Page 19 | SATS cheating - by the Head!

Dilemmaramma · 2025-05-16T20:16:57+00:00

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

Teateaandmoretea · 17/05/2025 20:22

sakuraspring · 17/05/2025 19:21

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.

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Because schools are judged on it.

But SATs have zero benefits for the kids.

K8Davidson · 17/05/2025 20:45

Middleagedstriker · 16/05/2025 21:53

Sorry but this really made me laugh. My friend and I had the discussion today about how private schools definitely cheat on their results and you seem to be adding a bit of evidence to that!
Morally OP it is wrong I would probably write a letter to the school and left it there

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My friend used to work as an English teacher at a private school and told me that during Covid, she placed a child at a C level for GCSE. She informed the HT.

The HT then inflated the child’s English grade to an A and signed it off. I doubt it was the HT’s first time doing this…

Littlefish · 17/05/2025 20:56

DidStart · 16/05/2025 21:34

I would report too. Unfair advantage. Headteacher is very well aware of the rules.

Part of my role is to monitor the administration of SATs, unannounced visits, checking against the strict guidance.

I also have a role in investigating maladministration.

@Dilemmaramma report here.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-report-maladministration-at-key-stage-1-and-key-stage-2

I have a similar role and would also report it.

Littlefish · 17/05/2025 20:58

AngelinaFibres · 17/05/2025 19:00

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

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This is not true. Where is your evidence?

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:09

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 16:57

If you want to send it to the Governors, send it to the Chair (you can usually do this via the school office if you don’t know their email address). However, I disagree with the poster who said to keep it very brief. The more details the Chair has, the more it will help him/her decide what to do.

Sending it to the Chair ramps up the seriousness. What he/she will do is up to them. Depending on their integrity and their relationship with the Head, they might just ignore it, though they would probably feel obliged to discuss it with the Head, who might of course assure them that it’s all nonsense. Whether they took it further and reported it would again be up to them.

You could of course address your email to the Head but copy in the CoG; that way you’d be more likely to get a response, but if you don’t want it reported to the STA you’d be running that risk.

Having been a HT I'm now a Chair of Governors and would hate to have to make a decision like that! Personally, tbh I would probably decide not to take it further, in the knowledge that the Head had received a big shock even if they didn’t admit it, though I acknowledge that this might not be the most moral thing to do.

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Unacceptable.

Whatever anyone else on the thread thinks is morally the right thing to do, if you are unable to be objective due to your prior experience as a HT, you should not be a CoG (or a governor at all)

What else are you applying your own ‘moral compass’ to vs procedurally what should be happening? Bit of harassment but sure they didn’t mean it? Bit of non-compliance on safeguarding but everyone’s busy and it’s a difficult role right?

You are not independent and should step down.

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 21:10

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:09

Unacceptable.

Whatever anyone else on the thread thinks is morally the right thing to do, if you are unable to be objective due to your prior experience as a HT, you should not be a CoG (or a governor at all)

What else are you applying your own ‘moral compass’ to vs procedurally what should be happening? Bit of harassment but sure they didn’t mean it? Bit of non-compliance on safeguarding but everyone’s busy and it’s a difficult role right?

You are not independent and should step down.

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Dream on.

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:12

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 21:10

Dream on.

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meaning?

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 21:15

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:12

meaning?

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Meaning I have no intention of following your suggestion.

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:17

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 21:15

Meaning I have no intention of following your suggestion.

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Maybe the other governors will do it for you 😊

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 21:20

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:17

Maybe the other governors will do it for you 😊

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Doubt it. I have sorted out a GB that was previously failing, got praised by Ofsted, am pretty popular, and no-one else wants to do it.

IButtleSir · 17/05/2025 21:22

Strictly1 · 17/05/2025 19:02

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

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Okay, but are you actually in charge of administering the KS2 SATs at a primary/junior school? Because if not, your opinion is irrelevant.

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:24

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 21:20

Doubt it. I have sorted out a GB that was previously failing, got praised by Ofsted, am pretty popular, and no-one else wants to do it.

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Sure.

What’s the MN phrase? “When someone shows you who they are”.

Keep posting and let everyone have zero confidence in any level of independent governance of teachers, who aren’t always that popular.

No interest in engaging with you further.

Strictly1 · 17/05/2025 21:26

IButtleSir · 17/05/2025 21:22

Okay, but are you actually in charge of administering the KS2 SATs at a primary/junior school? Because if not, your opinion is irrelevant.

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Yes. I am in charge and completed the HT declaration on Friday so my opinion I think has some value. Thank you!

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 21:27

Snackathon · 17/05/2025 21:24

Sure.

What’s the MN phrase? “When someone shows you who they are”.

Keep posting and let everyone have zero confidence in any level of independent governance of teachers, who aren’t always that popular.

No interest in engaging with you further.

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No interest in engaging with you further.

That’s lucky!

Jessie3 · 17/05/2025 22:17

IButtleSir · 17/05/2025 16:47

Why have you included a screenshot of something which proves me right and you wrong?! I already knew what it said in the document! Hence why I was correct!

And it's really not 'ludicrous quibbling' to point out that there is a difference in meaning between the word 'recommendation' and the word 'rule' when it is entirely relevant in the context.

All I can say is, all four of the Heads I have worked for (most of them sane...) have ignored the recommendation in question, because we cannot lay our hands on enough adults to do this. This SATs week just gone, we used 12 adults (plus the Deputy Head who did random 'drop-ins' on each room throughout the duration of each test), and three of them were unpaid volunteers. There is just no way we could have got hold of another 12 adults.

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To show the rest of the posters petty you were being over the wording. Job done!

Jessie3 · 17/05/2025 22:18

AngelinaFibres · 17/05/2025 19:00

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

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I don’t, and have never seen anyone do so in 31 years.

noworklifebalance · 17/05/2025 22:32

472027474hg683 · 17/05/2025 18:00

Writing as a headteacher of a primary school. For clarity, by raising it, you are opening the door on it becoming a significant issue. You should report to the STA or the chair of governors as your complaint is about the headteacher. Don’t send an email to the head.

Ultimately, the results of the cohort and the outcomes for the headteacher are not your responsibility- both lie with the headteacher. If the situation happened as your child has reported, you are not ruining their career, the headteacher has made that decision for themselves. I wouldn’t worry about the implication on secondary school sets or GCSE’s- I don’t think SATs hold that much weight for individuals. Secondary schools generally do their own testing for this metrics. We have children in secondary schools now with no SATs outcomes because of covid and that won’t have impacted on theirs sets or predicted grades.

Obviously, I am pro headteachers and think schools and teachers are on the receiving end of vitriol all the time. 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. Cheating does neither of those things.

I think the majority of teachers have integrity and are great roles models like this poster.

neverbeenskiing · 17/05/2025 22:33

sakuraspring · 17/05/2025 19:04

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

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One thread on Mumsnet isn't evidence that "most" schools cheat on SAT's. I have no doubt that some schools do, but the poster claiming it happens in all schools is talking rubbish. It certainly doesn't happen in my school, we follow the rules and recommendations to the letter and I doubt very much we're the only ones.

Grapewrath · 17/05/2025 22:36

I work in a school sometimes-they never cheat during SATS and take it very seriously
Personally I wouldn’t report it though, it’s SATs and really not that deep or important. Who gives a shit really

sakuraspring · 17/05/2025 22:39

neverbeenskiing · 17/05/2025 22:33

One thread on Mumsnet isn't evidence that "most" schools cheat on SAT's. I have no doubt that some schools do, but the poster claiming it happens in all schools is talking rubbish. It certainly doesn't happen in my school, we follow the rules and recommendations to the letter and I doubt very much we're the only ones.

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I know that really, I am just shocked by the responses on here.

How do you feel knowing your results will be compared to those of schools where cheating does happen?

Jessie3 · 17/05/2025 22:41

Really pissed off!

sakuraspring · 17/05/2025 22:43

Jessie3 · 17/05/2025 22:41

Really pissed off!

This is what is motivating me to report the cheating to the Sats line and also to the governors.
It's not fair on honest schools

NeverDropYourMooncup · 17/05/2025 22:54

AngelinaFibres · 17/05/2025 19:00

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

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No, they don't. I've seen thousands of SATs results over the years and compared them to the zero stakes CAT4 data - they broadly match to within 5 points/map over to comparable standards for the non quantified or if you look at the raw data on GIAP.

I can see where there might have been more intensive practice in some schools, I can see where an entire cohort probably had an awful time with supply staff all year, I can see where a school has been proactive in evidencing SEND need for access arrangements - and I can see at a glance where it is literally impossible for those levels to have been reached, as their raw ability scores are right at the bottom but their primary has somehow got them all to 105-109 and the firm 100 averages apparently all got 111+. It'll be one or two schools out of 30.

neverbeenskiing · 17/05/2025 22:55

sakuraspring · 17/05/2025 22:39

I know that really, I am just shocked by the responses on here.

How do you feel knowing your results will be compared to those of schools where cheating does happen?

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Pissed off, obviously. Hence my advocating for cheating to be reported in previous posts.

sakuraspring · 17/05/2025 22:59

NeverDropYourMooncup · 17/05/2025 22:54

No, they don't. I've seen thousands of SATs results over the years and compared them to the zero stakes CAT4 data - they broadly match to within 5 points/map over to comparable standards for the non quantified or if you look at the raw data on GIAP.

I can see where there might have been more intensive practice in some schools, I can see where an entire cohort probably had an awful time with supply staff all year, I can see where a school has been proactive in evidencing SEND need for access arrangements - and I can see at a glance where it is literally impossible for those levels to have been reached, as their raw ability scores are right at the bottom but their primary has somehow got them all to 105-109 and the firm 100 averages apparently all got 111+. It'll be one or two schools out of 30.

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If it's possible to get this from the data then when aren't there more interventions? Lack of resources?

Because my children's cheating head has had a "stratospheric" career and is known for her ability to "radically improve" sats results in each school she goes to, yet she's clearly got away with it so far