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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to withdraw DD from SATS?

84 replies

ProtegeMoi · 02/05/2014 16:49

Ok I'm not really going to do it but I'm so tempted to threaten the school with it. The pressure they are putting on them is unbelievable!

DD has a dentist appointment the week before SATS, urgent appointment as she is in agony with a tooth that needs filling and her teacher is fuming that she will be off and wants the appointment changed for 2 weeks later. So leave her in pain for 2 more weeks as she will miss a day of SATS revision, not even the actual test!

DD has also come home in tears as she's 'not allowed' to her sisters birthday party, which is the Saturday before SATS begin. Her teacher has said they are to do nothing at all that weekend as they need to revise and so now DD is upset as that includes a 2 years old party apparantly!

It's beyond a joke, my DD has been left terrified to do anything other than SATS work and the pressure is really getting to her. They have been threatened with police for time off even!

I'm going to go in in Monday and speak to them.

OP posts:
SapphireMoon · 02/05/2014 16:58

Not on at all Shock
I know schools feel under pressure but the school is putting those children under ridiculous pressure.
Go in and say what you have said here...

WorraLiberty · 02/05/2014 17:00

FFS YANBU at all! Shock

Regarding the tooth though, if she's in agony you should ask for an emergency appointment. You might have to sit and wait for a couple of hours though.

PrincessBabyCat · 02/05/2014 17:02

Not from the UK, but what's so important about these SATs that they put so much pressure on these kids? Does it determine college eligibility? Or does it determine school funding?

It must be something more than just figuring out what they're good at if there's this much pressure on them.

We have standardized testing here, and it's ridiculous. Teachers harp on it because their school salary/funding depends on it. But really, it doesn't do much except determine if your child is a good test taker or not. I always fail the math portions of those tests, but I was at least passing classes in school because I had teachers working with me and presenting the problems in a way I could understand them better.

If it doesn't determine anything important for your child, I'd just ignore the teachers and tell your DD that sometimes even adults can be idiots and then let her learn on her own that it's more than sometimes.

WooWooOwl · 02/05/2014 17:03

Threatened with the police? Seriously?

It sounds like the teacher your dd is dealing with is feeling a lot of pressure and I have sympathy with that, but it's completely wrong for children to be made to cry over it. Unless they are the sort of children that are very oversensitive and cry at the drop of a hat.

Wouldn't the teacher just prefer the dentist appointment to be after school rather than two weeks away?

If teachers are feeling the need to pile this much pressure on, then they either have an extremely challenging intake, or they haven't been doing their job properly.

mixedpeel · 02/05/2014 17:03

Ghastly bastard SATS, flippin hate them.

Talk to the Head, not on Monday though (it's a Bank Holiday Wink)

Whathaveiforgottentoday · 02/05/2014 17:10

Just ignore the teacher as going to dentist/bday party is unlikely to have any affect on your daughter's score. They do use them in secondary school they do use them to set but once they go up they generally retest and reset based on their data rather than SATs which tend to be rather unreliable.
The only people they really affect is the teacher and the primary school and she is wrong to put this sort of pressure on a 10/11 year year old. Plenty of time for this later when they are in year 11.

noblegiraffe · 02/05/2014 17:11

Wtaf?? We don't put that much pressure on kids sitting GCSEs and A-levels and those exams actually matter to them! She should absolutely not be revising all weekend, she needs downtime too.

And in fact as SATs don't matter to her as much as they do to the teacher, I'd suggest telling the teacher that if she continues to stress your DD out you'll be stopping all external revision.

sonlypuppyfat · 02/05/2014 17:15

All SATS do is grade the school far too much pressure on kids, is the teacher worrying she hasn't done her job properly.

mixedpeel · 02/05/2014 17:20

Agree completely, sonlypf, and I've told my son as much. His teacher is definitely going for glory and is putting the children under way too much pressure.

3littlefrogs · 02/05/2014 17:26

SATS are ridiculous.

There shouldn't be any pressure, no preparation and the children shouldn't even know they are doing them.

arselikekylie · 02/05/2014 17:29

Blimey. Our school actively encourage us not to worry about the SATS, No revising at home, plenty of fresh air and playing out and don't worry at all about the results.

They do ask that the kids don't have any late nights that week but that's about it.

Original poster
ProtegeMoi · 02/05/2014 17:29

Just to clarify, DD is being sedated for the dental work so it has to be a morning appointment and she has to have the whole day off school, after school is not an option.

The party, apparantly the teacher said it would be too noisy and disruptive when DD needs to be revising so she is best not to attend.

The police threat was that if the children are off school it's illegal and the police will speak to the parents and maybe fine them.

I keep getting told how it's SOOOO important she does work every night in preparation for the SATS. They will be staying till 4pm all next week to do after school revision and on actual SATS week she has to be in school for 8am to have breakfast and prep time. So never mind that I have 3 children to take to school/ nursery and my own college to get to I now have to ensure I make a separate special trip for DD to do the extended SATS hours. When I questioned this as it would be difficult for me I was given a lecture about how the high school needs to see the SATS results or it can affect her place and what set she is placed in.

OP posts:
Gileswithachainsaw · 02/05/2014 17:33

Wtf Shock where the hell does anyone get off telling her she can't go to a birthday party?

Not on!!

3littlefrogs · 02/05/2014 17:36

Have you actually looked at a SATS paper?

Unless they have become dramatically more challenging in recent years I really can't see what all the fuss (by the schools) is about.
My DC just thought they were puzzles.

CharlesRyder · 02/05/2014 17:36

Is your school on Requires Improvement?

Sounds like the kind of madness that induces.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 02/05/2014 17:37

I thought the whole point of SATS was to check the capabilities of the school not the student?

And I was under the impression that revision (certainly in primary age) was not required.

Whathaveiforgottentoday · 02/05/2014 17:38

I would be furious with this. Way too much pressure.

SnakeyMcBadass · 02/05/2014 17:43

Ds1 had a similar experience. We changed schools the following September for ds2. Madness.

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 02/05/2014 17:45

Fuck that. SATS are a load of bollocks. I have never been asked for the results of mine. Ever.

gymboywalton · 02/05/2014 17:45

Absolutely ridiculous!!!!!!!!

My son is also in year 6. He went to the park today with his class as a reward for hard work. He has his normal homework and isn't stressed at all.
I suspect achilled out child will do far better in the tests than kids who have terrified

puds11isNAUGHTYnotNAICE · 02/05/2014 17:46

Think if that is what they are for, then the school would be putting pressure on the children because they want to look good. Bastards.

RustyBear · 02/05/2014 17:46

Has it not occurred to the teacher that your DD is unlikely to perform to the best of her ability with an excruciating toothache? Surely she should be encouraging you to get it sorted before the SATs.

Chippednailvarnish · 02/05/2014 17:53

The school sounds like a nightmare, what were last years results like? What about their ofsted report?

It almost sounds like the school have uncovered a problem (like they haven't covered the whole curriculum) and are panicking about how to cover it up...

mummytime · 02/05/2014 17:55

Your school sounds awful!

My DCs school is nothing like that.
DD was watching a film this week, they have an author visit next week. No revision (and anyway its limited what you could do for SATs, you either know the Maths and can read and write or...).
Just no sleepovers during SATs week.

WheresTheHoneyMummy · 02/05/2014 17:56

My DD2 is also in year 6 and whilst they are encouraged to revise there is no pressure. A few years ago when DD1 was in year 6 she managed to get to the finals of a national dance competition, huge achievement and very exciting for her. Until we discovered the final was the day before SATS began and was taking place in the evening in London. Quick chat with the head who was very pleased for DD and said don't worry about how you do in SATS the next day, life experiences are more important than these tests. So relieved to have such an understanding and encouraging headteacher!