to take ds yr6 out of school for the summer term?

[ingeniousidiot]

We've talked about it for months, spoken to his teachers, school governors and a couple of people that work in that sort of area. We've spoken to him about it, he want's to do school work at home. He's due back tomorrow, I've just rung the LEA to speak to the Education Welfare, got put on hold and put the phone down.

Yes this year is much worse. Or it is in a lot of schools. I have an older child so have been thorough it before and this year is ridiculously pressurised with totally unrealistic expectations and a bonkers new curriculum that they've had no time to learn.

I'm delighted to hear that there are some that are maintaining a sense of proportion. Unfortunately my daughter is at one of those that has spent the last four months cramming relentlessly. We have also had similar comments made about a bad result meaning terrible things at secondary. Yes I complained. And also mentioned it to the head of the secondary most of them go to (who, interestingly, said that if he'd been able to withdraw his child from SATs last year, he would have done so without hesitation!)

We are doing all the things people mention about playing it down, explaining that it's testing the school not the child etc etc Unfortunately we have little control over what is said at school.

If I wasn't working I would have deregistered her last term. OP I'm so glad it's working out for you!

So weird this SATS thing. I work in a successful independent school in the north east and we have a junior and senior school. SATS are hardly mentioned.

I threatened to do this due to concerns for my dc's mental health. I am so utterly against the Sats/league tables/performance pay and the affect it had on my dcs. The teacher backed off when I described the beginning of self harm behaviour, the teacher resigned at the end of the year. The constant lectures and pressure put on the dcs to excel was unreasonable, I know other parents made similar complaints and these were among very able kids too. I know teachers are under pressure to get the dcs to perform but where are their ethics, their morals?
Some year we will finally get an education dept that cares about their whole development - mental, physical, educational and social and not just targets. My dcs also found the time after the Sats to be boring and wasteful....the warnings about not making the grade for secondary before May were replaced with attempts to reassure after May, I don't know how some Year 6 teachers can live with themselves.

There comes a point where you should not just do what you are told. Some teachers and schools are taking this all too far - they cannot wash their hands off the problem. The teachers should be saying no and refusing to be part of this. And I do blame the teachers that taught my kids - their school was great until Year 6....and then the Sats madeness took over.

DD's school refused to be part of the pressure and hype. They were marked down on their SATs results (which weren't that bad), simply because they refused to teach to the test and pressure the kids.

My kids school, gave dumped the ks1 sats this yr.

This must be an independent school then, or they can't.

The teachers should be saying no and refusing to be part of this.

We can't without union backing, or we would be acting unlawfully. The NUT are balloting to boycott next year's, when the added abomination on resits in Y7 are introduced - because of course, they won't have enough to do just settling in, or anything like that.

I think if you can and feel it will benefit your DS, do so.

Year 6 is such a waste of time. They spend most of the year preparing for SATS. Then in the final term once they are over, they do absolutely nothing. My two were so bored by the end of year 6.

Luckily my ds is very lazy so did not give a shit about the SATS. My DD is very diligent, I told her that if I thought SATS were going to stress her then she would not be doing them. She was fine.

Good luck and have a fun summer term.

The Nut should have put a stop to this before now, I know it is worse this year but my dcs went through it 2 years ago and they were put through a level of pressure and stress that was certainly not lof benefit to their education, never mind their mental health. It is unacceptable that the NUT have not done more to prevent this.

Not an indy school, but they're not doing the yr2 SATs this year!

They can't opt out - they are statutory. The school has to follow a document called Assessment and Reporting Arrangements 2016 which sets out the law.The headteacher and the governors have a statutory duty to ensure they are carried out. They have no choice about this - it's the law. You have got the wrong end of the stick.

The Nut should have put a stop to this before now, I know it is worse this year but my dcs went through it 2 years ago and they were put through a level of pressure and stress that was certainly not lof benefit to their education, never mind their mental health. It is unacceptable that the NUT have not done more to prevent this

They boycotted tests with the NAHT in 2010. Nothing changed. There wasn't much public support, as I recall.

They can't, there isn't enough time - that's why they are balloting now for next year.

What we really need is for all the unions to get together. The NUT and the NAHT working together managed to get a third of schools to boycott.

They can't even come together for something like academisation though, which is the biggest threat to children's education and teachers' terms and conditions there has ever been. I've heard absolutely nothing from the NASUWT, supposedly one of the biggest and most influential unions. Nothing. Surely all their members should be demanding their money back?

will you take him out for year 11 ?
and year 13?
and final year uni?
and the year before his wedding?
and before his first kid is born?
what are you protecting him FROM?

Why do posters ever use this argument? We're you the same person at 16 as you were at 10/11? The difference in maturity between an 11 yr old and a 16 yr old is absolutely massive - so why subject both ages to exactly kind of stress and exam conditions?

I agree the NUT have dragged their feet. The NAHT have written some fairly explosive letters to the dfe regarding the whole assessment debacle but appear to be satisfied with their responses. At least the NUT are belatedly doing something - the Y7 resits really need addressing.

Home ed is a valid option.

Not in law - the ARA sets out headteachers' and governors legal responsibilities very clearly. Without the backing if their union, their hands are tied.

Yes, I teach Y2. The changes to the tests in my year are equally abhorrent. For the first time in 20 odd years, I have no idea how I can do my job effectively under the new curriculum, tests and new test conditions.

My DD will fail the SATS. I don't give a shit. Neither does she. Utter nonsense.