Headteachers have voted to boycott SATS....

[deaddei]

but in RL what will that mean?
Will some schools not do them?

ampere have you spoken to your sons school regarding the SATS?

By zanzibarmum Wed 21-Apr-10 19:27:33
The teachers on this can't have it both ways.

SATs exist but the profession didn't need to move from inspiring children to 'teaching assessment proforma'seemingly pretty much throughout KS2.

If we are going to be pedantic SATs DON'T EXIST and haven't since 1991...

ampere I don't think you will find a single post on this thread from a teacher suggesting that children should not be assessed.

ampere - I retired from this thread after 4 days of battling with the teaching profession for fear my head would explode. However, I wanted to back up what you said 100%. especially this:

"Cos NO ONE was TESTING THEM EXTERNALLY to reveal this crapness!"

"Keep the testing".

You have real world experience of your DB was failed by the education system that did not pick up that he was struggling util too late. A set of regular functional tests would have picked that up and a decent teacher should have addressed that.

You are absolutely right to be concerned about your DS. A school leaver without good core functional skills in reading, writing and mathematics will simply not get a job in future.

On a separate note. The vote in favour of this boycott was not exactly a resounding mandate. Only 1/3 of NUT members actually voted and less than 1/2 of NAHT did. Most did not bother and by no means all those that did vote were in favour. About 20% of the teaching profession actually actively want this boycott.

That's a bit like 5 parents on this thread out of 850,000 Mumsnet members then, Beenbeta.

beenbeta only members of the NUT & NAHT who have leadership responsibility were balloted.

BeenBeta I missed you

BeenBeta teachers do not disagree with external testing - just question the value of the current system.

Oh dear

I would just like to know whether my child's school will be boycotting the SATs in three and a half week's time or not.

Then I will know whether complying with the school's own SATs preparations (despite our reservations about SATs and the school's SATs preparations) have in fact been a waste of our, and our child's, time and energy.

I did ask the school nicely and the Head simply replied that if there is to be industrial action parents will be notified (helpful!).

It's way past time for affected parents to be notified whether their child's school will be boycotting SATs or not.

Thanks Pixie; that's helpful to know. Pity the school haven't communicated anthing. But I feel better already!

I feel extremely sorry for those children who have had boring year6's as a result of teachers teaching to the test. They don't need to. My daughter has had her best year in Y6 - lots of sport, drama, science etc, and hardly any mock papers. But from what others are saying that doesn't seem to happen in most places. That is what annoys me most about this - teachers and headteachers moaning they have to teach to the test. That is their decision. Stop doing it then I say to them. And if they are stressed about being judged on the children's results, don't pass that stress onto the children. Kids will only think the tests are important for them if adults tell them they are. I am a school parent governor and we do need a way of making sure children are progressing. We do need to know whether primary schools are successfully teaching children to read, write and do maths. That's not to much to ask. By the way it is not the government who publish league tables, it is the press. My daughter's school won't be boycotting SATs - and she would have been cross if they had now that they are expecting them.

As a school governor, then presumably you will be aware of your school's assessment procedures, which tell you in greater detail how children are progressing - a small part of which will be the SAT tests.

By varifocal Thu 22-Apr-10 00:25:38
By the way it is not the government who publish league tables, it is the press.

No I'm afraid you are mistaken it is the government who publish league tables.

By varifocal Thu 22-Apr-10 00:25:38
I am a school parent governor and we do need a way of making sure children are progressing. We do need to know whether primary schools are successfully teaching children to read, write and do maths.

As a governor you are surely aware of all the assessments that are carried out continually over the school year which will clearly demonstrate how children are progressing and learning to read , write and do maths?

I have a daughter in year 6 ready to take her SATS. They have been working on them for some weeks now. She will be very upset if she cannot take these exams now. Lets have them this year as its so close and decide after what exams next years 5's will be doing.

Come on please someone make a decision

The decision has been made. As we have said before on this thread, the timing is unfortunate but is entirely due to industrial law; it isn't legally possible to decide now to boycott next year's tests.

Something else which has been covered elsewhere on this thread - we understand how Y6 children are feeling, and that's why we asked our children what they wanted to do. They want to do a past paper and have it marked internally, and are much happier with this solution. Many other schools are doing the same.

We will need to get used to this - when education cuts start on May 7th (whoever wins the election) there will be perhaps years of disruption to our DC education.

Feenie this will be like what my DS has been doing since January they have been doing mock papers every week but I think my DS was looking forward (albeit very anxiously !) to the actual papers to see what they were like and what he could achieve,now if our school goes down the route of past papers as seems to have been suggested a lot here I think my DS and a lot of his classmates will just feel like they are doing the QCA tests that they have done every year since Y3 and not the 'real' thing. I hope that doesnt sound strange I think what I'm trying to say is after all the build up and emphasis on this being an important year which has been said to them since September it seems a shame that they may not now actually do them. For this reason I hope our school does do them and that they are sent away to mark (unless they boycott the marking or we have the fiasco we had in 2008 when my DD got her results the day schools broke up and some of her class mates where the Head was appealing their marks never got the true result yet !) but then thats yet another tale in the sorry saga of these SATs!

That's my main problem with the tests - the appalling standard of external marking, which is then used as the be all and end all to judge schools.

Our Y6s are pleased we will be marking the tests - I had to be pulled out as they Y5 class teacher and Literacy to fill in 37 individual appeals last year - as we know th emarking will be accurate. Parents are pleased because our teacher assessments was described as 'robust, thorough and well used' last month by Ofsted and last year by the LEA.

As for practising papers since January - well, they shouldn't be. Sounds like an issue with the school to me; this is what I would be complaining about if it was my ds's school.

busymummy3 the thing is the KS2 SATs are just like the QCA tests many children have been doing since Y3 the difference being is that KS2 marks are published by the government in the form of league tables.
The past papers are the "real thing" and will provide as accurate a picture of a child's progress as this years papers (possibly more accurate if last years marking fiasco were to be repeated).