AIBU to think our kids have been set up to fail?

[theluckiest]

There are heated conversations in Education about this but I really feel everyone should know what's happening - I have only been teaching primary for 5 years. However, for most of that I have taught Year Six. This week I came close to quitting a job I love and think I'm good at. This isn't about pay or conditions. This is about a system designed to make kids fail - the new 'expectations' for an 11 year old will ensure that most children this year will simply not reach them. They will be judged as 'working towards' ie. not good enough. AIBU to think this is going to be a national scandal this year?!! If your kids are in Y6, I am so so sorry. Sorry that they have been set up to fail, sorry that their lovely rich curriculum will be abandoned for a diet of SATS drilling and sorry that concerns for children's mental health have gone through the roof. This is happening right now people - in your kids' schools. AIBU to think something just has to give?!!!https://m.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tes.com%2Fnews%2Fschool-news%2Fbreaking-views%2Fdear-nicky-morgan-a-talented-and-demand-teacher-has-resigned-she&sid=0&appid=966242223397117&referrer=sociallplugin&rdr

Mistigri To put you out of your misery, I'll explain what a fronted adverbial is.

Amazingly, the current Year 6s will be tested on fronted adverbials in their SATs.

Unsurprisingly, the parents and teachers thought it was complete and utter dog's gonads.

Cancel the end if KS2 tests 2026:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/122038

And KS1:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/122183

luckyduck oh, you mean an adverb. Since when was "adverbial" a noun? I'm as big a fan as anyone of teaching children how language works, but this is an ugly and depressing way of teaching grammar (and I'm not even sure if it's fit for purpose: teaching children lots of convoluted grammar terms does not make them good at analysing language in a meaningful way.)

Do you think a boycott is likely by the teaching unions? Also do you think there will be any come back on schools if they do boycott them eg being forced to become an academy?

twitter.com/educationgovuk/status/700737512570884096?lang=en-gb

Nicky's made a special video to show you how disingenuous and wrong the complaints about the new tests are. I'm sure you'll all agree with her. Or at least she thinks you will anyway.

Try not to put your fist through the screen while watching it. You may want to bang your head repeatedly on your keyboard.

Brilliant response to her earnest ramblings:

whyivestayedinteaching.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/dfe-tells-teachers-they-all-very-naughty.html

"Oh, right. I didn't know that was what my job was. Their full potential, you say? What, each child?"

I like 'we know these were published later than we had hoped...'

That would be an interesting use use of the passive voice there, wouldn't it?

NiMo seemed really pissed off. The written response from the government also had a strong undertone of irritation.

Good job everyone.

Petition about cancelling this years sats:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/122038

I don't understand the bit about schools with challenging intakes and progress being a reason for this change.

Several of the schools here have challenging intakes with attainment that is below or well below average on entry and above average at KS1 and 2. It hasn't gone unrecognised at all. It's reflected very well in their Ofsted gradings and in the existing progress measures.

this is england under a tory government, what do you expect?

the rich get rich etc. we just have to teach our kids that there is life after GCSES it's easier for them now to gain a degree and get on with it but they have to have a clear path. the top jobs will always be held for the twats in control but it's always been that way it's not a new thing. but lack of labour truth telling politicians hasn't helped.

There are petitions for both key stages, fullofchoc, I posted them earlier.

But they can't be posted enough! Get signing, people.

Agree, Rafael. It's Flannel - with a capital F.

When teachers are up in arms in this way you know the Government is doing the right thing.

www.literacyshedblog.com/blog/raising-the-bar#comments

Especially like the comment posted at the end:

We are lions led by donkeys .We are poked and prodded to jump through hoops for the satisfaction of the political circus . The children come last into the rings of hooped fire. They do not care that they consign our children to fear or failure but will test them again to prove what ? That they actually did need more time for teaching and learning. I sense the tide is turning . Parents don't trust our ego led politicians anymore and distrust these crude measures . This time they are hurting children and parents will begin to roar. This is not fair nor valid. It is ill thought through and rushed. It is arrogant political dogma. It is muddled and even unnecessary . It is a political disaster and together we should turn and roar or bite the ringmasters .

When teachers are up in arms in this way you know the Government is doing the right thing.

What an asinine comment. There are barely any teachers left to be up in arms, fgs. The profession is in crisis. Soon there will be no decent teachers left at all. Still think they are 'doing the right thing?'

Really?

It's Xenia, ignore the obvious goading.

Even as someone who didn't totally disagree with Gove I can see that Education under Nicky Morgan is a total shambles. She's got even less of a clue what she's doing than he did.

At least Gove actually had a worthwhile set of principles he was aiming for, even if he did manage to fuck up the implementation of everything. Morgan's just flailing around in the dark on all counts.

Xenia, your comment is deeply hypocritical since none if your children will sit these tests.

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That video is strangely hypnotic.

Was she deliberately trying to blend into the background? She looks like some sort of weird floating head.

That video has enraged teachers much more than Nick Gibbs's letter to the NAHT, going on the comments on the Literacy shed, and she must be really riled to have made it. Think it's done her more harm than good.

It's one hell of a speech if you take it apart. Unfortunately for her it was delivered in a fashion that makes it look like she knows it's total bollocks and not helped by the fact that she's totally pissed off that she's been caught out.

I wonder what she would have said if she'd been put in front of a live TV camera and hadn't had someone write a script for her to read.

I enjoyed this response: theprimaryhead.com/2016/02/19/sorry-seems-to-be-the-hardest-word/

Interesting thread and clearly an utter balls up in the way it was implemented.... Put out some vague criteria in September then dont actually bother to clarify what they mean until February yeah great. Hopefully they will be boycotted it sounds like the best outcome.

In relation to the children I have a dd in year 2, who is doing really well and I am happy with her progress. If some poor quality assessment says otherwise I honestly don't think this has relevance to anything. The person who wrote it will also be 'working towards expected standards' Secondary schools will know about this cock up and will as a result take y6 results with a pinch of salt.

I think what's interesting though is that the previous system set children up to fail. 90%+ met expectations in Y2, 75%+ met them in y6 but then less than 60% meet the 5GCSEs including English and Maths at secondary school. Parents mixed up the terms 'expected' and 'average' and therefore very often got the impression that their dc were doing better than they really were.