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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.

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Headofthehive55 · 09/05/2016 21:23

There seems an awful lot of fuss. My eldest DD - she moved schools and areas - sats results never got to the new school. Didn't make any difference.

No stress here. dD3 sat them today - she's looking forward to tomorrow, as apparently they get a lovely breakfast. Always thinks of her stomach. Think it's how you approach things really. School has been lovely. We are always doing quizzes, and they see us getting stuff wrong so it's normal.

ShipwreckedAndComatose · 09/05/2016 21:24

Yes Mandz. Once the results are in, they will decide on the thresholds.

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 21:27

Have signed the petition Clopper. Thanks for the link.

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Mandzi34 · 09/05/2016 21:28

Thanks Shipwrecked!

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 21:33

Ds wasn't stressed either until today Headofthehive. Now he's in a total panic about the rest of the week.

The Headteacher asked him about the test on the way out of school and she was very relaxed about the whole thing and told him not to worry. The fact that she even asked him though made me realise that it must have been bad! The school hasn't 'pushed' the kids at all - no going in early or revision classes in the Easter holidays - but some kids were still worried. One mum told me today that her Dd has been crying about these tests for the last three weeks. They are from overseas and although her Dd is very bright, she still struggles with English.

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totalrecall1 · 09/05/2016 21:37

DD said it was fine, but we will wait and see

SawdustInMyHair · 09/05/2016 21:48

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

heavenlypink · 09/05/2016 21:48

I've been reading the notes for readers for tomorrow's test (spag) and hoping that the child I support does as well as he has in practice tests. Today was awful for him (and me)

Narp · 09/05/2016 21:55

Completely agree Sawdust

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 21:58

Ds also said that he found the questions ambiguous which caused him to run out of time...he wasted far too much time just trying to work out what was being asked.

He was also thrown by an extract from a book (one that he read a couple of years ago) which he said was accompanied by a picture which was a poor depiction of the subject matter of the book. That, for some reason, really bugged him and he spent too much time thinking about the bloody picture!

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Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 22:00

How do we go about complaining to the government? Our MP has a Ds in Yr 6. Maybe write to her?

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jayho · 09/05/2016 22:02

My heart sank when I saw the thread title, my 11yo, who was completely unfazed this morning, has been in a state all evening because he feels he did poorly. He didn't finish the paper, is stressed out about the rest of the week. He's just got off to sleep.Sad

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 22:08

Exactly the same here jayho. Ds actually looked ill after school and all evening he's been really flushed and tired looking. He said he doubted he would be able to sleep tonight because he is so worried about tomorrow.

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jayho · 09/05/2016 22:11

His school has a breakfast club too and he doesn't want to go tomorrow because he thinks everyone did better than him and they'll all be super confident. Sad

blankpieceofpaper · 09/05/2016 22:19

I am a secondary school English teacher and I am concerned about this. I don't children so demoralised about reading already - and to just link it with texts. They have all that to come with the new GCSE specification - it will be years of this stuff.

I may give my year 10s a sample of the part of the paper as a starter one day, just to see.

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 22:21

Bloody hell jayho, your poor Ds. Maybe you should tell him about the discussions on this thread and TES about the number of children who did not finish the test.

Fingers crossed that after a horrible start to the week things can only get better.

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jayho · 09/05/2016 22:24

I think I will sit him down in the morning and tell him about this Lott

I'm tempted to do the whole 'look, this is not measuring you but your twatting school' conversation.....

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 22:25

Blankpiece Ds hates school now. He's dreading secondary school because he thinks school is only about endless tests. He used to be the most inquisitive child with a real love of learning, but he's losing this now because school is just so bloody boring. Before all these stupid Spag tests, he was a voracious reader. Now he just wants to zone out on the computer. All the joy has gone.

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Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 22:29

I did the 'measuring the school not you' conversation jayho but he didn't really believe it and then he felt bad for letting his teacher down. He's worried that she'll get the sack, despite my reassuring him that this will definitely not happen.

But I think it did help when I read bits of this thread out and said that pretty much everyone found the test ridiculously hard and even some teachers struggled to work out what was being asked!

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jayho · 09/05/2016 22:33

hey, to add icing to the cake my 7yo was off sick all last week when his class did their SATS and so is doing them on his own this week.......

School is officially shit at the mo

wtffgs · 09/05/2016 22:36

I supported EAL kids today - they didn't have a prayer even though they have worked so hard Angry

This "test" is a fabrication designed to make schools look like failures so they can be academised. Our kids' self-esteem is just "collateral damage" (I am also mum to a Y6 child).

I'd like to suggest that Morgan, Gibbs and Cameron take the SATS and shove them up their Fronted Adverbials!

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 22:37

Oh no...your poor Dc and poor you with two of them going through it this week Flowers. Roll on Friday eh?

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Ratbagcatbag · 09/05/2016 22:37

I know this is maybe a stupid question (as I only have a three year old at the minute) but can you withdraw your children from SATs? As in refuse to let them sit them?

littledrummergirl · 09/05/2016 22:38

I've signed the petition and shared.

Original poster
Lottielo · 09/05/2016 22:39

We really do all need to take a stand. Apart from writing to our MPs, what could we do?

Anyone able to draft a good letter to use?

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