Yes or no - KS2 SATs for 2010 year 6

[wotzy]

Will there be test or not?

In the holidays I spoke to a mate/teacher (Primary) and she said no.

I am confused.

[popsycal]

yes
mathsand english but not science(am y6 teacher )

[wotzy]

Thanks
So just Maths and English (is it 2 for English)

[mrz]

I think they will go ahead unless the government do a U turn. Only the NUT have said they will bpycott.

[missmapp]

Our head has joined the campaign against SATs so has said he will not be administtrating SATS this year so there will be no sats in our school, I think quite a few heads have joined this action so it will vary from school to school

[mrz]

Maths has 3 tests
English 2 x writing 1 reading comprehension 1 spelling

[wotzy]

Only the NUT have said they will bpycott
What does that mean? Sorry I'm not up to speed here.

[wotzy]

Oh I see, it can vary from school to school depending on the unions. Is that right?

[popsycal]

english: reading,long writing, short writing, spelling
maths: paper a (non calc), paper b (calc) and mental test

[wotzy]

Poor child I have been telling her all summer no SAT's.

[mrz]

There are lots of teaching unions and only one of these have said they will boycott the tests next year. This effectively means that unless the government abolish SATs they will go ahead.
Heads have been told they will be in breach of contract if they don't administer tests.

[wotzy]

When my mate told me this I thought, I know I'll ask MN. They'll know.

[thecloudhopper]

I think they should though and be like Wales and Scotland

[mrz]

In Wales SATs are optional and many schools still use them for assessment.

[thecloudhopper]

ER NO actually in Wales most school do not use SATS at all for assessment and the county I work for in Wales doing SATS as assessment are a no.

[Feenie]

The National Association of Headteachers - traditionally quite moderate - has also voted to ballot for a boycott.

[kid]

So if all the teachers are members of NUT who say they will boycott the SATS, does that mean they won't happen at that school or does it still fall to the Head to make that decision.

Also, I wonder how that will effect the secondary schools? I was under the impression that children had to do the SATS. If they didn't, then I think I read/heard that they will go to the end of the list.

[Feenie]

It is a little known fact - mainly because the government and the media never mention it - that Teacher Assessment in Y6 has equal weighting with SAT results.

They are, in fact, more accurate than the test results because they reflect the child's day to day work, and are built up from many sources of evidence, not just a 45 minute snapshot under pressure.

The Teacher Assessments are reported both nationally and to secondary schools/parents - therefore secondary schools will have ample useful information to do with as they wish.

If NUT members at a school boycott the tests, and the Head decides he won't, he must find enough members of staff to help administer the tests. Other members of different unions would be entitled to refuse if this took them away from their day to day teaching - they are not obliged to cover for colleagues who are boycotting the tests.

It will depend on how many NUT/NAHT members exist in indivivdual schools. The NAHT is traditionally a moderate union, and historically have never before worked in partnership with the NUT - the fact that they are balloting to do so shows the strength of feeling against testing 11 year olds, the narrowing of the curriculum that this often entails and the unfairness of league tables.

[mrz]

thecloudhopper I said many not most and many schools do use optional SATs

[mrz]

In my school only one member of staff is in the NUT so the boycott isn't likely to have any impact.
feenie I don't think the tests in themselves narrow the curriculum but league tables and the associated implications put pressure on schools/teachers to teach to the test. Without league tables the SATs would be no more than an end of school year summative assessment.

[Feenie]

I agree, Mrz - but I also think that the test conditions which the tests put children under are abhorrent. Desks in rows, exam conditions, packs of papers not opened until the minute the tests are due to begin, papers collected in and packed away immediately - schools have to practise at least once so that children are not terrified simply by the process.

Mean.

[wotzy]

I presume in most schools the year 5 teachers will have already a clear idea of each child's academic ability (ie teacher assessment by the end of year 5), and this will be more important for the child.

[Feenie]

True, but they will make lots of progress again between now and May 2010, wotzy! But it will all be tracked and teacher assessed, so no problem. It just won't be externally tested in some schools.

Big deal!

[Feenie]

Tracked, teacher assessed and reported, aswell.

[wotzy]

I hate SATs. dd1 wasted and worried away her last year in Primary. When they go to Secondary, it's more test each year anyway. I'm all for good education, but to stop all other learning and focus only on the preparation and tests for SATs is not my idea of a useful/happy school year.

[mrz]

By Feenie on Sun 30-Aug-09 18:02:55
I agree, Mrz - but I also think that the test conditions which the tests put children under are abhorrent.

but that's all part of the league table mentality rather than assessment.

If assessment/SAT results were used to inform what children know and what they need to learn rather than as a big stick to threaten schools with they could be quite painless for the children.