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Original poster

SATS cheating - by the Head!

561 replies

Dilemmaramma · 16/05/2025 21:16

In my DC’s final SATS exam yesterday, the headteacher was overseeing and they picked up DC’s paper, DURING the exam, flicked through it, then rubbed out one of the answers and told DC to try again. They also pointed out another wrong answer and indicated DC should re-do that question.

This is clear cut cheating, right?

YABU - don’t report it, the whole year group could get their SATS voided and they’ll be devastated
YANBU - this is appalling and the Head needs to be investigated

OP posts:
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9
Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 13:13

I’m saying that good quality, focussed teaching plus good quality, focussed revision sessions are good.

But when primary school teachers do this, some teachers and parents accuse them of artificially inflating pupils’ attainment/hot housing.

Writing is a case in point - the standard required at Y6 is crazily high. Many adults would not be able to write at this standard. I’ve seen children’s spelling/punctuation fall off a cliff when they reach secondary. Did we hot house them? Or do we simply have higher expectations because we have to?

Years ago, I took part in a transition project with Y7 teachers observing me. They couldn’t believe the standard that Y6 were working solidly at because it wasn’t anywhere near where they pitch their teaching. Y7s come back and report boredom because so much is repeated over the next two years. And HLTA of ours tutors GCSE students outside school and can’t believe how much of the Y6 curriculum constitutes GCSE Maths.

TeenToTwenties · 18/05/2025 13:02

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 12:59

I’m referring (of course) to the interventions/practising that some secondary teachers call hot-housing.

Obviously.

I am not being purposely obtuse here.

For most subjects, the students have to sit exams. The teachers don't know the contents of the exams in advance.

Or are you saying that good quality, focused teaching is bad?
You get what you measure. The measure is GCSEs, so schools teach to gghat.

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 12:59

I’m referring (of course) to the interventions/practising that some secondary teachers call hot-housing.

Obviously.

TeenToTwenties · 18/05/2025 12:59

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 11:59

And as an FE teacher, my dh wishes schools wouldn’t ’artificially inflate’ GCSE results. Can you see a pattern yet?

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How can they do that?

(Ignoring 2020 and 2021).

Not many still have coursework, and these are moderated.

WonderingWanda · 18/05/2025 12:55

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 11:59

And as an FE teacher, my dh wishes schools wouldn’t ’artificially inflate’ GCSE results. Can you see a pattern yet?

Show quote history

I'm not allowed in the exam room with my gcse students so there is no cheating going on.

Hippywannabe · 18/05/2025 12:36

You have made the wrong decision.

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 12:09

To the teachers who have to abide by an enormous set of serious rules and recommendations, and live with the consequences of the performance measures they lead to, they absolutely are.

Mischance · 18/05/2025 12:05

LunchtimeNaps · 18/05/2025 12:04

I know this is a few days old but I think it should have been reported. If this HT is happy to do this in SATS what else are they happy to flout the rules on? It's about morals and not turning the other way. Those who have said what if she got to gain from reporting it, do you feel the same if she turned the other way of someone was getting robbed or hurt etc? She would have nothing to gain from reporting that but she'd be expected to do so.

That would if course be a case for reporting as it is a serious matter. SATs are not.

LunchtimeNaps · 18/05/2025 12:04

I know this is a few days old but I think it should have been reported. If this HT is happy to do this in SATS what else are they happy to flout the rules on? It's about morals and not turning the other way. Those who have said what if she got to gain from reporting it, do you feel the same if she turned the other way of someone was getting robbed or hurt etc? She would have nothing to gain from reporting that but she'd be expected to do so.

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 11:59

WonderingWanda · 18/05/2025 08:26

I wish primary schools wouldn't do things which artificially inflate SATS grades. As a secondary teacher I am constantly beaten with the "but their target grade is an 8 why are they getting 5's" stick for kids who really are not grade 8 students. Op in terms of your concerns over your child's set at secondary, don't worry. Teachers in secondary are used are used to quickly working out when children are in the wrong set, they will also be used to taking the SATS scores with a pinch of salt and teaching the child in front of them. The sats are just a tool for league tables. I didn't even share the scores with my own kids.

And as an FE teacher, my dh wishes schools wouldn’t ’artificially inflate’ GCSE results. Can you see a pattern yet?

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 11:57

Mischance · 18/05/2025 08:21

The head did not tell the child the answers, just indicated that they needed to rethink their answer - it's called education.

It’s called flagrant cheating!

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 11:54

Teateaandmoretea · 18/05/2025 06:07

It’s completely different. SATs are in primary schools, when the emphasis should be about fostering love for learning not practising the same boring stuff day in day out,

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Yes, it should. But the current, crowded, overloaded primary curriculum and the performance measures we are judged by just don’t allow for that, unfortunately.

It was written into the curriculum before 2014. Now it isn’t. Read any Ofsted subject report - we are expected to run primary schools as mini secondaries with primary school teachers as subject specialists in 11 different subjects to a ridiculously high standard.

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 11:49

Oh, and - you really ought to know that 😉

Jessie3 · 18/05/2025 11:48

IButtleSir · 18/05/2025 07:10

In that case, you really ought to know the difference between the recommendations and the rules of SATs administration! As well as understanding the difficulties of finding enough willing, available, DBS-checked adults to have more than one person per room in a school with 96 Year 6 children and a fairly high proportion of children with SEN, which necessitates using a large number of rooms.

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They wouldn’t need to be DBSed, as they wouldn’t be alone with children as a second invigilator.

Mischance · 18/05/2025 11:46

Education is ongoing ....

Globules · 18/05/2025 11:20

On my behalf of my school, my previous schools and other honest schools and colleagues in our country, I'm disappointed in your decision @Dilemmaramma

Original poster
Dilemmaramma · 18/05/2025 11:15

Jojimoji · 18/05/2025 10:33

Absolutely this.
SATS are an absolute nonsense. The whole rigmarole is an absolute farce.
And the massively dramatic overreaction of the OP isn't going to help the child move through life with a sense of perspective.

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I’m pretty sure the education is supppsed to happen before the exam rather than during it….

ETA this was in response to @mischance

OP posts:
GinghamMistress · 18/05/2025 11:12

I’m now 41 and my primary school headteacher subtly told me to redo a grammar school entry test question back in the 90s. The school was allowed to host the exam in their own classrooms 😆

Original poster
Dilemmaramma · 18/05/2025 11:12

I’m quite comfortable with teaching my child decent values, which include integrity and calling out unacceptable behaviour by people in positions of authority.

I’ve decided not to report it to STA, primarily because I can’t live with the whole year group having their scores voided. I will be expressing my opinion to the head, in the potentially naive hope that he sees this as a near miss and has a word with himself and changes his conduct in the future.

OP posts:
Orangesinthebag · 18/05/2025 10:44

Jojimoji · 18/05/2025 10:33

Absolutely this.
SATS are an absolute nonsense. The whole rigmarole is an absolute farce.
And the massively dramatic overreaction of the OP isn't going to help the child move through life with a sense of perspective.

Show quote history

Exactly this!

Jojimoji · 18/05/2025 10:33

Mischance · 18/05/2025 08:21

The head did not tell the child the answers, just indicated that they needed to rethink their answer - it's called education.

Absolutely this.
SATS are an absolute nonsense. The whole rigmarole is an absolute farce.
And the massively dramatic overreaction of the OP isn't going to help the child move through life with a sense of perspective.

sakuraspring · 18/05/2025 10:22

NeverDropYourMooncup · 18/05/2025 08:49

I see the data after the event, I don't witness a physical act of cheating or have it reported/admitted to me.

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I appreciate that. I just think statistically anomalous results ought to be a trigger for closer scrutiny of a school

NeverDropYourMooncup · 18/05/2025 08:49

sakuraspring · 17/05/2025 22:59

If it's possible to get this from the data then when aren't there more interventions? Lack of resources?

Because my children's cheating head has had a "stratospheric" career and is known for her ability to "radically improve" sats results in each school she goes to, yet she's clearly got away with it so far

Show quote history

I see the data after the event, I don't witness a physical act of cheating or have it reported/admitted to me.

WonderingWanda · 18/05/2025 08:26

I wish primary schools wouldn't do things which artificially inflate SATS grades. As a secondary teacher I am constantly beaten with the "but their target grade is an 8 why are they getting 5's" stick for kids who really are not grade 8 students. Op in terms of your concerns over your child's set at secondary, don't worry. Teachers in secondary are used are used to quickly working out when children are in the wrong set, they will also be used to taking the SATS scores with a pinch of salt and teaching the child in front of them. The sats are just a tool for league tables. I didn't even share the scores with my own kids.

Mischance · 18/05/2025 08:21

The head did not tell the child the answers, just indicated that they needed to rethink their answer - it's called education.