not to send my DDs to 'booster' lessons to build up to SATs?

[GodzillasAbominableBumcheek]

Got given permission slips/letters today by my ten year old daughters about lessons after school. There is one hour of Literacy one day, and one hour of Maths another day.

My kids spend extra time on homework than most kids as it is, why would i force them to do even more!

Apparently though, they were told by the teachers that they have to do the extra lessons. Why do i object SO much?

Hate, hate, hate this & I'm a teacher!

League tables clearly play a major factor here.

However, it depends on your dd's circumstances: would she benefit from more individualised attention? Is the inference she is under-performing or is this offered to all? Would she be upset if she didn't get her level 4/5? Would this help her transition to secondary school? When do these booster sessions take place - i.e. in school time? If you've chosen the school for its successful record maybe this is all part of it?

Sorry, just re-read and they would be after school.

Agree with Heated.

The lessons are offered to all, and i don't think they will be getting any individual attention. They aren't doing badly (despite difficulties spelling), and are in the top Maths group. One of them told me this evening that she is in the top group in Literacy too, and she did get good results in her last reading test.

They have been told that they should be very grateful because the teachers have given up their own free time to take the lessons.

ds has just finished giving a load of exams. quite frankly, i dont even care if he doesnt hand in homework anymore. let alone attend booster lessons. his fate re secondary school will be decided long before he sits the sats. so why should i give him more grief?
if you feel you child will benefit from them, then it is a good oppurtunity to get free tuition. otherwise, just ignore them.

I don't really understand SATs (ds has only just started reception) but I thought they were supposed to show how the school was performing - not be a hoop that children have to jump through.

Does performance in SATs actually affect your dds' future in any way? If not, unless you feel your dds would enjoy or get a boost from the extra sessions, I'd say 'no'.

I used to teach in a school where results were everything, well I still do lol, but the difference was that the pupils would be upset if they didn't achieve their level 6/7 so booster sessions were organised and they were grateful for them lol (& the head/parents expected them to be offered).

However, I now teach at a more highly achieving school and we don't do booster sessions at any level - a few teachers might use the booster materials in lesson - but certainly no extra coaching, enough of the year is sidelined to SATs anyway.

Do most of the children attend the boosters? Would dd be particularly bothered about not going?

NO NO NO NO NO YANBU
Unless you think the extra literacy will be beneficial (she'd prob be better off reading a book at home though).

Tell them she won't be coming in for the SATS exam either. That's what I plan for my dd (if SATS still exist then).

Teachers (I am one btw) should be giving up their free time to do something fun with the kids not exam-coaching .

They have plainly said they would hate it!

I just wondered if i was in some way doing something wrong because their teachers have said they 'have' to attend them!

Somebody correct me if i'm wrong but no out of school hours activities, whether they be lessons or not are actually compusory, are they? Otherwise why would they have to sent permission slips home for them?

Aparently your chosen senior school can tell from theirYr 6 SATs, what they are going to achieve at GCSE! Can't help thinking thats a load of twaddle! Also, some senior schools take note of their results to put them in the right tutor groups, when they get there.

Ultimately though, I wouldn't be happy about extra lessons either. Very bad show, for the teachers to 'bully you' almost, into getting them to do after school lessons. They're little children fgs. Let them play after school. You're a long time an adult!

I firmly believe that if most of the kids in their year do attend, it will be because the teachers have pressured them into it. As far as i can tell they will be learning/re-learning materials they should have already learned in class, and if they haven't, then imo, why the heck not?

My DDs' stumbling blocks are spelling and times tables, but since neither of these problems will be addressed, surely boosterlessons are just adding to exam pressure that 10 year olds don't need? It won't affect their place in Secondary School, either.

Maureen, they use the data from the grades children got at GCSE each year and match it with what they got at KS2 and 3 SATS so therefore it gives a broad idea of what children with (for example) 5,5,5 achieved in Maths GCSE. It is sometimes quite useful for teachers to see that children are probably capable of more than they are doing right now...

But teachers can actually tell this without all the stats. There are lots of children whose stats are lost/never took exams and you know what? they get placed in classes and teachers manage to work out what they are capable of, all by themselves .

Godzilla - don't be bullied - let them play!

We boycotted these as well -- they were before school when dd1 was in Y6. Yuk.

Do be warned, though, that some secondary schools do their Y7 streaming on the basis of Y6 SATS results. Not that you should necessarily care, but forewarned is forearmed.

YAY...for once it looks like IANBU!!! That's surely a first

Ah yes, my school use the SATs data to manipulate the forms so there is an even spread of ability in year 7.

If there is broad streaming in your secondary school maybe yr 6 SATs is an issue, but tbh for most secondary schools the levels are too broad to do any setting with. They use CATs data, obtained once at secondary, and their own internal subject testing for setting purposes.

Umlellala. Fair enough. I'm not a teacher, and will gladly bow to your better knowledge!

FWIW Gozilla, My dd 's spelling and tables work at primary was lousey too. She didn't get a selective place from her 11+ test. She has, however, done CAT tests at senior school and has been put in the shadow grammar class, with a strong view to be moving into the Grammar stream later this year.

Maureen, the only reason I justify them is because they are actually stats that make sense for once. They are not predictive but analytical based on previous year iykwim.

But I agree with your post entirely...
And bet the teachers have been bullied into providing the extra sessions too.

(PS CAT tests, there's another controversial issue )

Its terrible! I just want to know that DD is doing OK! She was a complete mess before her 11+ and I am so not the sort of parent that pressures or anything. If it really works, then thats great for dd, she got all 5's for her SATS!

To finally get around to answering the OP I think she's spot on. My los would not be attending booster sessions unless they were keen to go.

In my experience (and am a secondary school teacher, rather than primary), schools tend to target pupils who are "borderline" between one level and another - ie where booster lessons can actually make most difference. Of course you should feel free to say no but if your dd would care one way or the other about which level she gets, it might be worth encouraging her to go and get some targeted support. On the other hand, if letters really have been sent home for EVERY child and the booster lessons are not targeted at specific attainment then it'll be a waste of her time, unless he just feel more confident and prepared in a general way (am sure you could achieve the same result with help at home).

Legally, you can't keep children at home, but you can of course write a note and say they are sick or whatever. Or not bother and have it as an unauthorised absence - they are unlikely to take you to court over one day!

interesting link from headteachers conference

PS Starlight, you should read the home ed threads - very interesting.

NO NO NO they dont have to go

the lessons mean the children learn how to pass the exms and achieve higher grades, then the secondary schhols have to find out what level they are really on.