sats y6 Tomorrow

[ohokthen]

Please does anyone know what

Writing a list of instructions in past tense is, son getting stressed.

Could it be something like Prior to going to the shop, I wrote a list of things to buy. (And yes I am Thick)

I wanted to withdraw DS but was told that it wasn't possible to do it formally...Considered home schooling just for Spring/Summer terms but decided not to. How did you withdraw your child?

You can't "withdraw" your child. I imagine geocachingmum really means she didn't send her child to school during the SATs.

No. Our child went to school. That would be entirely illegal to keep your child away. It is absolutely a parental choice whether your child takes the SATs.
School is unhappy but I am confident in the outstanding teacher assessments that are carried out at the school. It should be teacher assessments alone which should form the source of information moving onto Secondary School, where testing will be carried out again to establish sets. SATs do not play a part in this at all.

Sorry geocachingmum but that isn't true in state schools does your child attend an independent school that uses SATs?

I bet the teachers love you geocachingmum

I am happy to be corrected but I am unaware of this point of law. I imagine school would have made this clear to me.

"It should be teacher assessments alone which should form the source of information moving onto Secondary School, where testing will be carried out again to establish sets."

I agree

"SATs do not play a part in this at all."

Unfortunately they do in some schools.

All pupils enrolled at a maintained school or academy who are in their final year of key stage 2 in the 2010/11 school year must be registered for the tests. All pupils working at level 3 or above must take the tests.

you'll find it on page 19 orderline.qcda.gov.uk/gempdf/1445900130/qcda105363p_ara/QCDA104852_2011_key_stage_2_Assessment_and_reporting_arrangements.pdf

Bunbaker I'm not sure of the logic that says it's wrong to test a child in May but OK in September

Unless of course your child is working below level 3 geocachingmum ?

Yes. This is the case.

So you didn't need to withdraw your child as they wouldn't be included as the test is only for level 3 and above

That's useful info. Thank you.

Hi, I have read this thread with interest and that PDF was really useful thank you MRZ, while I see what you say on page 19 , but on page 21 it also states in 7.7 that the headmasters decision is final, so my question is regardless of Geocachingmum's child being below level 3 etc, if you did take your child out of the SATS for personal reasons and the head said it is ok though was not happy with the parents decision, is there an actual law in statute that states that ones child must take the SATS? I am confused as it says they must take the SATS then goes on to state in 7.7 it is the Heads final decision. Surely if it was illegal and a parent was breaking the law, all Heads would be made aware of this and would pass this information onto to parents in way of newsletters home, open evenings etc.
Help! I am either being really thick or have missed something somewhere.

Cybermole page 4

Headteachers
Headteachers of maintained schools have a duty to ensure that the national curriculum is implemented in their schools. Headteachers also have a duty to ensure that the assessment arrangements specified in the national curriculum are implemented.
Headteachers must:
■■ ensure teachers and other staff comply with the assessment and reporting arrangements
■■ identify which pupils should be assessed at the end of key stage 2, ensuring all eligible pupils take the tests (all children level 3 or above)

A headteacher can be dismissed for failing to administer the tests -

Hi mrz
Thanks for that , but it does not clear up the actual statute law question as what happened when schools boycotted the SATSs were any Heads sacked?
I know it says all eligible pupils should take the tests but if I was to be a seriously pushy parent and said my child was not to do the SATs, could I be prosecuted under some part of the Education Act for failing to obey the law? If so where is this law, I ask because I hear different stories from different places and would like to know what is correct in law, and not in guidelines set out for schools by the Govt.

No they couldn't be sacked because it was industrial action but it didn't stop the LEAs threatening which is why many heads decided to go ahead with the SATs.

The ARA is a statutory document which schools must follow it isn't guidance it is a legal requirement.
This Assessment and reporting arrangements (ARA) sets out the statutory requirements

Legal status of the ARA
The ARA contains provisions made pursuant to Article 11 of The Education (National Curriculum) (Key Stage 2 Assessment Arrangements) (England) Order 2003, SI 2003/1038 (amended by SI 2009/1585 and SI 2010/290). This Order is made under sections 87(3) and 87(11) of the Education Act 2002. The ARA gives full effect to, or otherwise supplements, the provisions made in the Order and as such has effect as if made by the Order.

The ARA sets out the statutory responsibilities of maintained schools for assessment and reporting in key stage 2.
If you kept your child at home during the tests (which effectively is the only way you could withdraw unless you home school) you could in theory be fined/jailed for failing to send your child to school (unlikely to happen)

Ah, thanks for that, it has cleared up a lot of what I was wondering about,
but and I suppose this is still left up to the head if a parent says they are taking their children out of the SATs, it would be far like too much trouble to tackle the parent on legal grounds leading to a fine etc, due to press coverage etc, whom I would imagine would have a field day with a story like that.
Though it does seem like a lot of nonsense to go to these lengths, when the SATs are really disregarded when the child enters year 7 and is retested as they don't truly show a level of the child ability. I don't really think it makes it clear in that ARA what the Head is to do with parents that do not comply with it's requirements as if was illegal the head could and ill put it bluntly here, that you have no choice in the matter, your child will sit the SAT and if you do not do this, you will the fined/jailed etc. Out of interest has this happened to anyones knowledge.

Though it does seem like a lot of nonsense to go to these lengths, when the SATs are really disregarded when the child enters year 7 and is retested as they don't truly show a level of the child ability

But that doesn't happen in all secondary schools, and some do still use test results to set. It depends on the individual school.

Yes, I believe some do, so but I also believe that most retest within 8 weeks to make sure the children are in the sets that are most suitable for their ability.

All schools constantly reassess, whatever year group it is, from Reception to Year 10.

Yes Feenie, that's a great thing, but where do the SATs come into this when as I have been led to believe they are to judge the schools ability and not the childs? I stand to be corrected as I am no expert, just a parent that would like a more indepth knowledge.

They're supposed to be a measure of how well schools teach and assess. We do this constantly, but every now and again the government and the public want to be sure that we are doing it accurately, and most people think that the best way to do this is by testing. We know it isn't, but no one will rely on teacher assessment alone, no matter how rigorous schools, LEAs and Ofsted say it is on very close inspection by those in the know. People outside education want a measure they recognise and trust, even though it might not be the best method.

Teacher assessment judges children's attainment and informs teachers of next steps in their teaching, and is genuinely about the child, imo.

Hi Feenie, thanks for your time and answer. You have informed me of exactly what I wanted to know. I could not agree with you more on the "We know it isn't...."
I still think personally this pulling children out of SATs and the law is a grey area, as no one I have spoken to, can give a definitive answer, and while I appreciate mrz postings and time, there is still a huge gap as to what the law states if a parent does not allow the child to sit the SATs. That ARA does not make it clear enough to Heads as to what rights they have and what they can say to the parents that oppose the SATs nor do the parents rights seem to clear. Though I am sure there pros and cons to both sides of the argument I still feel it should be made clear to both parents and the school, that way we all know where we stand, instead of being left in somewhat of a void as it is now, with some almost shouting you have no choice it's the law, to those that say it is your right as a parent to do what is best for your child. Which I think probably stems from the fact that the children are in some peoples opinion used to judge the school by doing these SAT tests, as it does seem that the child does not matter in preparation for them so long as they get a good score and this in turn give the school a good rating. I personally feel for the teachers having to do this when I am sure they would rather be teaching other things to the children other than them to jump through hoops for the Govt. to rate the school, but this in turn could probably stop if parents stopped looking to league tables to judge the school...looks like catch 22 to me...unless anyone else has a good idea...