he doesn't pass these SATS he's going to be put with these and not be able to move on and get good grades.

We have tried all extra help after school and supported him as much as we can but nothing is working. I do wonder if he's not ready, if he was born a week later he would currently be a year 5 and that's why he can't keep up with his class mates and now there's nothing we can do about it. We cannot afford a tutor for home and there's nothing more the school can do so I feel between us we have failed him.

[mrz]

m.youtube.com/watch?v=t7dgWlInpok is a video from the standards and tests agency explaining how the new tests will work and how they will be used and reported.

[Autumnsky]

SATS results doesn't mean anything, so you don't need to worry about that test.It's not like 11+ test, that you have to pass to get into a grammar school.

Your actual worry is you DS is not doing well academically. I don't think it's about he is summer born, as normally children catch up around 7 years old. As you have done lots with him at home. What is the area he is struggling?

[Mrsmistletoe]

Thank you for replying.

I initially wasn't that worried until parents evening when his teacher told us if he doesn't do well enough in his SATS he will be put into the bottom form in comprehensive school.

The main issues is him not showing his working out in mathematics and his handwriting in literacy.
We was tackling the issue of writing out how he found the answers of the sums so we thought fine he will be ok with that as he is very good at maths in general. His handwriting however has always been a problem, we have tried different pens but it's still the same. We asked if he could stop joining up but that was a no go because it was part of the curriculum until this year. Now they have told us he must forget everything he's learnt and write in print so then at least he will pass because they will be able to read what he's put.

We was not no where near as worried until the teacher told us he will be put in the lower form of learning with the children who don't want to learn if he doesn't catch up so he won't stand a chance in comp and won't ever get out of being in the lower form.

[Millymollymama]

Have you asked the school for his progress data? Usually failing schools do not ensure their pupils make sufficient progress. What progress has he made from Y3 to now? What were his attainment levels at the end of KS1 and what are they now? The school should have precise details on this. If he was a 1a or 2c at the end of KS1, progress to a good level 4 (or whatever system the school is now using) may be too much of a challenge for this school.

What is the difference between printing and not joining up? Why has he not practiced and practiced joined up writing? What is stopping him joining up?

Yes, secondary schools will retest but they often find the Sats results at KS2 are too high. You also need to factor in quality of writing, reading and spelling. What comments are the teachers putting in his work books about how to improve? The other problem is that he is being tested on the new curriculum and this is more challenging.

Usually a school requiring improvement works really hard to ensure children make better progress than before. Has the Head changed? Also, do not assume all naughty children are not intelligent! They could be in all classes at the comprehensive school! There is obviously very little time left for a massive improvement but just keep going! The school will. They will be judged on the progress of the children and have no delight in failure.

[gingerdad]

Don't worry about sats. It's the school that's really on test. Don't put any extra pressure on DC

[gingerdad]

My DDs secondary ignored the sats results. Teachers putting pressure on is wrong.

[Mrsmistletoe]

We have received progress data at the beginning of the year and at the end. He has been just below average from the start and nothing has been put into place to improve this. We addressed this but they have just told us it will be fine, it's not just him, there's more time ect..

He can write joined up but it looks messy and pretty unreadable so now he's in year 6 they have now finally decided to stuff the curriculum and let him print because it will be better that they can read his answers than him taking his time to write neatly joined up and miss questions because he ran out of time.

His work is very good it's just the small factors that the teachers think will hold him back. We only get updated on the beginning of the year and at the end, no other contact! No work books with markings in, no letters on progress no nothing. We have to make a meeting to discuss anything as we can't even speak to a teacher on the yard.

School got placed into special measures after a seriously shocking ofsted report meaning the headteacher at the time got fired so we had a year of no headteacher, then a temporary one from another local primary school who have joined our primary school to make it an academy and finally we have a new headteacher and all new teachers so they are just getting to know the pupils (most don't even know their names).

There is no funding whatsoever no proper SATS books, no breakfast club or booster classes until y6, no art unless we pay for the materials and no money for extra teachers (DD year 3 is currently mixed with year 4 as there isn't enough teachers to cater for her overcrowded class so they have been split up and we have been told this will not change now before she leaves).

I didn't assume naughty children weren't intelligent, we was told he would be put with them and be distracted in every lesson so wouldn't make any progress.

[partystress]

Sounds like the school feel under pressure (no surprise given how high the stakes are now and the impossibility for schools of knowing how they are doing - new tests, unspecified 'pass mark') and are passing that pressure down. Your child will be having a boring enough time at school, learning little outside English and maths this year, so please try not to panic and please don't feel the need to get a tutor.

[Autumnsky]

It doesn't sound so bad then. I think you can ask your DS to do some handwriting practice everyday. Also, maybe get a KS2 revision workbook to do some every day, like half an hour. I think this will help to fill any possible gap as well, so will be a big help for his secondary school education too.

[redskybynight]

SATs per se are not the issue. It's the standard of your DS's work when he gets to secondary school. This will determine what set he is in (presuming your comp sets). If you are supporting out of school it's hard to see what else you could be doing.

Sets are meant to be fluid, so there is definitely no way that even if he ends up in the lower set he should stay there as long as the standard of his work justifies it. Did the teacher really say this to you!!?

[CreepingDogFart]

SATs now are pass or fail although not using that terminology. If the child's result doesn't match "age related expectations", they will have to resist the test in Year 7.

[WildStallions]

Your primary can't speak for your secondary! They're just saying that stuff to worry you, so you'll do more work with him.

Your secondary may or may not set.

And if he's 'just below avg' it's likely he'll be in a middle set not a bottom set.

20% of children leave primary not reading well. Those are the children who make up the bottom set.

[mrz]

Your primary school is likely to know how all the local secondary schools operate. We work very closely with the main schools our pupils will attend (staff from the secondaries come into school and their transition teachers work in the Y6 class one afternoon per week for two terms). They all use KS2 tests (SATs) to initially set pupils in Y7

[MamaKimmy]

Hi, I was just wondering how your son is getting on now. I’m worried about my daughter as she is about to take her SATs and has the same issue