To not care that my son failed all his SATs

[Anotherdayanotherusername]

Year 6. Not exactly a shock, we were told by school that he probably wouldn't pass - he's very dyslexic & probably has the maths one too.

However, we know he is far from stupid as well as being sporty & creative and that these results will not affect him in high school or life actually. He's gutted though.

AIBU to think these tests are a massive waste of time & to wish the school could've spent year 6 teaching them instead of doing endless mock tests

He attends a high achieving school so is just one of a handful that "failed" and I can't help but be irritated by all the fb posts from other school mums chuffed to bits that their kids passed. His best friend is getting a hamster for passing

[Notevilstepmother]

Sats are a pain in the posterior. Love from a teacher. See attached, it went viral a few years ago, and things have got worse since.

(Haven't read the full thread apologies if already posted).

[TheFirstMrsDV]

Whatawaytomakealiving
He was in Yr 2 not 6
He was not recognised as having SN
He had not received any additional support at all.

He is now 14 and attends a SNS. He also has four dxs.

So much for not having SEN or needing a statement.

[Ceto]

Pengggwyn, if an EHCP is granted and properly drafted, it will contain a full description of all the child's needs, and it will set out in detail all the support they require in order to meet those needs. Their entitlement to that support is statutory, i.e. if it is not provided they will have the right to enforce it through the courts and the vast majority of children will be entitled to legal aid for that purpose.

Not all dyslexic children receive an EHCP because not all meet the legal criteria for them, which essentially is whether their needs can be met within the resources normally available within a mainstream school.

[BertrandRussell]

I am just so sad that a high achieving primary school-indeed any primary school would tell a year 6's parent that "he probably wouldn't pass - he's very dyslexic & probably has the maths one too"

Just shocking

[Orlantina]

40% of children did not reach the 'expected standard' in all their SATs.

Does that mean that 40% of children aren't at the expected standard - or does that possibly mean that the expected standard is too high?

[MimsyFluff]

DD2 failed two of her year 2 SATs (85, 87 and 105 85 been the lowest score) she was 6 when she took them her sister was 8 she got 115 top score on all of them!

Why are we testing primary school children? What's wrong with the old way?! Let our kids be kids

[youarenotkiddingme]

Sorry been at a swimming gala!

If he only had extra time then the chances are he could have got the answers down better with a scribe or understood text/questions better with a reader.
The only time this can't be used is spelling tests (my ds got 1 right in his sats!) and reading comprehension.

I'd focus on working with the secondary school to find it what they will do to support him to communicate his knowledge in future tests.

My ds can tell you the most complex information about science and technology to the level of a 15yo - he can write with the ability of an 8yo. His spelling age is 6!
He's 12!!!!!!!

Ask secondary if they do lexia. My ds has benefitted massively for doing this programme.

[Toffeelatteplease]

Probably not to level level I have seen done in properly specialist schools or by the sound of it to the level the OP's. DS needs.

It's great to run sats down but they do provide an opportunity to catch those kids for whom education isn't working.

Or we can just keep blaming the sats and let the kids keep on failing into secondary.

[Ceto]

Penggwyn, what has happened in relation to many dyslexic children you know isn't a measure of how an EHCP may help OP's child. If the support he needs isn't available within mainstream resources, then he is likely to qualify for an EHCP. If that process is carried out properly, the support will be properly specified and the child must receive it. If it isn't carried out properly, there is recourse through a tribunal appeal.

[Madwoman5]

Had the same when the GCSE results came out. Had to stop feeling like shit whenever someone reported their little Johnny had A set of results whereas mine dragged himself through with just enough C grades to get into college. He is neither thick nor lazy, just has a barrowload of SEN that took me two and a half years to get diagnosed and the school to acknowledge and work with us.
High School will reassess before considering streaming. Get to the secondary school now to ensure the SEN support is in place otherwise you will spend most of term 1, 2, 3 and forever, faffing about trying to get the SEN support sorted.

[Lillyringlet]

I think the important thing is to work out why he's failing. Using these now are a good way do he doesn't get stung later on.

I'm highly dyslexic and I failed my a-levels despite being the only top of my class and getting 80-100% in all my mocks. Turns out I'm a slow reader so need extra time but more importantly that I'm in a room I can talk. My results go from max 40% in a silent room to 80-100% by just being in a room I can chat to myself or sing. It sounds weird but it is worth looking into.

If it's not the exam its self but how the information is taken in, you can work out how best to manage that ready for gcses and other exams.

Most dyslexic people need two forms of information for something to go in.

It might be that he needs to doodle while in class - it sounds crazy but there have been so many studies that show doodling during a class or meeting and you take in more information than most other methods. Two of my work places have implemented doodling during meetings after a trail run proved how successful it was - this was after I got complaints about me doodling from a boss and me having to explain why.

Sats mean nothing but it will suck for him - he will feel stupid despite probably having a higher iq (those with dyslexia more often have a higher iq just can't convey it in conventional methods).

Maybe look into the teaching methods as they might not be dyslexic friendly which needs to be evaluated. I can't work out left and right so a riding instructor trying to only use left and right was the wrong choice (and yes she was warned and yes she ignored it). Might be if it is not available at his next school that their might be books or tutors that are. I found certain books helped me (sorry can't remember which) while some lessons only just confused me. I also found trying to teach someone else helped information in and help me learn things even better. I still remember details from my computing course because I tried teaching my mum it!

Tell him "there is no point testing a fish how smart it is by asking it to climb a tree"

[gillybeanz]

I know how you feel, my dd is older but has failed all her year end exams.
She's at a ss specialist school and it's hard boosting her confidence.
Please tell your son there is nothing wrong with failing.
It's giving up and believing you are a failure that is wrong.
Sometimes it's hard for them to distinguish between the two.
I feel glad for those that have done well and will congratulate her friends but of course it's natural to feel a bit down when your child isn't achieving good results.

[IPreferCatstoPeople]

I know that SATs have little import on the child's future in real terms, but you do need to be aware that they are used by central government to set each child's target grade at GCSE. So, a child who underachievers at yr6 will have a low GCSE target and if they achieve higher at GCSE, this is good for the secondary school. If the child overachieved at yr6 (through coaching, extra tuition or just playing a blinder on the day) and then does not do so well at GCSE, then that is bad for the secondary school. The whole system is wrong. It is utterly skewed to bashing schools and setting both them and their students to fail.
Not everyone can be a grade A student (especially now that a grade A has become a 7, and 8 or a 9. yes, it really is that complicated!) and we should be celebrating students individual progress, not a bit of paper. Grrr. Sorry, teacher rant over.
Give the boy a hug and tell him that it's all about growing.

[isittooearlyforgin]

I am a teacher and from experience EHCP s are ridiculously difficult to get even for children with quite severe needs. There are many hoops you have to jump through and not even then are you lucky. The curriculum and thus the sats have become very difficult. The curriculum was set by a panel who admitted they were concentrating on secondary education and rushed through the primary, not knowing much about it. If you look at the sats papers, I think many adults would fail to get good pass in the time given. I think OP is right to understand that everyone has different talents and skills and while of course a basic level of literacy and numeracy makes life much easier, there are many different paths in life.

[ProphetOfDoom]

It IS hard because so much of year 6 is skewed to the SATs and they're drilled over and over so no matter what you tell your dcs don't take too much notice THEY believe them to be terribly important and the new wording is pretty stark. To be told you're 'not at standard' age 11.

I think you should buy your ds a bloody hamster too & tell him how proud you are of his achievement and hard work.

[ProphetOfDoom]

I realise you might not want a bloody hamster

[frumpety]

To be fair about a 3rd of most classes won't pass the SAT's , that 3rd will have been largely ignored by the actual teacher who will have spent yr6 desperately trying to get the other's to a point where they would pass or mainly pass , or perhaps that just happens in yr2 ?

[user1489675144]

I wouldn't get upset with the other mums on FB saying how wonderful their children did at SATS... they will do the same at GCSE, at A level and then after degree... ignore

If you have a lovely son who tries his best then that is more important

[user1489675144]

EHCP for a child with dyslexia even with 'the other one for maths' is unheard of and unnecessary. The right school should be able to accommodate his needs without a formal plan ie within the SEN school framework - not additional needs.

[slkk]

Toffee, sats results are all counted for the school, regardless of SEN. The only children whose marks are not counted for data purposes are those who arrived new from a non English speaking country in y5or 6. Even children who do not sit the tests are counted.
OP, I completely get where you are coming from. DS didn't pass his phonics screening in Y1. It's quite liberating knowing he is so far off the standard that I don't have to worry about it and his school are not trying to force him falsely to a level he isn't really at. They plan and teach exactly what he needs at his level and he will read, just not this year.
And I'm a Y6 teacher by the way.

[frumpety]

By the way that last post was not a dig at the teachers up and down the country , it was a dig at the SAT's

[howrudeforme]

Op feel for you. Dc very late in the day being assessed for dysphraxia. Confidence at all time low. He did pass but he's still unhappy,



I'm putting primary school aside and I hope for greater recognition at secondary school. I hope their worlds will open up a bit.

And what really fcks me off is that last school tried to help but new school at the outset did zero and wrote him off, no agency would help but this last year he had a sympathetic teacher who was encouraging. Only now is he being assesed and perhaps of his difficulties we've just about managed to handle but because of such a late assssment I doubt he'll get help. Fallen through the gaps..,,18 months of hell.

Hug and love you dc for who they are.