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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Can we opt our DS out of taking SATs?

140 replies

sogrownup · 08/04/2011 11:37

The pressure placed on DS (yr6) around the SATs is incredibly high. After much thought and anxiety we have decided to opt out of the whole 'pressure at home' side of these tests to create a little balance. The Easter Holidays will be void of any formal homework and will be about relaxing and learning through play........
If the school is taking part in the SATs is it mandatory for your child to sit them? Can we opt our child out? If we can do this, are there any horrendous consequences that we have not considered?
Thanks all......

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bitsyandbetty · 16/04/2011 15:50

There is no pressure. My DD (6) is in Year 2 and has not even noticed. Wait until your child gets to Year 6!

bitsyandbetty · 16/04/2011 15:54

Sorry just read original. I really don't believe it is that much pressure. My DS (Year 6) is really enjoying the challenge. We are away the week after Easter and am just taking some workbooks. He is doing fine. When they go to secondary they will be tested all the time.

MrsMoppet · 16/04/2011 16:01

I have only read page 1 of this thread as I don't have time to read all 5 - but just in case someone hasn't mentioned this already, yes OP, there may be a consequence that you haven't considered. In our LEA, the children are streamed in Y7/8 according to their SATs results. So, in this case, yes, the SATS do matter, very much.

Bunbaker · 16/04/2011 16:11

The pressure on DD is incredibly high as well. I will be glad when SATS week is over. I did the 11+ when it was still compulsory and I was never under the kind of pressure that 11 year olds are today. Unfortunately the school did exceptionally well last year (top 100 UK primary) and they want to achieve the same if not better this year.

Our LEA also use the SATS results for class placements in year 7. Last year some schools opted out of the SATS, so all the year 7s had to sit more tests in October so that they could be shuffled around into the right classes.

There must be a better way of evaluating a child's ability than SATS tests because all they do is provide a snapshot of how to pass exams.

bitsyandbetty · 16/04/2011 16:15

Our LEA uses raw scores but also spends half an hour per child talking to the teacher to find out how secure the child was at that level to ensure they are streamed correctly so it is a start but not he only thing used. Teachers assessments have as much weight.

MrsMoppet · 16/04/2011 16:21

Not here they don't bitsyandbetty Your LEA sounds much more sensible than mine!

bitsyandbetty · 16/04/2011 16:26

That is a shame MrsM, how do they compare children from pushy primaries against those from non-pushy primaries? Some schools just do not push for 5s whereas others are proud of them. It really does not make sense. It may also depend on whether you have a feeder school system which we do so there is more of a link between the primary and secondary. They do lots of sports days for example for those at the feeder school to get the kids used to big school.

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 16/04/2011 16:35

I loathe SATs, or at least I loathe the way the children are coached through them but I wouldn't pull them out of the tests themselves.

With DS1 I refused permission for him to do after school booster lessons (he didn't want to do them) With DS2 I gave him the choice but he wanted to go (weird kid ) What I did do is make sure that I didn't care what results they got as long as they were confident that they'd tried their best, and that no matter what these tests were important in some ways but not OMG end-of-the-free-world important, so nothing to be scared of doing.

The DSs secondary school (DS2 is in Yr6 atm) does its own streaming exam before it assigns places. The streaming in Y7 is based on that, not SATs results.

MrsDmitriTippensKrushnic · 16/04/2011 16:37

Dammit.

That should say... What I did do is make sure that they knew that I didn't care

Bunbaker · 16/04/2011 16:41

I have told DD that the SATS tests are to test how good the teacher is, not how good she is. DD knows that she can cope with exams because she spent an entire day sitting 4 exams for an independent high school (and passed them). She said the high school exams were easier then the SATS practice tests they do at school.

bitsyandbetty · 16/04/2011 16:44

My DS choose to do lots of extra booster classes but is mega competitive. We let him choose. Some parents put their kids down for every one whether they wanted to or not. At our school they were completely voluntary.

MrsMoppet · 16/04/2011 16:46

bitsy They don't distinguish between "pushy" and "non-pushy" primaries ... it's all a complete shambles. This is partly why I object to SATs actually, as I think they can be used to pigeonhole children unfairly, and can really have a negative effect on their subsequent education. However, I don't object to them on the basis that they put too much pressure on the children per se - they do need to learn to deal with pressure. However, pressure to obtain a certain level just so the school looks good (which happens round here a lot) is absolutely not on.
Nightmare huh?!

ilythia · 16/04/2011 17:38

Has no-one suggested moving to Wales yet?

bruffin · 16/04/2011 17:41

"I have told DD that the SATS tests are to test how good the teacher is, not how good she is."
I actually think that is a lot worse pressure on a child. Lot's of children are more likely to want to do better for their teacher than themselves.

FriedEggyAndSlippery · 16/04/2011 17:57

Really interesting issue and I'll read the thread properly later. Sorry if I'm repeating or missing the point etc.

I'm torn. I was a very geeky child and loved the SATs; I'd do practise papers for fun etc. We didn't get much pressure as I recall - I don't remember doing weeks and weeks of intense practise, though I do remember doing revision (in a fun way, not teaching-to-the-test). This was 1998 in a very good primary.

However I've since seen my DSCs go through yr6 and one in particular had a whole year utterly ruined by SATs. The pressure she was under was dreadful. It was a very poorly performing school and she was struggling with dyslexia. A very tough time for her.

I have no idea whether my DCs will be ok with tests etc. TBH I'm just hoping they'll get rid of the SATs by the time they're old enough. I'm hoping to be a ks2 teacher as well and I think I'd have trouble (morally) with being made to focus too much on the exams.

MrsMoppet · 16/04/2011 18:59

Sorry to hijack your thread OP - I know it's poor form, but just wanted to say WOW - isn't it incredible, disgusting and wrong wrong WRONG that all our LEAs are so different in the way they prepare kids for SATs, and the way they use the results afterwards? Shocking.
I don't know why I'm surprised really.
T

MrsMoppet · 16/04/2011 19:00

To go back to your OP - I would definitely check whether there will be an impact in Y7 if your DC doesn't take the SATs. Also, will he feel left out if he's the only one not taking them?

vj32 · 16/04/2011 19:25

In the 2 secondaries I know about, year 6 SATs are used to generate targets at GCSE, for all subjects. Primary school teacher assessments are ignored. So they will follow the child in a way, throughout secondary. They are also used to set pupils in core subjects.

eggsit · 16/04/2011 20:01

OP - I think that boycotting the SATs is a bit of a kick in the face for your child's school, as it will affect its results. I'm not sure that's a thoughtful thing to do, considering your child has been educated and nurtured within that establishment.

Bunbaker · 17/04/2011 09:30

"OP - I think that boycotting the SATs is a bit of a kick in the face for your child's school, as it will affect its results. I'm not sure that's a thoughtful thing to do, considering your child has been educated and nurtured within that establishment."

That's what I was thinking. Lower attendance levels affect the results. This policy is IMO an utterly ridiculous method of measuring schools, as one year a school was affected by a chicken pox epidemic. The SATS results were very poor because there were so many children missing from school. So, if you want to make yourself unpopular with the school, and possibly other parents, and get a reputation as a troublemaking parent then go right ahead and pull your child out of school.

This doesn't mean I agree with SATS, but I go along with it because it is easier. I also think it isn't a good lesson in life to teach your children that they can flunk out of anything they don't want to do.

MM5 · 17/04/2011 09:59

If there is a class of 50 children, each child that does not take the test, that is an automatic -2% decrease in their overall SATs results. So, say 10 children have parents that keep them out of the test, that is automatically down to 80% Floor targets for a school is around 70-75%. If you also have some low SEN children in the mix that take the test, the school could easily go below floor target and the government gets on their case for not making the mark. The LEA gets on the school. Ofsted could be sent in. The school is judged on those scores no matter if we like them or not. So, I think it is alittle bit a kick in the teeth to the school who has educated your child and spent countless hours and money to give them the best education they can give them. Just my opinion.

spanieleyes · 17/04/2011 10:37

I have 10 year 6's this year so each child counts for 10% ( and one has a statement and is working at L2). So I'm starting at 90%, I then have 2 who are EAL but have been in the country JUST long enough to count in the figures who are really working at a reasonable level 3, the rest are level 4/5 and 6! If just one of my prospective level 4's has a bad day or doesn't turn up we are below floor target and yes, OFSTED will be in! The pressure on schools is enormous and of course we want the children to do as well as they can, but the children do too! It is their first "grown-up" challenge and the effort they put in is unbelievable.

cory · 19/04/2011 08:25

What I really hate is the way our local school tells the children this is a vital exam that will determine the future. I have told my dcs that the headteacher is actually telling porkies and that he knows perfectly well that the local secondaries do their own setting. And if that is undermining the headteacher- well, he should have thought of that before he started telling porkies.

I do tell my dcs that they should do their best for the school's sake. Unfortunately, the way the school has been handling the issue in the past doesn't really make us feel very loyal about it.

Dd had friends who were suffering badly from stress at SATS time, because they believed the head, there were parents who promised their children expensive present for passing because they believed the head, dd herself was very ill in bed and unable to sit up or hold a pen, but the school sent a TA round to take her SATS down to dictation: I was not impressed.

Secondary school is far more supportive about GCSE- and after all, GCSE results are quite important for secondary schools.

Niecie · 19/04/2011 09:19

That is my objection to them Cory - not the SATS per se but the way the school can make it sound like they are important for the children. They said as much at the SATS/curriculum open evening we had. They had loads of revision books for people to look at and were encouraging parents to buy them through the school for children to practice on. I didn't bother - I have enough trouble getting DS to do ordinary homework without the stress (for us both) of getting him to do extra for something that doesn't directly relate to him.

I am a governor so I was not hoodwinked by this statement having been party to enough discussion of what the previous years' SATS have shown and what they are going to do to improve them, but plenty of parents seemed to be judging by how many placed an order. I suppose if the school is honest, it is worried that people won't bother to support their children's extra workload. Many wouldn't I am sure, if they thought the results were of no benefit to their child.

SingleDadio · 19/04/2011 11:27

The results are beneficial to the child because as many on this thread have stated, they are used to determine key stage 3 and GCSE targets. Therefore, if a child achieves a 5 then they are targeted to achieve higher GCSE. I know in most primary schools, if a child achieves a 3 at ks1 then they are supported and taught so much more to ensure a 5 at ks2, the expectations will consequently be higher at secondary school and the same will happen.

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