Are CAT's compulsory too?

[sogrownup]

We have been told that all year 7 children take CAT's when they go on to high school in order to assess them and stream them accurately. Are the CAT's compulsory in the same way that SATs are in primary?

CATs tests are not compulsary in the same way as SATs. ie. They are not a government requirement, the results are not collated together and used in league tables and published nationally. All schools do not use CATs, and those that do use the information that they reveal in very different ways.

They are usually a school requirement. They are broadly used to organise classes and set targets. If your child is not in on the day of the CATs test, then they will simply sit them when they return to school.

I do not think that you can withdraw your child from CATs easily, but you could talk to the school if you have specific worries about the test.

We were told, rightly or wrongly, that the CATs would more accuarately assess DS's ability for the purposes of streaming.
It seems that his next school may not be taking part and will be taking the SATs results only, and that does concern me a little...
Perhaps ongoing assessment will ensure that he is streamed appropiately. Exams are not what he does best at this point in his life!! One of his teachers seemed to think that the CATs would reflect his potential more than the SATs...don't know why...