SATS cheating - by the Head!

[Dilemmaramma]

In my DC’s final SATS exam yesterday, the headteacher was overseeing and they picked up DC’s paper, DURING the exam, flicked through it, then rubbed out one of the answers and told DC to try again. They also pointed out another wrong answer and indicated DC should re-do that question.

This is clear cut cheating, right?

YABU - don’t report it, the whole year group could get their SATS voided and they’ll be devastated
YANBU - this is appalling and the Head needs to be investigated

But, I say with certainty, I think you are right to raise this - the headteacher is a key pillar of the school community and should be modelling integrity and moral clarity as part of their leadership.

Thank you for this. You are right of course.

Not RTFT, but this happened to my DD. It meant she was put in sets way above her ability in maths when she actually needed extra help. And when she struggled, she was blamed for not putting in the effort, because she was 'clearly able' but wasn't coming close to predicted grades - which were based on SATS scores.

She scraped through GCSEs and has gone down a vocational route since. That moment of SATS cheating wasn't the whole reason obviously, but it really didn't help.

And yes, I did say something at the time to her class teacher but didn't get much of a response and didn't pursue it. Have regretted that since.

I’m also a headteacher and say that you should report to the STA. I don’t agree with SATs but I administer them to the letter and all heads should because that’s what we signed up for. This head chose to jeopardise their career by cheating, so if they do lose their job, they brought it on themselves.

I’m also coming from the angle that I took over a school where there had been cheating going on in the SATs by the previous leadership. It had been openly discussed on Facebook that the Year 6 children were told to change incorrect answers, but it wasn’t reported. Then when I came in and didn’t cheat, the results in my school plummeted and the finger was pointed at me for a drop in standards (by parents and the local authority) when what I’d done was introduce integrity. I spent years having to rebuild the outcomes and the reputation of the school because it was founded on dishonesty.

Please report to the STA for the sake of us who do follow the rules and for whoever else may lead the school one day and otherwise could be taking on a poison chalice.

You're saying NHS staff never do things wrong? Haha. My consultant once blamed me for not taking a medication that he hadn't even prescribed me and hadn't even spoken to me about. I missed out on taking it for 18 months because he made a mistake which has impacted on my long term health. He wouldn't apologise and continued to deny any fault on his part.

I think your letter is good @Dilemmaramma, although I agree I would take out most of 'casts a shadow' the para, and just leave:

"The experience has been embarrassing and upsetting for my daughter, particularly given that it took place in full view of her peers."

I think it's important for the Head to know that the other kids saw, and are talking about what happened and that the Head's actions are reflecting badly on your daughter as far as the kids are concerned, rather than on the Head themselves.

PP's advice about what you can actually expect to get from the school in response (i.e. unlikely to have something in writing admitting guilt) is probably true, so I would simply ask for reassurance that this won't happen again.

I think it's important to get in touch with the Head, as it was them personally who made the mistake, and you're simply letting them know that you know (particularly since you've been explicit in stating you don't want any repercussions), and hopefully that will make them think twice about doing it again.

Even asking for reassurance is still the head admitting guilt though.

But the OP is more likely to get it, even verbally, than any of the other "asks" and I think it's the least the Head should be offering!

They won't get any admission of guilt as they'd be losing their career. Not only their current headship but any future jobs in schools. Op needs to either forget the whole thing or officially report it.

It's appalling behaviour. It's cheating.

Well that's nothing to do with logistics and totally cheating! That's exactly why schools are not allowed to open the papers early -teachers are not even supposed to look at the papers in advance, never mind have a look then hold some lower attainers back, so they can teach them how to answer the questions on that paper.

My child had extra time and at one point was in a room on her own. She still has 2 adults with her. I would’ve been concerned if she hadn’t as it wouldn’t have followed the guidance.

I was a teacher for 20 years. It happened in every school I worked in in both Yr 2 and Yr 6 Sats; either with the knowledge of the Head or done by the Head in person .As with all aspects of life, some people are better at cheating than others.

ALL schools cheat on Sat's. ALL OF THEM.

Absolutely not true.

Well I would not have a room with one person in as you’re setting yourself up for a fall.

You do know not all schools have the same layout/ play areas, don't you?

I think it is disgusting that some schools think it is appropriate to make children cram for the tests during SATs week, and even worse if they are coaching some children just before each test, in full knowledge of the content. Some schools/teachers must be really shit inadequate, and they know it!

Really?

I mean it sounds like most do cheat judging by the shocking ratio of people defending this behaviour to those criticising it.

Do none of these teachers stop and think about what kind of message is being sent to the children?

What awful role models

Of course I am aware of that. I was just explaining what goes on at my daughter's school.

And yes I agreed this kind of panicked cramming suggests the teachers feel their teaching during the year was inadequate. I am very cross about it. But we don't have much choice over schools where we are. It was a nice school when my children started but then we had a change of head. The new one came with lots of commendations for her ability to "rapidly improve results". Well, we know why now.

Aha hahaha. Oh God hold my drink so I don't spill it whilst I piss myself laughing.

Mine doesn't.

To some extent yes. But the whole point is it’s utter bollocks. I realise that doesn’t help 100% honest primary schools it also doesn’t help the secondaries who get loads of kids with inflated grades either who then struggle with progress 8 as a result. As the old saying goes - there are lies, damn lies and statistics.

If it's such bollocks then why cheat?

It's such an utterly dreadful example to set children. Mine lost all respect for their headteacher after seeing her cheat like this. And so has a lot of the wider community after hearing about it through their children etc.

Plus my son thinks his (now former) head is extra daft as when she corrected his nearby friends maths question she got the answer wrong (DS is a proper maths nerd and so is his over friend who overheard) . So she's a bit of a joke to our family now.

Mine doesn't. I teach year 6 and am the main sats person. I err on the side of caution if anything, getting caught cheating is a career ending decision. Why would I do that? What's in it for me?

We really don't