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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to struggle to understand why SAT's are such a bloody big deal?

134 replies

BloodySATStakingovertheworld · 03/05/2011 22:43

Have namechanged.

My dd is part of a sports team. They have amazingly qualified to represent their school in a National Final of a competition.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, the competition has clashed with the children starting their SAT's and the school and most of the other parents aren't interested in the slightest in the competition - they're only interested in the SAT's and how the children should be focussed on them.

The headteacher even picked the children out in assembly and whilst they were waiting to be told 'congratulations' for qualifying or 'good luck' for the final, the bloody headteacher said to make sure they take their SAT books to the comp so that they can schedule in plenty of revision and whatever happens at the comp they're to make sure they have an early night ready for the SAT's next morning Shock No good luck, kiss my arse or anything! Angry

Some of the parents are refusing to bring their children to the competition until just before they're due compete (so no preparation time) because they want them to do more SAT's revision first. I think this is sooo unfair to the rest of the team. The preparation time is essential to the comp and it's really letting their team-mates down.

I'm so cross at the school (and the other parents!).

Yes, I know SAT's are important to the school, but they're not the be-all and end-all! These children are representing their school at a National Fucking Competition and haven't even been told GOOD LUCK!!

I'm stunned, I really am.

Dd has worked really hard in school btw and has done extra revision classes as well as lots of extra revision throughout the Easter Hols. But she's worked really hard with her team-mates too! ...and surely that's just as important?

AIBU? Because I'm mightily fucking pissed off on dd's behalf Sad

OP posts:
janetsplanet · 06/05/2011 20:57

oh feenie, i wonder what the hell the teacher is on about. the irony is tho, DD was sent home with a packet of sweets and 2 stickers for doing well in the exam.
the teacher knows DD is bright, i know she is bright. she just cant behave properly

spanieleyes · 06/05/2011 21:00

There are some schools sitting science tests at KS2, there is a sample scheme still running this year too. They will be held next Friday ( thankfully we're not in the sample!)

Feenie · 06/05/2011 21:01

Roughly translated, it will be 'we have decided to do a test of our own design to confirm our Science teacher assessment, even though this is recognised as atrocious practice for assessing 6 and 7 year olds in Science. Your dd wasn't keen'

(I'm with your dd Wink)

Rosebud05 · 06/05/2011 21:08

Does anyone mind if I ask this here? Is the 'value added' score on the league tables a comparison between KS1 and KS2 results or entry and KS2 results? Or something else?

Feenie · 06/05/2011 21:10

The first one.

Rosebud05 · 06/05/2011 21:20

Thanks. So in schools where, for whatever reason, there's a lot of mobility in the 'junior' school, the comparison is between very different pupil populations?

And comparing results from different pupil populations, some who have been there for only a few months is suppose to indicate what 'value' or not the school has added?

How bonkers.

Feenie · 06/05/2011 21:24

Yes - the comparison is between the teacher assessment awarded in Y2 and whatever the child gets in Y6 tests - so if children move, we inherit their scores, whatever they may be.

spanieleyes · 06/05/2011 21:24

Half my current year 6's were with us in yr 2, the remainder have joined since including two last year and one this. Some have come to me with VERY unrealistic KS1 results ( interestingly the worst ones being from schools with seperate infants/juniors) which makes adding value something of a challenge!

Dancergirl · 06/05/2011 21:41

don't give a flying fig about SATS. As far as I'm concerned, once my dd (currently in Year 5) has her place at her (favoured I hope!) secondary school, she's on wind down till the end of the year.
Not in my class, she's not! I expect my children to work to their best throughout the year and through every year, not just when it suits! The last week is possibly for winding down, the rest of the year is for reaching our maximum potential!

That's all well and good spanieleyes, you'd hate me if I was a parent at your school! I don't really think Year 6 children really learn much in the last term - Year 6 parents at our school have said as much. It's good in theory, to continue working to the same standard till the end of the year but just doesn't work in practice.

I'm also planning on taking all my children out of school one day next year to go to Legoland with no queues!

onceamai · 06/05/2011 21:46

We always thought the dcs cofe primary did very badly on the value added and that spoke volumes bearing in mind the middle class intake. Hadn't realised it was based on the achievements of the incumbent's of Y2 revalued at Y6. Didn't really work did it when rafts of children (well about a third at end of Y2) and another two or three end of Y3, and another 2/3 end of Y4, etc. shipped out to the private sector to be replaced by those on the waiting list who hadn't met the initial admissions criteria or lived a bit further away.

Rosebud05 · 06/05/2011 21:55

That's one of the problems with Ofsted and League tables as I see it, onceamai.

They appear to be in 'lay' terms ie we all know what 'value' means, but actually the processes for calculating are quite complex and oblique.

spanieleyes · 06/05/2011 21:58

Oh, I'm not saying we keep their noses to the grindstone, we have a residential trip booked, and plenty of other activities too, including a carnival, sports festivals , you name it, we do it! But they are expected to put as much effort into these activities as they are anything else, and English and maths continue throughout, the focus simply shifts to writing for different audiences! It was the "once my child knows which secondary they are going to, the rest of the year doesn't really matter " attitude that was mildly irritatingGrin

FlaminGreatGallah · 06/05/2011 22:12

Junior and Infant schools should be going about the business of ensuring that children want to learn and are motivated to learn.

I speak as a former primary school teacher.

My DD can't sleep and may have a nosebleed brought on by stress because of this bollocks even though I have tried and tried to reassure her. Sadly she is on the high level three / four borderline and has been subjected to more pressure than most.

A nosebleed with my DD's medical problems usually entails a three-night stay in hospital with transfusions. I have explained this to her school but have they listened? I tried to turn down additional after-school tutoring for her but the teachers charmed her into wanting it. She did enjoy it at the time but I am worried now.

Perhaps I should keep her off for a few days next week just to be on the safe side. She has an actual diagnosis / condition which acknowledges serious bleeds brought on by stressful situations. It is tempting.

moonmother · 07/05/2011 09:26

My DD has SATS next week (she's 11), my Ds (7) also has then sometime this month.

The difference between the way the schools are handling them is immense.

Since my DD went back to school after Xmas they have been having extra Maths, English and Science lessons, these are 'lesser' subjects lessons that have been taken over. We've had letter home telling us how to help them revise.

We've also had letters home stating that they aren't putting any pressure on the children, and how to make them relax. The results last year are the highest the school ever got, and they get good scores usually, DD said that as they got such good scores last year, their year don't want to "let the school down".

Last week they we're scheduled to have their first Sex Education lesson- they did maths instead. In my opinion Sex Education is much more important than an extra maths revision lesson.

My Daughter is in the highest set of her year in all the core subjects- in fact she's one of th top students in her year.

My DD is also a worrier and takes what her teachers say as gospel.
My DD came home from school yesterday and all it's been is SATS this SATS that, she has constantly sat with her head in revision , despite us saying we were limiting her to a small amount each day over the weekend.

She's actually stressing about it all so much I went to the Chemist and bought Rescue Remedy and have started giving it to her, and they haven't even taken their first test yet.

I understand that the childrens age is making a difference as to how the different schools approach the SATS , but my DS's school has made no fuss over them whatsoever.

To say I'm Angry about my DD's schools approach is an understatement, and I will being seeing someone at the school to complain.

follyfoot · 07/05/2011 09:54

I know a Mum who got a tutor for her DS's SATS Shock

What worries me is that she has since retrained and is now herself a primary school teacher.....aaaaaaargh

Rosebud05 · 07/05/2011 21:26

The (absolutely unnecessary) pressure on kids is horrible.

My friend's daughter went to one of the ultra-desirable, Outstanding, top of league table primaries a few miles away. The majority of her class had tutors for KS2 sats - the school was very 'supportive' of this because it boosts their results.

Wales is so enlightened.

onceamai · 07/05/2011 23:36

There shouldn't be that much pressure rosebud but a lot of the children at our dc's primary had tutors because they had the potential to get into grammar schools and one teacher confused the x and y axes and various others couldn't properly construct a sentence let alone spell: "read allowed well" is the big clanger I remember. School was Outstanding by the way Hmm and the results were always pretty close to 100%.

Rosebud05 · 08/05/2011 08:05

Tutoring for grammar schools admission tests is different from tutoring for SATS.

MaryBS · 08/05/2011 08:29

DD is on a Scout weekend this weekend - thought it would take her mind off it. They start on Monday - is it the same everywhere?

spanieleyes · 08/05/2011 09:44

Yes, there is a strict timetable for KS2 SATS, Monday is reading comprehension, Tuesday is writing and spelling, Wednesday is maths and mental maths, Thursday the second maths paper and Friday the science paper for those schools doing them.

Yellowstone · 08/05/2011 10:08

Rosebud I assume onceamai meant that kids were tutored for SATS because the grammars like an indication that they're heading for L5's, so the better the score the better the prognosis for the grammar.

My DD4's school sent a letter on Friday advising early night, plenty of fluids etc. and I thought even that was way over the top. YADNBU in the least.

Feenie · 08/05/2011 10:23

You would be surprised - we had two children last year who'd stayed up until 2a.m. at a family party on the Sunday night. Hmm

wotnochocs · 08/05/2011 10:26

I LOVE the fact that sats gives the kids the upper hand over their teachers/schoolst.They could all sit there and refuse to write anything on their paper and the teacher's/schools avaerage scores would plummet

bruffin · 08/05/2011 10:29

"DD is on a Scout weekend this weekend - thought it would take her mind off it. They start on Monday - is it the same everywhere?"

A lot of the boys including DS were away for a scout camp the weekend before as well. I thought it was a good way to relax before the tests.

clam · 08/05/2011 10:32

Yeah, wouldn't that be hilarious, wotnochocs. Hmm