Why do parents care so much about SATs

[AKMD]

I've been wondering about this for a while but having just read a thread in MN where a poster mentioned that her DC is having private tutoring for his year 2 SATS , I have to ask the question. When I did SATs in year 2, year 6 and year 9 we were put under massive pressure to do well but at the same time told that they were really to test the school, not us really. They were used to help put us into sets the following year but if someone needed to go up/down a set, it just happened, it wasn't set in stone.

I could understand tutoring/massive stss if children were aiming for a selective school that required good SATs for entry, but don't selective schools test independently? Why is there so much stress and pressure over exams that mean precisely nothing 1 term into the new school year? Am I missing something?

It's just competitive parenting. They just want their kid to do better than the others.... same as they probably wanted them to walk first, talk first and would have been the ones bothered about which colour reading book their child was up to. You're right, it's not as crucial as the old 11+ that determined which secondary school place was allocated. At DS's primary when he got to Y6 the teacher was very good at helping the children practice with past papers, work it in as a natural part of their week and generally treat it as 'no big deal'. They didn't even know the date of the test. But neurotic, competitive parents got the word around, wound the job up and made their kids very anxious in the process. Bizarre I call it.

It is partly competive parenting, partly the fact that some parents genuinely are misled by the schools to think that this is something that is going to determine their child's whole future.

The headteacher at dd's junior school gave talks, both to the children in assembly and to prospective parents, which were misleading to say the least. I know because I heard him. He managed very skilfully to convey the impression that these were tests that could decide your whole future, without actually explaining how.

I took great care to explain to dd what the tests were about and what I knew about setting at secondary school- and pointed out that even if you were placed in a lower set sets are not fixed forever. Dd did try to convince some of her friends, but obviously children and parents listen more to the head.

I really don't think you could blame neurotic parents for this one. It was the well educated ambitious parents who knew enough to explain to their children; the ones with less experience of education naturally got more worried.

Yes it's SATs time at our school, really don't stess about it. It's the other parents who go on and on and I just stay out of it. They drive me mad. My son is yr 2, is struggling a little and has extra help at school and frustrating, time consuming work at home as well. He's been at home with chicken pox for the past week and I really couldn't give a toss about the SATs at this age! I'm more concerned that he'll settle back after his illness and get back on track with his work. Because he doesn't like writing I won't be asking for catch up work as it will only stress him out. We've been doing some reading, spelling and a little maths when he's felt good but apart from that he's nearly 7! my child has to get to grips with more reading and writing before he can get into the SATs. to me that's Yr 6 league and having had ny daughter do hers last year I can safely say it's really to show how the school is doing and don't agree with all the worry the whole thing causes the kids. sorry...big rant...

I care because I think they are a reasonable reflection of how well the school is teaching the curriculum. That's how they were first sold to parents ( I'm that old) - we're not testing your kids, we're testing the schools. And that's what I've always told my DCs.

I think that many parents do not care about SATs per se - certainly not at Yr 2. However, they do care about the outcomes. If your child scores less than expected, many parents would be wondering whether their child needed some additional support.

I've not been too bothered, but then again I have DCs who were always going to make the expected level. If your DC isn't on course for the expected level (level 4 at end KS2), then I can see why it is more worrying as, unless DC has additional needs, this exposes underachievement (by child or school or both). Frantic last minute cramming doesn't solve the underlying issues though.

DS is Y2. I was told at his parents evening not to worry about his SATS results. The teachers told me that at this age it is all to do with presentation, handwriting etc rather than how bright they are. They have told me he won't get a high mark as his are both so poor but if they could mark it on his intellectual ability, he would score much higher! I was also advised not to tell him his actual result so that he wouldn't get picked on by the other children who do better than him. Teaching is great, school is outstanding (I do believe that) and he is doing really well. He just can't write very well (problem with reception year teacher) and although it is improving, don't think it will ever be much cop.

TBH I think that it is just one of those competitive things that parents do these days. Like, what reading level each child is on. My DS is the youngest in his class and when one of the mums of a much older child found out he was on the same reading level as their child, she complained to the teacher as it "wasn't fair".