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Original poster

To think the Yr 6 Reading Comprehension Test today was far too difficult?

287 replies

Lottielo · 09/05/2016 15:40

Ds just home from school and very upset because he found the reading comprehension paper much harder than previous sample papers he has done in school. He didn't even finish the paper (missed out 5 questions).

Was this paper harder than expected or was my Ds not properly prepared by his school? I know it shouldn't matter too much, but I'm worried it could knock his confidence.

OP posts:
icklekid · 09/05/2016 15:43

It was hard tell him many teachers thought so and just to move on. No point stressing as think everyone will have struggled!

Finola1step · 09/05/2016 15:43

Have a look at what people are saying on Twitter and the TES forums. Some are saying that it is the hardest test in 20 years. Not the reading part but the questions. Your ds has done very well to get through almost all.of it.

BreconBeBuggered · 09/05/2016 15:51

It sounds dreadful, from what I've been reading here and on Twitter in the last few minutes. Make sure your DS knows he's not alone.

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 15:53

He found many of the questions ambiguous and said the mark allocation was nothing like the sample papers he had done. Ds said the style of the paper was completely different.

OP posts:
WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 09/05/2016 15:54

He's not alone. There's a thread on TES already with teachers saying that even able pupils couldn't finish and were in tears. Teachers saying it was more suitable for a 15yo.

ClaireLumia · 09/05/2016 15:55

I've just asked ds and he says it's pretty much the same as the sample ones and not too difficult. But I suppose we'll know for sure when he gets his mark!!

LordTrash · 09/05/2016 15:57

Dd2 and her friend just turned up with their verdict. Dd2 found it OK but harder than sample papers. Friend described it as 'horrible' - and she already lacks confidence in literacy. Feel so sorry for this cohort of kids Sad.

PiqueABoo · 09/05/2016 16:01

Pragmatically some of the questions should have been inaccessible to many, because nuSATS is supposed to test up to the previously separate/optional L6 level and that pass rate for L6 was tiny.

That definitely doesn't undermine other criticisms, but I'd reserve judment on the specific point of children not being able to complete all the questions until we get to see the paper.

NewStartNewName · 09/05/2016 16:04

Spoke with DSs teacher after school today, she said the test was extremely difficult and she had spoken with other schools locally who all agreed.

ConfuciousSayWhat · 09/05/2016 16:07

Tell him it's not him being tested but the school and not to worry

derxa · 09/05/2016 16:14

I suppose everyone is in the same boat but it is appalling. Nicky Morgan let's be having you! Where are you?

schbittery · 09/05/2016 16:15

has anyone seen the actual test of the test?/would be interested to see it. Very depressing to think that for a huge swathe of 10/11 y olds their first experience of exams and testing with be so demoralising and upsetting, and for nothing.

TeenAndTween · 09/05/2016 16:16

WARNING We need to make sure we don't mention details as people off sick today will have to take the test another day.

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 16:17

Ds is supposedly one of the more able kids in the class, although perhaps the teacher has been over-estimating his abilities. I think he was lulled into a false sense of security.He just won't stop going on about this stupid test even though I've told him that it's more of a test of the teachers than the kids.

I'm feeling pretty angry with myself tbh because I haven't done anything extra with him at home. He has never even seen a L6 paper before, despite the school saying that he was amongst a group of a few kids working at that level. I shouldn't have left it all to the school. I'm not blaming his school, his teacher has worked so hard this year and I should have been doing far more to support her.

OP posts:
littledrummergirl · 09/05/2016 16:20

Dd qualified for the SS grammar after the 11+ and is definitely able. She didn't manage to complete the paper. I read out what was said in the link above and she wholeheartedly agreed with it.
I wonder what the rest are going to be like?

bigbuttons · 09/05/2016 16:20

I worked with this paper today. It was hard yes, a lot of inference involved and the texts were tricky, they could have been more user-friendly. They only need to get half the marks to be working at the expected level though.

schbittery · 09/05/2016 16:20

This makes me mad even though my child of the same age isn't doing them - because nobody in a secondary school in September gives a monkeys about them so what's the point of upsetting them all. OK of your GCSEs or 11+ are hard work, fair enough, because they mean something and get you somewhere but this is just nonsense for the government. surely there's a better way to distinguish the high flyers without demoralising everyone else.

GrimmauldPlace · 09/05/2016 16:22

I wouldn't blame yourself, teacher friend of mine said it was nothing like the sample paper and she wasn't sure what else she could have done to help them. She said even she had to reread the questions quite a few times to try to understand them. Feel quite bad for her actually, she's really upset.

TheWitTank · 09/05/2016 16:28

My DD did hers today -she has dyslexia will have struggled undoubtedly. Luckily she hasn't been stressed at all about it; I have told her to do her best, that these tests are not important and that they are not worth worrying about. As long as she tries her best, which I know she will, that's fine with me. I am so bloody well over SATS. Week upon week of revision and letters home and after school extra classes and extra revision homework. They are 10 and 11 years old for gods sake. We have just carried on as normal in this house, I refuse to shovel on extra pressure at this age, it's ridiculous.

CPtart · 09/05/2016 16:32

DS 2 sat this today, said it was ok and he did finish (but he rushes anyway). Some children didn't finish though and were quite upset.

RB68 · 09/05/2016 16:35

My DD was v none committal when talking when her friend, same year, was present but on her own said she found it relatively easy and OK - if it helps she was at l5 previously so this is her strong subject. I think the real issue is they test to the whole array so those less able get more frustrated as it feels like more is undoable when pragmatically they are doing OK as they only expected to get so far.

Mandzi34 · 09/05/2016 16:37

My DS said it was tricky and was harder than any of the sample papers they've done in school. He missed a question out at the end and knows others that didn't complete it.

mummc2 · 09/05/2016 16:38

My dd just got home from choir and she said it was ok that the middle section 2 had the most text to read and a lot of questions worth 2/3 marks so that took along time and when she got to section 3 they were all 1 marks so to save time she didn't read all the text she read the questions and just picked out what she needed to answer it. So yes she did finish and she's not a fast writer

ddrmum · 09/05/2016 16:39

My DS is fairly fed up. He's a capable lad but said that some of the Qs didn't make any sense & he didn't understand it. He's dreading SPAGS tomorrow so now beating myself up - should I have done more blahblahblah 😔

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