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Original poster

School asking to move DC’s op for SATS

62 replies

Screaminginsideme · 02/05/2018 09:00

My DC is in Y6.
DC has been diagnosed with an orphan disease(incredibly rare diseases are called orphan). It isn't Life threatening but it is life changing.
We have had numerous trips to a specialist hospital over an hours drive away and DC has had time off for tests and biopsies.
The medical team want her to have an op that will improve her life. The op will impact her writing arm for a significant time. Her life is restricted currently.
We have been given a date that clashes with the SATS. DC is a bright child and is expected to ‘exceed expected’.
I don’t like the pressure the school are putting on SATS -booster classes until 4 everyday since the Easter break.
The teacher discussed how if DC was off for 5days after the last test she wouldn’t be required to sit them. As she needed a week off after the last biopsy we are expecting to need more time after this much bigger op.
School have asked this morning if we can move the op to the following week so DC can still sit the SATS.
We want this done ASAP so she is recovered ASAP. He life is limited at the moment, no sport or outdoor activities.
I feel like the school are putting their statistics above her needs.
What do I say?

OP posts:
soapboxqueen · 02/05/2018 15:11

You can't withdraw children from Sats. They need to be off ill, be home educated, working below the level of the test or at a private school. You could just keep them at home for 2 weeks but that could incur a fine for being absent.

The OP doesn't need to withdraw her child from anything as she will be absent or unable to take the tests for medical reasons.

ADescentofWoodpeckers · 02/05/2018 16:40

I think primaries get the SAT's papers only a couple of days before the actual exams so sitting them early is not really an option.
You are doing the right thing OP, SAT's are only important for the school and you don't have to justify your decisions to anybody.
Best of luck

Original poster
Screaminginsideme · 02/05/2018 17:56

They have the tests - they arrived today...

OP posts:
VanGoghsLeftEar · 02/05/2018 18:00

Tell the HT to do one.

mynameisnotmichaelcaine · 02/05/2018 18:02

This is what happens when teacher's mortgages depend on results.

soapboxqueen · 02/05/2018 18:13

They have to keep them locked away until just before the test. They are in plastic packets so they'll know if they have been tampered with before hand.

DonutWorryBeHappy · 02/05/2018 18:16

Tell the school to jog on. Your dd's health is more important than their results.

RandomMess · 02/05/2018 18:20

I agree tell the school to jog on!!! Her health and future comes first bit an assessment for the schools benefit.

Korg · 02/05/2018 18:23

Good Lord, what a suggestion from the school! All the very best for your dd’s surgery and I do hope she’s in top form for the transition to secondary in September.

Oblomov18 · 02/05/2018 18:29

School asked? Today? Verbally or by email?
Hoping it's email so you have a paper trail.
I am laughing at their audacity. Literally frightening! ShockShockShock

Knittedfairies · 02/05/2018 18:53

What? ! Absolutely no way should you change the date of the operation. I can’t help but think that if your daughter was less bright, the HT wouldn’t have asked...

admission · 02/05/2018 20:26

You need to do what is right for your child. As Chair of Governors of a primary school, we are always keen to make sure that as an outstanding, high performing school we help every pupil as much as possible to prepare for the tests - in fact they all breeze through them without any concerns. But we have pupils who have special needs who we would never dream of exposing to the SATs tests because they would not be able to cope. Your daughter fits into the same kind of category, even if she had had the operation by the time of the SATs she would not be in a fit state to do the tests and do herself justice. We would never push for the operation to be delayed, that is just unacceptable and beyond any caring other than to the test results.

DairyisClosed · 02/05/2018 20:31

Say no and sell the story to the daily mail before they pick it up. But actually. I am very anti out stuff in the daily mail for obvious reasons but I would be after the bastard's job. Publicly shaking him and the school is the best way to get him fired and making him suffer fir the rest of his career.

deplorabelle · 02/05/2018 21:03

Ask if they'd like to repeat their request in front of a reporter for local rag

Original poster
Screaminginsideme · 02/05/2018 21:45

my DC has very strong views on who knows her diagnosis. No social media etc. So no the papers are not going to get a story from me.

OP posts:
ADescentofWoodpeckers · 02/05/2018 22:05

Write to Chair of Governors? Head might back off

Original poster
Screaminginsideme · 02/05/2018 22:12

It’s fine - I told them no. I don’t think the HT really got what was going on. I’ve set her straight.
We’d been dealing with the DHT who is off sick.
We’re not moving the op, DC is not sitting the SATS and will not be doing anymore booster classes.
I didn’t want to do them anyway but felt railroaded as the whole class is doing them.
It’s a small school and she equates to 4% in their stats.
Thanks for the back up guys.

And the daily mail can fuck right off if they want to use this story. I wish we could edit previous posts so I could judiciously add random swearing to prevent publication.

OP posts:
LemonRedwood · 02/05/2018 22:23

I am laughing at their audacity.

Probably less audacity and more desperation.

Write to Chair of Governors?

Wouldn't surprise me to find the CoG was fully behind the idea of rearranging an op to enable a child working at greater depth to take the tests.

I'm a Year 6 teacher and am in that unenviable position of believing that these tests are entirely unnecessary and have no real bearing on children's futures. So I wouldn't be asking you to try to reschedule an operation for them. However, my appraisal and pay are firmly linked to the results 😔 despite "Union guidance" re appraisals

deplorabelle · 03/05/2018 07:14

Glad you've got it sorted now and all the very best for your DD's op Thanks

I have to say I wasn't suggesting you actually went to the papers with this story but merely used it as a hypothetical to focus their minds that are things that cause more reputational damage to a school than the loss of one child's good results. I'm sorry if I alarmed you with talk of the press. I think now school has backed down this is a non story as far as the Daily Heil is concerned.

MachineBee · 03/05/2018 07:34

I’m pleased you’ve put them straight. Good luck to your DD for the op and hope she makes a full and speedy recovery.

IggyAce · 03/05/2018 07:45

I cannot believe they asked this. Definitely a no and I would send a letter to the governors and LEA expressing your anger and disbelief that your were asked to put SATS before your DCs health.

Parker231 · 03/05/2018 07:55

Unbelievable ! Your DD’s health will always come first and it’s not as if the SATS are beneficial to your DD anyway.

insancerre · 03/05/2018 07:59

I can't believe they asked
Hope all goes well with the op

MissEliza · 03/05/2018 11:35

They should be ashamed of themselves! Good luck to your dd. Hope all goes well Thanks

ChocolateWombat · 04/05/2018 10:35

I just wonder if it was as categorical as directly telling/asking you to move the appt, or more of an enquiry about if it would be possible, followed mpby more explanation of why they were asking.

Not knowing about your DDs condition or how urgent having the treatment is, I think that if you had happened to me, when arranging the appt I might have mentioned that SATs week was X and if the following week was possible for the Op, that would be helpful.......but that's because Inwould be keen for my DC to do SATs having done the work, because I would be keen for them to start secondary with them behind them and their targets based on SATs like everyone else.......so if it wasn't urgent, I too would be keen to sit them.

DD won't avoudbtheboreparation and stress of preparation anyway. She is doing well and may well get satisfaction from sitting them and doing well.

Of course these are very close now. Changing the date may well not be possible at this point, but if you did want to consider it, you could ask and say why. It is true that hospitals can't just give everyone the dates they would like, but I think they would understand about SATs if you asked...whether something else that would work could be found, is another thing, as is whether like me, you are actually keen for her to sit them or avoid them instead.

I would be surprised if the school just instructed Op to move the treatment....I would think there was more to what was said than that, and that it was more of an enquiry about the possibility than anything else.....quite different. However, I wasn't there, so I don't know.

Anyway, just a slightly different perspective on things and questioning of exactly what was said.

Op, regardless, I hope your DD is back to better health really soon.