Y7 son missed class to do weird tests

[Buryedmunds]

My son is in y7 and told me today that he missed his dt lesson as he was taken to a meeting room where he did these weird tests, one of which was writing about anything for 10 mins. Another task was to read some random numbers as fast as you can. He was not told what this was for or why…..does anyone know what this could be about!?

THIS EXACTLY!

I'm glad someone said it!

@Buryedmunds to be honest getting top marks at primary doesnt exclude a diagnosis of an SPLD * specific learning disability. Dd was diagnosed just before uni, top of the class untill the wheels fell off and she couldnt mask it anymore. Its a test not a.medical exam and only a screen, formal assessment needs a qualifed specalist teacher or psychologist, costs alot and you will know about that. The screening allows school to adapt ways of working to suit the pupils needs and allows exam access arrangments only. Do you know about every test he does on school to support him. Be very glad if thwy have caught it you dont need to go through what alot of other pupils/ parents have to go through to get support.

A reasonable voice! I’m not the OP but I thought it was mad that she was being told she had no right to know if her son was being tested for some additional needs.

Yep exactly thank you

We do dash with every child. We do not seek consent.

It's not "testing for a disability". It's screening to see if there's anything we need to check for. Heaven forbid we want to make sure outstanding primaries haven't missed anything.

Seeing as it's also the period where FFT are running a trial on some new tests, it's more likely that it's that, rather than a diagnostic.

It can still be. My son got 9s in both gcse English lit and language. His spelling is OK too. He had a later diagnosis of dyslexia on 6th form. Clever kids can often mask issues until they reach a higher level of education.

This is an entirely different scenario. Screening every child as a blanket school policy is not the same as pulling one child out of class for tests no one else is having.

A child who is being singled out for tests is suggestive of a child about whom concerns have been raised. In that scenario, the parents should absolutely have been part of the conversation and informed about any decisions regarding testing.

It is never ok to pull a child out of lessons for tests that have not been explained to them - this child clearly had no idea what they were being asked to do and for what reason - and if they were diagnostic or screening tests, a cursory email to the parents to inform them at the very least would be best practice.

I would be very concerned if a colleague thought it was ok to test a student for anything learning needs-wise without at least informing parents first.

You don't know that though - I regularly have to get individuals to catch up when they've missed the tests everyone else has done.

This will not have been a diagnostic test. Diagnostic testing for dyslexia can only be carried out by highly qualified assessors or EPs. We are strictly regulated and in no circumstances would carry out a diagnostic assessment without the permission and involvement of those with parental responsibility (as well as school input). Prior to full diagnostic assessment, a full history is taken, with formalised permissions put in place. It takes time and there is a cost implication which is usually not carried by a school budget.

What do you think it could be?

It sounds like a screening test. They are not diagnostic. They provide data that can provide indicators of potential issues that would lead to conversations about proper diagnostic testing.

@Bimblesalong is absolutely right in that a diagnostic test takes hours and the person doing them has to be fully qualified. These are and never should be done without parental consent.

School SENCOs, however, can do screening tests in school - but these should only be carried out in conversation with parents and with both the child and parent informed of them taking place and what they are for.

Hmm very dubious never had concerns before and we are proactive and involved parents

I would hope you would explain to the child what the test was for and why they were doing it first, however, which has not happened here. The child has no idea why they were doing them, which seems remarkably poor practice to me.

I would also email the parents to let them know as a matter of courtesy, as if a child had missed a national or school wide testing date, I'd want to reassure them their child was being given another opportunity to take the tests.

It would not fly at all in my school to have parents and children so uninformed as to what was going on during the school day!

My son had this but in year 9 - write as much as you can in 10 mins. He wrote about 2 or 3 short sentences. He has trouble writing lots, thinking about what to say etc he is autistic though. Didn't do the number test as he is top set for maths. Nothing to worry about he'll probably have TA support or extra intervention if needed

@Buryedmunds battery about to die but I commented earlier in the thread about what I thought it could be. Please forgive this post and dash!

I am a teacher and it certainly sounds like the dyslexia screener . We have to ask parents' permission to administer it .
https://www.gl-assessment.co.uk/products/dyslexia-screener/
Elements of the test include speed of writing, non word reading , naming pictures, digits backwards/ forwards, spelling etc.

possibly guinea pigs for new methods of teaching? i had this experience and that's what it was.

Can’t be as we were NOT made aware

Yes but maybe they just didn’t tell you !

@Buryedmunds repeating my comment from up thread. I think this is likely just to be checking on whether he needs extra time in tests. It sounds like a writing speed and verbal processing speed test. I've assessed a very many bright children for dyslexia, and many of them are dyslexic despite performing well in school. Sometimes, the gaps show later in education.

If they are taking up resources to carry out these checks, it is good practice and showing that they are carrying out due diligence. I know of too many schools where children do not have appropriate accommodations as the systems aren't in place. If he might need exam access arrangements, there are a lot of hoops to go through to meet the exam board evidence requirements eventually in KS4.

Hopefully, you'll get an answer to your question from the school soon.

These won’t be diagnostic tests. You would know if they were.
Could be screening. Could be trying out new teaching methods. Could be international testing. Could be all sorts of things.

def email the school.

and fwiw. My Y10 never has a clue about what is going on at school and even if he had been told what they were probably would not remember enough to tell me when he got home!!!!!!

OP. Do update us. I’m intrigued!!!

So, the head of year and his form tutor weren’t aware of the tests.
eventually the head of year emailed me and said “a teacher had referred him to the senco”. He did some tests and scored above average wtf

So they thought there might be a concern and checked it out. That's a positive, surely.