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

Yeah I can believe it. As a secondary teacher I've heard from kids about help being given. We've also had kids with SEN come in with SATs results that in no way reflect their ability and it's obvious that their scribe or reader has significantly helped them in the exams.

I think loads of heads or teachers must do it. It happened at both my DC's schools (different schools). My eyes nearly popped out of my head when DC1 told me, the second time I just sighed and moved on

SATS are a measure of the School, not a measure of your child. High Schools do thier own tests, and children are streamed on this - they often aren’t even streamed in Y7. They are so pointless, I wish I’d pulled my child out

I do also remember in year six SATs hesitating over an answer going to write then stopping, then writing the answer, I think it might've even been circling or underlining something, then looking at it again pen poised to cross it out, my teacher was standing by my shoulder watching me, I looked up she smiled and winked which I took to mean I was right and moved on.

ETA I wasn't mortified I felt relieved, pretty sure I never mentioned it to anyone at the time

@Dilemmaramma
I have 3 children who have done SATS. None of their schools took any notice of them. In fact 2 school actually told me what waste of time they were as a predictive tool for achievement.

The only thing SATS are used for is scoring schools, not the pupils. That's why the head is so keen for the students to do well.

You could report the head but personally I wouldn't about something so inconsequential.

Where did you get this idea from? Of course the head can be alone in a room with children.

As I said up thread this is a direct result of high-stakes testing, at age 11! Unfortunately the Head has crossed a boundary here, they are, allegedly, moving round the exam room changing students' answers. If I can put it in terms some MN posters might relate to, your DC is being disadvantaged by a HT who will bend the rules to save their own skin/advance their own careers, it is absolutely appalling.
As a slight sideline, 'many' schools use ks2 SATs to set GCSE target grades, at least initially. Obvs there are other ways (CATs/observation/some sort of entrance exam) but I can assure from first hand knowledge that many Secondary schools use KS2 SATs, in part, for both target setting and teaching groups.

I can believe this though. When my child told me about an incident just like this she said the helped child was really embarrassed and upset by it

Not in SATS tests, there have to be two people in the testing room at all times.

They are part of an algorithm used to generate target grades. Post code is too.

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

Independent schools aren’t exactly known for their laid back attitude? And are also very good at fudging things for the sake of looking good…

not that I disagree, most exams are stupid but what does it have to do with state vs independent?

DC was mortified because the head told them they were being really slow in writing out the times table, and a couple of friends commented on it afterwards.

They are part of an algorithm used to generate target grades. Post code is too.

My eldest DC was placed in a high set maths class when he started secondary last year. He started to struggle quite early on. When we discussed it with him, he said 'the only reason I'm in that group is because Mr D kept whispering/pointing to the right answers when he walked past me during the maths SAT paper'.

I've come to realise Mr D doesn't want the results to reflect badly on him.

I think there's a lot of pressure on year 6 teachers to get good results from their class.

I’m with you OP - it’s abhorrent. Not so much the impact of the cheating itself but the effect on the children who’ve seen their supposed moral leader cheat in a nationally important assessment.
presumably your DC would have been in terrible trouble if they’d been caught trying to copy answers off mates or cheat in some other way? Yet the head expects to just get away with it. It’s disgusting tbh.
i think Id have a quiet word with the head and say Ive heard from a few children that thought they saw you helping children in the test. I’m sure they were mistaken but I’ve told parents in the younger year groups to look out for this because if this happens again and Dfe/Ofsted find out there would be very serious consequences for the school and all the children. Hopefully that would put the shitters up them without actually causing trouble for the school.

It's not great is it. Sats are more for the school's benefit so he's changing the results to make the school look better. Not on.

I’m surprised so many people think this doesn’t happen tbh.

They had a parent of a year 6 child as the invigilator

The head teacher of DDs school was doing it this week, and she did it when my son was at the school doing SATS two years ago.

I reported it two years ago (my son told me in great detail, she was rubbing out answers, spelling out words etc, and two of his friends both told their mums (my close friends)) the same story.

I think I should report it again this time but I feel quite demoralised that nothing happened last time.

It's absolutely outrageous that headteachers are not only prepared to cheat for their own gain but also are prepared to set such an example to children

For me it’s a none issue. The SATs mean nothing other than too the school. It’s a measurement of progress from foundation. Helping them on two questions won’t affect their overall score massively so it’s not like a working towards kid is then going to be placed in greater depth in secondary.

Only time I would say something is if the child is SEN and trying to gather data for a diagnosis etc

My old secondary school did entrance exams in year 7 to place into sets which was better

Yes, her child was in a different room

I know of at least four headteachers who have colluded in SATs cheating. One got away with it ( an infant school) three , KS2, were sacked for gross misconduct. I think it is far more common than assumed, headteachers are under huge pressure, and in a small school a couple of pupils not achieving their predicted grades can skew the statistics, which makes them do stupid things.