SATS - Year 2

[Dingbatgirl]

I read a post on another thread from a teacher saying that at KS1 the children will have no idea they are doing their SATS at age 6/7 if they are handled in a sensitive way. What are your experiences, and how did your dc's cope?

I've taught Y" during SATs and would be very interested to see how children can be unaware of SATs taking place. SATs are nothing like day to day learning! Yes you can reduce the pressure but they are still tests and 6/7 year olds know that. I told my class that they were a way to test how well I'd taught them and what they needed to be taught next, which isn't a complete lie

My ds did "papers" for a few months before the actual sats so when he did the actual ones he didn't know, it was no different from the work he had done before Our school also doesn't let the parents know when the sats are for KS1 this way there is no "stressed week" with parents prepping their child.

As far my older DCS were concerned they just had special workbooks for a while, which they saw as a Good Thing. They were dimly aware that something was up, but I've always sold it as being about the Government checking that the teachers are teaching them the right things.

My DDs were totally unaware that they were "tests".Their teacher made a game of it (called it "secret squirrel" work as they had to sit on separate desks)Neither of mine were phased by it but I never asked any questions about it as I didn't want them to think it was a big deal (which of course it isn't and the juniors take very little notice of the results as there is a very big difference between an infant level 3 and a junior level3.)

Still thinks it's bloody ridiculous testing 6 and 7 year olds in this way though.

Thank you all for your replies. I heard there is a strong chance that SATS will be abolished at some point, but I have no personal experience of them.

Smartiejake, I agree that tests for 6/7 yr olds are just ridiculous and hopefully my ds's school will not make a big deal out of it.

I post on pedants' corner from time to time, so must correct my error (I'm sure nobody cares!), it should just be dc not dc's.

By happymostofthetime on Sat 28-Mar-09 13:01:04
My ds did "papers" for a few months before the actual sats so when he did the actual ones he didn't know, it was no different from the work he had done before Our school also doesn't let the parents know when the sats are for KS1 this way there is no "stressed week" with parents prepping their child.

We let parents know when SATs are so that they don't book holidays for that time which can have a huge impact on school's results.

I think doing "papers" for a few months before is actually worse than the tests...effectively your child's education has stood still while they practice for tests!

At ds's school they quite often get given a work book to do, so most of them didn't notice the particular work book that was the SATS paper!

I only knew when they were doing the writing one because ds broke his wrist and went into school with his arm in plaster, and his teacher told me later that she had felt like banging her head against the wall because he was her only sure fire boy level 3!

DD3 is doing hers at the moment we think. At least she says she is - they may be practice papers. She seems totally unbothered. Can't remember DD2 or 1 being bothered either, the school doesn't really make a big thing of it - they haven't even told the parents when they are.

mine coped - no problem

the results gave me a year of worry though

Where do you find test papers? We did WH Smiths and the ones from Parents in touch. Someone sells 2009 tests on EBay. Do you think that these are the ones our children will get in May?

aikko - why would you want to do test papers at home? and no I doubt the ones on ebay will be the ones used in May.....

DS (now y4) realised in the week that he was doing the formal sit-down tests for Y2.
DD (now Y2)... I'll let you know, but I think the ongoing way they do the assessments now means that she will also be aware of the formal sitdown tests only in the week it happens, and not in a way that stresses her out.

It's Y6 when they get the mega-stress. The whole of Y6 seems to be oriented towards the May SAT tests, and the children get lots of formal assessment weeks leading up to the May climax. Too much stress -- on kids and school. They struggle to do any work after the May tests, too (too burnt out and antsy about going onto secondary).

Any decent secondary will do its own assessments when children start Y7, so not much benefit to the child to stress out about SATs.

Akiko, Why would you want your children to 2009 Sats even if you could get hold of them. It seems ridiculous to cheat in key stage 1 SATs.

If my child is unachieving then I want to know so tht my son could get suitable help. Its not as if any future employer or university is going care two hoots what a seven year old gets for SATs.

If you child has a problem with school work a half decent school will have let you know by now.

My really weird child is really looking forward to doing SATs.

"SATs are nothing like day to day learning"

mumnosbest, they are exactly that - the kind of activities taught in guided reading, writing, and the kind of using and applying knowledge type mathematics ones that you teach at the end of a topic.

I am a Literacy and Assessment co-ordinator and taught Y2 until recently for 5 years; only one child knew he was taking the tests in all those years, and that was because his mum had told him!

It helps, of course, that tests have a much lower profile (or are supposed to) against the teacher assessment that is built up now in Y2. Letting children practise tests now at home will have little or no effect, since the teacher will have been assessing your child all year, and may already have completed the tests - there is no requirement to complete them in May, which is when they used to be done.

Most teachers still use them in May to confirm the judgements that they have already made from a wealth of evidence. There is no requirement to report the test results, only the teacher assessment.

"there is a very big difference between an infant level 3 and a junior level3."

smartiejake, that was indeed the case years ago, when Y2 tests weren't timed and Y3 optional SATS were, which meant a very big jump for 7 year olds.

It isn't the case now, because Y2 uses teacher assessment only. This has to be subject to the school's own assessment procedures, so the same system should be used to assess Y2 as Y3.

It can still be a problem for separate infant/junior schools, who have different assessment procedures. But LEA moderation should sort those difficulties out - nationally, and in KS1 or KS2, a level 3 is a level 3 is a level 3!