Are your yr2's doing test papers in school?

[lovecheese]

DD has done a paper called "The Spider Weaver" (?) recently; is it an old SAT paper or this years - in which case, eek.

It's an old paper

Can you remember the level, mrz? Not that it matters, of course

I don't think DS has. Have been trying to discretely find out but he doesn't seem to have any idea whether they have been doing anything of that type.

My dd has been talking to me about doing "tasks" at school (her school are very keen not to put pressure on the children at such a young age). "Tasks" are, in DD's opinion, just normal work, but you can't talk - AT ALL, and have to sit with all the desks spaced out. Simple.

I happened to see the teacher when I did an early morning Judo drop off and noted the layout of the desks asking if it was SATS time? She replied that they are carring out more teacher assesment so confirm what they already know, and that yes there will be SATS papers in May, but they are not relly a big deal and will again show what the teachers already know.

I am very relieved that the school play them down in this way. That said, we have very sound teachers, who's ongoing assesments I trust above one off tests.

Level 3

Thanks mrz.

Does anyone think there will come a time when ks1 sats are ALL teacher assessed?

I have a pack under my desk as I used them when we studied Africa

One last question, sorry, what part of the literacy shebang would the paper come under? ie is it writing, reading, spelling?

Mrz - do you happen to have any links handy for past papers, so I can see the kind of thing they will do please? Also, do all children sit one paper in each area, or do they sit more if they are predicted higher levels etc? Thank you.

It's a level 3 reading booklet lovecheese.
Sorry mungogerry I don't know where you can find past papers on line although I know some sites sell them.
Children working at level two or higher should complete either a level 2 or level 3 test in Maths and reading. Spelling is a single test and all children will complete a short and long piece of writing.

Thank you Mrz.

They're all 'old' papers, they don't publish new ones any more. Our school alternates between 2005 and 2007 papers, but different schools do things differently.
Also, at our school all children complete the level two test in maths and reading, and then some also do the level three papers in addition, rather than being either/or.

pinkgirlythoughts your school can't alternate between the 2005 and 2007 test papers because the QCDA stipulates which tests can be used each year not the school. They also publish the ARA each year which contains the statutory guidance for administering SAT tests.

Choosing which tasks and tests to use
In 2011, the 2007 and 2009 key stage 1 national curriculum tests, ordered from the NCA
tools website at www.qcda.gov.uk/ncatools or tests previously supplied by QCDA, must
be used. The following table may help teachers decide which task or test materials are
most appropriate. There is flexibility about which years? tests can be administered, as
teachers may choose to administer the 2007 tests to some children in the class and 2009
tests to others. However, teachers must ensure that for the writing tasks, the longer and
shorter tasks and spelling test are from the same year.

5.2 How many tasks or tests should be used?
The key stage 1 tasks and tests are designed to test children?s knowledge and
understanding of the key stage 1 programmes of study in English and mathematics.
They provide a snapshot of children?s attainment.Teachers must administer national curriculum tasks and tests to help them arrive at
a secure judgement for their final teacher assessment at the end of key stage 1. As a
minimum, this will mean a task or test in reading, writing and mathematics for each child,
except those judged to be working below level 1. The teacher should decide which tasks
or tests should be used for each child, taking into account their knowledge of the level at
which the child is working. Teachers can use the tasks and tests to inform their assessment
judgements at any time during the year, but children are not to be tested more than once
during the year in each subject or attainment target.

pinkgrythoughts mrz is right - schools must use either 2007 or 2009 papers, and may not test children more than once. Teachers should be very confident in their teacher assessment because of all the evidence it is necessary to gather, and should know exactly which paper to give children - level 2 or level 3, but not both.

Ds has been covering topic for the last 6 weeks on night time - bats, hedgehogs, police and firefighters.
describing generally. for easter, task = describing their favourite book character, both physically and their personality.
concentrating on time connectives, concentrating on spellings and 50 frequently used words, which we have been given a list to make sure they know, over easter.
not sure why i'm telling you all this, but it certainly feel like practice for actual sat paper.

take that as a yes, mrsz, font of all knowledge

Ah, I've only been at the school two years, last year we did 2005, with the 2007 papers as a practice, and this year we've done it the other way around, which is why I assumed we'd just carry on alternating in future years!

Last year was 2007 and 2009 - afraid your school was acting against statutory regulations. Might be worth checking, especially if your school is being moderated this year. Information here on the legal requirements.

That should read 2007 or 2009.

Forgive me if I am being over cynical but do you think some parents might just use the papers you have mentioned as practice ones so that their kids have a head start over other kids... ie their kids have seen the year paper before.

Good point.

Even if they did then seeing as the test is a very small part of the overall assessment I. Don't think it would make much difference.