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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To hate year 6 SATs

39 replies

Voidka · 04/04/2012 21:26

I hate them - the pressure that the children are put under, the pressure the teachers are put under.

Year 6 has basically been a 6 month cram so far. DS is so anxious and its dragging on until the end of May!

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 04/04/2012 21:29

YANBU my DS2's school boycotted them a couple of years ago.

It made no difference to their grouping in senior school as it was done on their past reports and aptitude tests.

Anyway, after the first half term the kids are normally re-grouped again.

elinorbellowed · 04/04/2012 21:32

YANBU.
Be careful not to say this on Facebook however, a friend with a Year 6 child and I had a 'discussion' about this subject on her page and she was called into the Head's office for a chat....... She had to grovel and remove the offending page.

Original poster

Voidka · 04/04/2012 21:46

What did she say!

OP posts:

AgentZigzag · 04/04/2012 21:51

That's a bit strong isn't it elinor? Why did the head think he had any authority over the mum? Which she must have agreed with to grovel and remove the page.

Debeez · 04/04/2012 22:02

The SATS are there to test the school not the children. If the school is so concerned about their performance that they stress the kids out they should be looking at their overall performance rather than training them like monkeys to pass a test. You don't fatten a pig by weighing it.

Original poster

Voidka · 05/04/2012 07:48

Well at least no one disagrees with me :o

OP posts:

doctorcake · 05/04/2012 07:56

Nobody sane would :) It's six months of hell for the child, the results of which in the main are ignored by the secondary schools, as they know what happens in the primary schools. My daughter's school fortunately boycotted them the year she was due to take them, so we were also spared the day when every pushy competitive parent in the playground shouted about their child's results, upsetting many and making those who weren't above average feel like failures (I was warned to actually avoid this day by a parent who had had to experience it the year before). All in all there is no point to these tests.

StickAForkInMeImDone · 05/04/2012 07:58

YANBU. My DSs school also boycotted them a couple of years ago. Last year they did not make a big deal out of them at all. The teachers also made it clear that the results did not make a difference to the school they were allocated.

CogitoErgoSometimes · 05/04/2012 08:05

YABU... A good teacher won't be pressurised and won't pass on any pressure to the children either. My DS's Y6 teacher managed both very well and only the children of neurotic over-competitive parents had any issues.

Threeprinces · 05/04/2012 08:13

YANBU to hate them generally but I agree that a good teacher will not pressure too much. My DS1 is in yr6 and school have a very relaxed attitude to SATS (and have just been classified as outstanding school so they get very good results and progress).

They haven't had any practice papers home yet, limited homework. To be honest I wonder whether he should be getting more when I hear about other local schools sending home lots of practice/past papers to do. A nice balance would be good, but I have to trust that the school know what they're doing....

NotaDisneyMum · 05/04/2012 08:13

I'm not sure whether to be relieved or worried - DDs has SATS soon but there has been none of the cramming or stress mentioned here?!?

Original poster

Voidka · 05/04/2012 08:18

I am not an OTT parent (DS has AS and feels anxiety over most things, but he is really stressed about this). They have been cramming with practice tests since October, and have been put into groups in order of ability so that each group gets targeted help - they do these groups every day.

OP posts:

Badgercub · 05/04/2012 08:20

"A good teacher won't be pressurised and won't pass on any pressure to the children either."

That's not always true. I know plenty of good/outstanding teachers who still feel the pressure and stress of SATs, which is piled on them by senior management, parents etc.

It still depends very much on the ethos of the school.

LindyHemming · 05/04/2012 09:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

valiumredhead · 05/04/2012 09:06

YANBU

My ds is just on the cusp of getting a level 5 - so they are giving him booster lessons so he is a strong 5 on the day. No pressure then

Original poster

Voidka · 05/04/2012 09:20

That sounds like what my DS is doing valium. The problem is that although he is really good in maths (and doing a level 6 paper so even more worry for him) he is poor in literacy, yet he isnt getting more help in his reading comprehension, just lots and lots of practice papers.

OP posts:

valiumredhead · 05/04/2012 09:33

I went to parent's eve the other day - I know all about levels and which grades ds is but I would have REALLY liked to know if he is happy, adjusted and has a nice group of mates tbh!

GnomeDePlume · 05/04/2012 13:02

YABU the problem isnt the SATs but the way that schools have responded to them. It is the head of the school who decides that the year 6s will be stressed out. The school my DCs went to did the SATs but cut out all the stressing. The school actually made it fun with SATs breakfasts and fun activities outside of the tests.

I date back to the good old days when what happenned in school was hidden from parents.

Debsbear · 05/04/2012 13:13

Just make sure that your chil dknows that the tests are for the teachers and not for the child. Children are told that it matters greatly that they achive their best so their next school can stream them properly. This is NOT the case. As well as the test results the school will be sent a teacher assessmant level. If a child achieves a far higher grade in their SATS than the teacher was expecting then the comp will wonder why the teacher has so under assessed them - they are obvioulsy not getting the best out of your child and they will be encouraged to achieve their real potential in teh furture. If they seriously underachieve in the tests then the comp will write it down as a bad day and go with the teacher assessment. Actually sitting the tests cannot affect your child's future adversly. It's the pressure they are put under that is wrong. Make sure your child knows the facts.

gafhyb · 05/04/2012 13:25

Teachers cannot help but feel pressured by them. Y6 teachers have the responsibility for the publicly-accessible results of the education of that child.

GnomeDePlume · 05/04/2012 13:36

But the head should be telling teachers not to stress about them.

gafhyb · 05/04/2012 13:39

I agree. I just think it's human nature. I really think they should be boycotted.

elinorbellowed · 05/04/2012 13:45

Agent and vodkha - she said her child with dyslexia was very stressed and humiliated by SATs and had had practice test results read out in class. I said that was bad practice if true and she should talk to them(I'm a teacher.) and that she wasn't to worry, these tests were for the school and not the pupils. Another friend hinted that she should keep the child off school that week. She was told she was un-supportive of the school and she was also worried about my professional reputation. I don't care, it is my professional opinion that these tests are pointless, divisive and ruin the last year of primary school and I will cheerfully say that to any parent or colleague. Her page is private BTW, so it must have been one of her 'friends' that grassed her up.

forceslover · 05/04/2012 13:45

If you don't want you child to sit the exam, can you just not let them? Boycott them as a personal matter? Just wondering?

Scholes34 · 05/04/2012 13:52

We've had similar experiences to Gnome's. DC3 is about to go through the tests and we're encountering no stress from him or the teachers, or with any of his friends. The school has always made SATs a special time for Year6s. They do lots of fun things when the tests aren't happening.

OP mentions that Year 6 has been a 6 month cram. I think our school's approach has been a nice long run up to them with zero cramming. By the time we get to SATs the children are generally well-prepared.

Having said this, I'd be more than happy for there to be no SATs and more trust put into the teachers and school just to do their job. However, I do have a lot of faith in the school.

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