To not send my 6 year old to extra Maths after school?

[IHeartKingThistle]

I'm a governor at the school. Eyebrows will be raised.

I'm not sure I care. DS is 6 years old. He is the youngest in the year. In a term he has gone from loving school to saying he hates it. He doesn't, there's lots he still loves, but all he can think about is English and Maths tests. He was quite tearful about it tonight.

Most of the class have been invited to after school Maths sessions. They're not compulsory. He doesn't want to go. I don't want to send him. I expect most of the other children will go.

I don't believe in the SATs system at all (I'm a teacher, but not primary) but I am usually quite careful to be diplomatic in front of the DC. WIBU to put what he wants first for once?

Disclaimer: I'll do some Maths stuff with him at home. I just think a full day of school is ENOUGH.

[hobnobsaremyfavourite]

This isnt Wales either. Sadly we have testing here but not to the same extent as England.
Thank god.

[SummerSazz]

My Dd's didn't even know they were doing SATs and certainly no huge pressures at all. I would be having words as a governor about that rather than a voluntary asc

[MsColouring]

Year 2 teacher here. The poster above who mentioned the 'SATs syllabus' - there is no such thing, there is the new national curriculum which has been in place since Sep 2014 when these children started year 1. However the government have been very slow in bringing about the guidance for SATs - which is still teacher assessment at ks1.

Fwiw - I don't agree with your son's school bringing them in for extra maths - children aren't known for being their brightest at the end of the day and this suggests panic.

I had a lot of pressure put on me last year because the year 6 results weren't looking good and slt wanted to show we were doing something right. Ousted inspections use SATs results as a starting point so there is lots of pressure.

[kippersyllabub]

Sign him up for maths factor: it's not costly and I've seen it build children's confidence

[MrsKCastle]

Another Y2 teacher here. I absolutely would NOT send my child in for extra maths in your circumstances, not unless the child really wanted to do it.

My class have a vague idea that there are some assessments coming up, but I would be ashamed of myself if I thought that any child was stressed about them. Apart from anything else, a stressed child won't do as well as a calm, confident one!

It is a tough year for teachers but you have to do what is best for YOUR child. And long-term attitudes to learning count for far more than a Y2 result.

[Mousefinkle]

Yanbu at all. My DD (4) really hated her last primary school so much I had to move her. The old school were pushing all sorts of shit on her. When I went to parents evening it was basically "well I can tell you read with her, she's very well read however her spelling isn't up to scratch, nor is her pen control and we'd expect her to know more sums than this." She was four and a young four at that and had only been in school for three months! . It was very focused on structured academia from the beginning.

Moved schools and she LOVES this one. They learn through more play, it's way more relaxed, parents go into the classroom to drop them off every morning (they were forced to queue in the playground at the last school and go in like that.) It's really lovely and she's thriving. No pressure on her to hold scissors 'the right way' and extra classes for it, just letting her get there at her pace.

I don't think this pressure is good for such young children. Also disagree with the Y1 SATS, I don't think they're indicitive of anything worthwhile. A lot of the world haven't even started school by six ffs.

[Schwabischeweihnachtskanne]

If my kids already had to be at school until 3pm there is no way I'd send them to an after school maths class unless they as an individual were in need of extra help to catch up with the class average, and this was what the class was for, or unless they absolutely loved maths and this was a wholly voluntary enrichment club.

Extending the already long school day for most of the class to do more maths is ridiculous.

I do agree with the others saying the only reason that you being a governor is relevant is that you need to raise concerns about this at the next governor's meeting (or however these things work) as well as not sending your own child.

We live in Germany and the kids don't start school til they are 6 (or 7 in some cases) and they finish school by lunch time and no primary school teacher here would dream of offering any classes or clubs whatsoever after the close of school at lunch time - yet I recently looked up the year 5 national curriculum maths for England out of interest and DD, in year 5 here (due to birthday she would be in year 5 in England too though not all kids would be in the same year in both countries) has already covered everything on the English year 5 curriculum.

The German system is too test heavy too by year 4 onwards, its not ideal at all either tbh but the extra hours of booster classes you son's school want the poor kids (and poor teachers) to do are certainly unnecessary if other countries can cover the same stuff in so much less time (in terms of both fewer years - no reception class exists here, and more to the point fewer hours per day in school).

A few years ago I used to wish my kids had had the chance to go through the English instead of the German school system, because while I thought both are equally successful at educating in the end, the English system was more kid friendly - but I must say I no longer think the English one is any better at all, and at least here the kids have a lot more hours per day to play outside and be kids!

[MattDillonsPants]

At my DDs old school they SAID the DC would have no idea about the fact that they were being tested...I certainly never mentioned it yet SOMEHOW they came home full of the fact that they were having tests.

It really affected DD2 who was only 6 and not very academic. She was emotional. I can only imagine that other children's parent's had told theirs.

I wonder if anyone here would admit to telling their small DC about this?

[miserablemoo]

My yr2 child knows he's doing tests and has been doing them since he started yr2. He hates it. He missed one day off school due to sickness. The next day he had to miss assembly to do the previous 3 tests he missed then the 3 tests he had that day.

He is not enjoying school at all anymore and talks about how boring it is. He has brought tests home to look at and practice in the 2 week holidays. He has been told by school it's what the government want them to do!

Education for such young children is awful at the moment. We have asked him to just do his best and not to worry about it but op I can see why your 6 year old is upset and there is no way I'd be sending my child in for extra maths. The days are longer and brighter. Mine will be at the park or playing out!

[MattDillonsPants]

OP don't send your DC for the extra lessons. Tell him he doesn't have to because Mummy thinks he's not in need of more work. Let him know that with or without the extra you know he will do his best...and THAT"S what matters in tests. That you do your best.

[capsium]

Where is the conflict between you doing what you believe is best for your child and being a governor? Supporting the school does not mean agreeing with all of their ideas - it means speaking up if you think the thinking is flawed. It is what I would expect of anyone who supports me, they should be concerned to prevent me making what they see as a mistake.

Added to this, I think a school is misguided if they think they have a right to dictate over reasonable parental choices, on what happens outside of school - especially at this age (when a child has less individual autonomy). Parents are legally responsible for their child's health and wellbeing so it is appropriate that they make the decisions over what happens outside of school.

[DonnaMoss]

My dd is 6 and about to take her sats. We keep getting letters home from school asking us not to even say the word 'SATS' let alone talk about them to our kids so as not to scare them. I can't understand why OPS school would put that kind of pressure on 6 year olds.

[BertPuttocks]

Aren't governors expected to act as a "critical friend"? (or whatever the terminology is!) I would've thought that having a governor who didn't necessarily agree with everything would actually be a positive thing.

If DS doesn't want to go and you would rather not send him, just take him home when the school day ends. YANBU.

[GoblinLittleOwl]

Send him once; sometimes these 'after-school clubs' are fun and the children approach maths in a different, more informal way, or get more time to go over things they don't understand, at their own pace. But if he doesn't like it/gain anything from it then don't send him again. (Extra lessons for 6 year -olds, honestly!)
However, as a Governor I am sure you are aware of the pressure the school is under.
Write to Nicky Morgan, as a School Governor, expressing your concerns.

[glamorousgrandmother]

The SATS are there to test the school, they are not for your son's benefit. If he enjoys it let him go but otherwise don't be pushed into sending him, he spends long enough at school as it is.

[Kitsandkids]

I think there's so much pressure on Year 2 (and Year 6 but I don't have one there yet) kids. Mine is doing okay with the maths but really struggling with all the grammar they have to learn. He can't seem to learn the difference between an adjective and an adverb and I don't quite agree that he should have to learn this. He is not yet a secure reader and I would much prefer he focused on actually learning to read words instead of having to say if the words he can't read yet are verbs, adjectives, nouns or adverbs.

[my2bundles]

If a child needs more support for whatever reason this should happen within the school,day. I would not take my now 8 year old as his down time is equally as important as his education.

[NeverPromisedYouARoseGarden]

YADNBU but I agree with GoblinLittleOwl - send him once. My DD was invited to do extra maths after school in Yr2 (hated maths at the time) and loved it - they played lots of games and did fun "experiments", no staring miserably at a piece of blank paper. Was organised and run by two very popular and inspirational teachers which definitely made a big difference. Also very small groups of six at a time, not the whole class.

[motherigloo]

As a Year 1 teacher, I would only consider extra maths sessions for my DS if he was worryingly behind. Otherwise I would inly be working with him at home when he seemed in the right frame of mind. Extra sessions at six is too much.

[witsender]

I wouldn't send him. I'm a governor and withdrew my child to home ed! The school have been nothing but supportive. X

[witsender]

Sorry, the X was intended for my mum whom I am also messaging!

[mogloveseggs]

Yanbu. Don't send him. As a parent of a year 6 dd who is,also completely stressed out by sats, I'm completely fee up of the way the whole thing has been played out. Dds class hasn't done pe since September as "there isn't time". All I've said to her is try your very best. It's awful. The curriculum should have started with reception and worked it's way up with that year group.

[mogloveseggs]

*fed up

[howabout]

If the school can't cover the Maths curriculum for the 6 year olds in the school day and their solution is practically whole class detention for more of the same then they have a problem.

The best things I did for my DD at that age was to get out the tube of smarties or (grapes if feeling virtuous) to do counting and sharing games after dinner.

Just came on to agree with Euphemia 's eloquent thoughts as I am also in Scotland. Nothing wrong with individualised baseline testing and target setting. Loads wrong with nationalised standardised tests to try to judge schools based on the performance of disparate infant intakes.

[OmaC]

There is far too much pressure on young children and it puts them off school and rocks their confidence