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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To find SATs joke not very funny?

108 replies

Kokapetl · 16/05/2019 20:24

A primary school teacher played a prank on the whole of year 6 just after their SATs had finished by telling them they had another exam the next day. They actually assembled the kids and "explained" why they had not told them about it before! Then the joke was revealed and the kids had a post-SATs treat.

I think this is a bit mean and not very funny in what could have been a stressful week for some children. AIBU?

OP posts:
Girlicorne · 16/05/2019 20:53

Sorry I think that's funny, my daughter and her classmates would have found it funny too after the event, I just asked her. I agree with what a PP said upthread about how this shouldn't be a stressful time, we have hugely played it down, DD knows they mean nothing and have no impact on her life. The school she is going to in September have already said they have zero interest in SATs results and don't even ask the primary for them.

DameMargaretofChalfont · 16/05/2019 20:53

Wow - log it with 101, notify OFSTED and don't forget to ring the local press and pose with your shocked face!!!

Alternatively GET A GRIP.

It was a joke which was explained straight away and the children got a post SATs reward!!!

No wonder there's so many snowflakes about!!

Ciwirocks · 16/05/2019 20:53

God, no wonder teachers don’t bother anymore. They can’t do right for doing wrong. They gave the kids a treat after their sats and people want to complain. That’s a good way to make sure they don’t bother next year 🙄

SunInTheSkyYouKnowHowIFeel · 16/05/2019 20:55

donquixotedelamancha you are hilarious. Spot on.

Dandelion1993 · 16/05/2019 20:56

Get over it snowflake

LoveIsHope · 16/05/2019 20:56

The last test was today. So it sounds like the children were told the joke just before their treat. They haven’t spent the whole evening being worried about it. Seriously, do we have to be so serious about a 5 min joke?

FurrySlipperBoots · 16/05/2019 20:58

When I was in year 4 the teacher threw a brick (yes, a brick!!) at a child who was whispering. It hit him in the head.

Of course, it turned out it was made of rubber and we all had a good laugh about it, but these days I guess that teacher would be sacked and probably imprisoned for assault. The class would need therapy to recover from the trauma.

KneelJustKneel · 16/05/2019 20:58

I hope they dont do it again. Im a teacher and wouldnt do it. My daughter is very literal, as I said, probably asd, and needs advance notice of amy changes to the school day or she is easily distressed.

She also needs to be able to trust her teacher implicitly or she loses all confidence in the..

Maybe she's more affected than I thought if other kids would genuinely find it funny. (I wouldnt) I hope they put provision in to warn children like mine. It really would be a huge deal to my child, with horrible consequences tbh.

Canshopwillshop · 16/05/2019 20:58

YABU - jeezus!

Canshopwillshop · 16/05/2019 20:58

YABU - jeezus!

VladmirsPoutine · 16/05/2019 21:02

Forget the lack of pay, lack of support and huge workload. It's actually people like the OP whom are driving people away from the teaching profession.

HomeMadeMadness · 16/05/2019 21:03

Why are the children getting stressed over an exam that only really affects the school? Are their parents putting pressure on them?

The schools often put alot of pressure on. They're told it impacts their streams for secondary, their GCSE targets and are given endless practise after school and before so naturally some kids get stressed (while others don't care at all).

cuppycakey · 16/05/2019 21:06

You are being utterly ridiculous. HTH

frasersmummy · 16/05/2019 21:10

Omg.. I cannot believe some of the comments on here..

Teachers have fun with kids and give them a treat.. And people saying complain???

Ffs poor teachers

Ragwort · 16/05/2019 21:11

Over 50 Blush years ago the teacher in our Y5 class asked us to write the numbers 1-100 on a piece of paper & we were told we were having a test. It was April 1st. The first question was what is the 4th month of the year, can’t remember what the second question was but the answer was ‘fool’. We all fell about laughing, even all these years later I remember it with a smile (& we didn’t get a ‘treat’ afterwards Grin).

whitehalleve · 16/05/2019 21:13

Oh don't be that parent. Grin

donquixotedelamancha · 16/05/2019 21:13

Forget the lack of pay, lack of support and huge workload. It's actually people like the OP whom are driving people away from the teaching profession.

In fairness, the OP is very mildly phrased, she is not talking about making a complaint and acknowledges that she may be overthinking (you are). This is exactly what AIBU is for- nothing wrong with this thread (unless we get the classic 'no, I'm right because...').

What is wierd is the inevitable responses that something is terrible because it might cause hypothetical discomfort; or because a particular poster has no sense of humour doesn't get it, the teacher was being deliberately mean.

Kids do worry over irrational things- precisely why they should be exposed to challenging situations and taught to deal with them.

Mammylamb · 16/05/2019 21:13

Can I ask: what are SATs? Are they exams for primary aged kids (I’m in Scotland, and my son is only a toddler)

ThatssomebadhatHarry · 16/05/2019 21:14

Why didn’t you helicopter right in and save the little darlings from such horrifying abuse.

exLtEveDallas · 16/05/2019 21:14

Hold on, what a load of bollcoks. The last test was this morning. The kids will have finished before lunchtime. So this story makes no sense. just after their SATs had finished by telling them they had another exam the next day Then the joke was revealed and the kids had a post-SATs treat

So this lunchtime they thought there was another test tomorrow, but shortly after had a treat?

Oh good God, get over yourself.

Knackeredmommy · 16/05/2019 21:18

Come on! Im a teacher who has just done SATS and have a daughter who has just done them. If they'd kept the joke running for any amount of time I'd agree but they immediately said only kidding. What happened to resilience?

BoomBoomsCousin · 16/05/2019 21:19

I don't dislike tricks on kids in general. They can be fun, increase the sense of community and be a good stress reliever. But I do think,as with all jokes, that you have to think about what you're doing and how funny everyone is going to find it. A joke like teachers telling their yr 6 kids they have another SATs exam seems like the sort of thing that some teachers are going to find funny and almost no students, so in that sense, it's a (mild) abuse of position and not a good idea. But if they revealed the "trick" almost straight away and didn't leave the kids stewing or worrying over it for any length of time then I don't think it's anything to get worked up about. I'm sure the deadened eyed response to the "reveal" it was a trick and the excitement at the treat will tell the teachers what they need to know.

happybunny007 · 16/05/2019 21:25

I think it is a bit of mean spirited sort of a joke, but I wouldn’t get het up about it.

PuppyMonkey · 16/05/2019 21:26

You should ring the school tomorrow and make a formal complaint to head and tell them you’re taking the story to the Daily Mail. Leave them stewing on the phone for five minutes then say: “Only joking.” Grin

gonnaneedaginsoon · 16/05/2019 21:28

My DS has had his SATs this week. He'd find this really funny if his teacher had done this. It's a joke - get over it.