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Original poster

Y7 day 1: I'm already cross.

91 replies

PiqueABoo · 02/09/2014 17:23

The [bleeps] threw two lots of CATs at them.

If you wanted to depress the results and also make them a bit unreliable, then I can't think of a better time i.e. when lots of the children are a teensy bit anxious to say the very least.

Can anyone talk me out of that view?

OP posts:
Picturesinthefirelight · 02/09/2014 18:37

I would dispute the fact that SATS are better than cats (ds didn't do SATS at her primary school anyway)

OhMyActualDays · 02/09/2014 18:37

It is very usual to test immediately, whatever the form. Ours did a reading test during transition week in July! They don't seem scarred by it!

Sparklingbrook · 02/09/2014 18:36

I think day 2 at least would have been preferable Pique. I would be a bit Hmm too if I am honest.
Not sure why the first day back was deemed as a good idea.

WaffleWiffle · 02/09/2014 18:36

You are being precious. Is this your first born?

Most schools do CATS tests
They do them first week, if not first day
You cannot revise for CATs
Different thing to 11+

Used alongside many other things - including SATS and teacher assessments - to assess a child's start point upon starting KS3. So that when the end of KS3 arrives, progress can be judged.

amyhamster · 02/09/2014 18:36

& presumably they need to put them into sets going on the results?
We had loads of tests back in the day , didn't do us any harm

tiggytape · 02/09/2014 18:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shinysparklythings · 02/09/2014 18:34

The problem is primary school data seems very unreliable these days! year 7's are having maths tests in their second maths lesson, we need to do it this early so that we can set them properly! It's much better to test and set straight away than have kids in groups that are much too hard/easy.

Beetlemilk · 02/09/2014 18:34

Were you waiting in the foyer to collect your child after school by any chance?

Beetlemilk · 02/09/2014 18:32

It is usual to assess children at the start of any learning programme in order to monitor progress effectively.

Original poster
PiqueABoo · 02/09/2014 18:31

@Picturesinthefirelight: According to a letter to parents brought home tonight the child will be given the results, however the same letter claims the tests that have already happened will happen in the future, so $deity knows.

SATs are better predictors than CATS. A clever combination of the two is a better predictor than SATs (or CATs) alone.

OP posts:
Original poster
PiqueABoo · 02/09/2014 18:26

@Beetlemilk: That is an assertion, not an argument. Please explain why.

OP posts:
Original poster
PiqueABoo · 02/09/2014 18:25

PS: I'm not being very calming.

I don't know, but I although many schools do these, it's the first time I've heard of it happening on the first day. Decent schools justuse them to gather a bit more information as opposed to relying on them for serious decisions. They might help them do things like find someone who is theoretically quite brainy but has middling/low SATs i.e. a mystery worth investigating.

The correlation between cognitive ability and real exam passing e.g. GCSEs is around 0.5, so not overwhelming. That's because exam passing depends on many other characteristics besides raw intelligence.

OP posts:
Picturesinthefirelight · 02/09/2014 18:23

It's quite normal.

Schools don't trust SATS anymore so need an indication if the children's ability.

Chances are you will never even be given the results unless (like my dd) you get them as part of an sen diagnosis process.

Beetlemilk · 02/09/2014 18:21

You are being precious.
It makes perfect sense to give CATS on the first day.

Original poster
PiqueABoo · 02/09/2014 18:18

Cognitive ability tests. They're essentially 11+ test stuff, qualitative, verbal, non verbal reasoning etc.

My child was assured by some new authority figures you can't practise and get better at them which everyone+dog knows is stuff and nonsense, especially parents living in grammar school areas.

Apart from my reliability angle above I just I think it was very mean to give them tests on the very first day.

OP posts:
overmydeadbody · 02/09/2014 17:24

What are CATs?

Worried now, DS starts yr 7 tomorrow.