to be so cross at the amount of SATS revision ds2 has been given?

[daisydoodoo]

Ds2 is in yr6. They usually get homework over the school holidays along the lines of a small project or book review or a few maths sheets. However ds2 has brought home a huge folder labelled SATS revision.

Inside there are four workbooks thick ones not flimsy ones and 20 worksheets. The instructions ask for the work to be completed during the holiday and give the parent a list of how long we are to time them forceach section and then two pages of timed questions for us to ask the child giving the times they are allowed to answer the question in (5 seconds 10, 15). Then a link to where we can print off the answer's.

Thw instructions then specify that we need to mark the tests and email the child's teacher the results and our thoughts on what areas are the childs strengths and weaknesses.

I read all this on frazzle and still fuming now.

Ive added up the time to carry out these tests and it totals 9 hours. Plus then the marking.

The pack also included a letter stating that for 4 weeks all yr6 pupil's woukd be expected to be in school for 8 am on monday tuesday and Wednesday, 50 minutes early.

Surely this is overkill?

The school is ofsted 'good' and ds2 is on target for high 4's possibly even 5's according to parents evening not even two weeks ago.

Im not sure how a sahm couod find the time to carry out the testing (there are revision sheets as well that the child will need to work through before even taking the tests) never mind the fact that parents work and have other children to look after too.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

No sparkle, it was every Mon and Tues morning between now and the SATS, about 4 weeks, for a booster class. Breakfast clubs SATS week are a good thing, I agree.

[sparklekitty]

I'm a teacher and I reckon thats unbelievable! but then I hate SATS and fundamentally disagree with them. Poor kids need a break.

I'm on ML atm so can't recall sats dates etc but are the days they need to be early SATS days? If they are then thats NU or unusual. We normally have ours in early to give them a nice breccy and a 'We know you're all stars' speech. Kids love it, only way we get them through!

[LilaFowler]

YANBU. My ds is in Yr 5 (not even year 6 yet!) and has come home with about five exam type booklets in total to do over the holidays.
Bit overkill, in my opinion, and I agree with homework as a rule - even I think it's too much lately!

[daisydoodoo]

i think that is precisley it, giraffe!

[noblegiraffe]

So the school wants to be boosted in the league tables not by good teaching but by getting parents to heavily tutor their children in exam practice? And by doing their own exam analysis?

Er, no.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Well done, daisy.

[daisydoodoo]

I have sent an email today. I said that we would be completing a couple of the worksheets and that ds2 would read through some of the revision sheets, but that we would not be completing the pack fully. I have also asked that if they have an issue with ds2 not completing the work that they must bring it to my attention and not ask ds2 about it.

I really don't mind and expect to receive homework, but this is taking it too far. Dd1 has a holiday diary to complete and whilst this is fairly easy to do, i do feel sorry for any family that isnt doing anything in particular, not because of the not going away for whatever reason but becasue i know from past experience some parents see it as chance to gloat and make sure others know where they have been.

[Remotecontrolduck]

Definitely don't do it, that's ridiculous. Maybe ask your DS if he wants to go over anything or let him do a few worksheets so he's comfortable in the test but don't complete it all

Tell the teacher exactly why if they ask. It's not ok to fill a 10/11 year old's holiday with work for tests that aren't important. Heck, even at GCSE time they don't get set that amount of formal work! They're all re-tested at secondary anyway with CATs.

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

When DS1 started secondary school in 2011, he spent much of the first day doing assessments to get initial levels for Maths, reading, spelling etc. He was then taught in mixed ability classes for everything to start with. Maths sets started after a second assessment in November of Y7. Latin, German and Science sets started in Y8, based on assessments at the end of Y7.

I think that most secondary schools take KS2 SATs results with a pinch of salt.

[Feenie]

Sat''s are not used to help with the sets in secondary school.

That isn't true, I'm afraid - I know of two here locally who set Y7 students using Maths SAT levels.

[aristocat]

My DS is also Yr 6 and I am glad to say he does not have this amount of holiday homework. He has 2 Literacy and 2 Maths papers and his spellings.
The spellings are something else TBH, for the last 4 weeks (and the next 2 wks) he has had 60 per week to learn, so 360 words over 6wks! We were all at first but they are not too difficult.

I would also do 1 or 2 from each booklet and leave it at that. I would not agree to the extra hour either, is this done year after year?

[startwig1982]

In my secondary school(i teach Maths) all the pupils in year 7 are taught in mixed groups except for Maths, where we set them. It is provisionally on sats and then we retest them more accurately. Cats are not used very much at all in setting or targets, more to determine G and T and weak pupils.
This amount of homework is rubbish. We don't set that much for the GCSE pupils, let alone year 7-9.
I would do a couple of buys, practise the timed maths paper(pupils always struggle with it as it goes so fast), the email and so you've done that and aren't prepared to do their job for them.

[Finola1step]

Agreed kim, you are absolutely right. This year the poor things are guinea pigs for the SPaG test. Don't get me started on level 6 papers and prep.

So many times I ask myself why I still do it. At least I have the authority in my school to set the revision agenda and make it as fun as possible. Holiday homework - minimal.

[ihearsounds]

Sat''s are not used to help with the sets in secondary school. They use CATS which is a better system. Fwiw, my own dc's got a level 4 (average) with the SATS, but with the CATS they gained a better grade. If the schools used sat's their sets would have been lower. But because of the Cat system they were in higher sets. They did no revision at home for either. A few weeks before the sats they had mock exams just to prepare them for the actual exams. There isn't suppose to be pressure on them about the sats.

The only revision they should be doing, if any, is in areas that the teacher feels that the dc's need a bit of help. But ideally, none should be done because the tests are supposed to get an idea of what they have learned and remembered.

[Finola1step]

Wow! I'm a teacher and I work with year 6 on Sats prep, amongst other things. Never have I heard of parents being asked to do this. Let me be clear, it is standard that year 6 (and most other year groups) have some form of holiday homework. But, this is different. It's not just the amount of work but the type.

From what you have described OP, the school is asking you to administer, mark and then analyse practise test papers - this is the job of a teacher not a parent. Many would argue that this is not a teacher's job either however when in Year 6, one accepts that this type if thing comes with the territory.

Many schools run before or after school booster classes. If your child's school are starting these after Easter, then in my experience its a bit too late with just a few weeks to go.

It is unfortunately incorrect to say that SATs do not matter. They certainly matter to Ofsted who will scrutinise the Assessment Data for Year 6, Year 2 and Reception before they even walk through the door of a school for an inspection. Ofsted are very interested in three year trends and any "dip" in attainment will be monitored (and can trigger an inspection).

This is why primary schools are so wrapped up with SATs. We know that secondary schools retest the children and these assessments are often more accurate.

But as long as long as Ofsted and the DfE continue to use the SATs data in the way in which they do, then schools will continue trying to squeeze as much out of the children as they can. And yes, it is always the children who lose out.

So OP, YADNBU. The homework that has been set will not help your child. If you do the work, do it together and not as a practise test. Treat it as a quiz. I would strongly advise that if you do the homework together, do not mark it and send them your thoughts. Send it back with a cover note re your child has done as much as possible and you were not able to mark and analyse.

Above all, your child deserves an enjoyable Easter holiday.

[iago]

The Sats results may initially count towards the sets the secondary school places your child in, but internal tests etc will lead to a rethink. Junior school Sats results bear no resemblance to reality, just as GCSE results are over inflated and no-one, especially the teachers, believes the grades achieved. (Former Secondary teacher, me)

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Grammar schools often don't bother setting in Y7 as they are all top or second set kids.

[EllenJanesthickerknickers]

Well, if he's off to grammar school anyway... My friend's DD left school in the last term of Y6 and was home educated for the 3 months after she passed the 11+. They had 3 months of great fun. She came back for SATS week, for the school's benefit. Obviously not possible if you work, but that's how important the last term of SATS cramming is.

[whattimestea]

My DS2 also came home from school with exact same folder as you describe...is it standard Y6 procedure now in run up to SATS? I was a bit about the amount he has to work thru but he doesn't seem fussed at all. We're doing it little and often over next few weeks.

Do SATS not go towards the 'sets' your child is placed in at secondary school then? I was always under the impression they did and its certainly what school have told us as well??