SATs -- could someone please explain them to me?

[posadas]

Hello -- I have a vague idea what SATs are (ie I assume they are tests to measure children's progress vs some benchmark at various ages). However, judging from some recent posts, it seems there are multiple tests rather than just one. Is that correct? One post mentioned a child taking a 2a or 2b test. Are the children given different tests according to what the teacher assumes are their abilities? Or do all children in Y2 take multiple tests (2a, 2b, 2c etc) which are all graded to determine the children's level? What do the a's, b's and c's mean? I would have thought there'd be a single test for each subject (at least for maths and literacy) in Y2 from which a grade for each child could be determined.

I'm not worried about the tests (as long as my children aren't concerned, and they don't seem to be) but would just like to understand the process. If anyone can give me a short explanation, I'd be grateful!

Sounds like you're talking about KS1 SATS? Most schools do not make a big deal of them (DC's school tells the children they are doing a "special fun quiz" :) ) .

In KS1 the formal test is used in conjunction with teacher assessment - so it's just another assessement method. Towards the end of the year your child's teacher will use the SAT plus the continual assessment they have gathered through the year to give your child their final level (2a, 2b etc).

There are a number of different tests for the different levels (e.g. in Reading there is a test aimed at children at Level 2 and one for children at Level 3). Children do one paper in each area. The paper they do depends on what their teacher feels is the most appropriate for them.

Thank you. Yes, I think I mean KS1 (ie Year 2?). They are definitely not a big deal at our school. How many different tests (subjects?) are there? Just maths and literacy? Or is literacy divided into several different tests (comprehension, spelling, creative writing)? If a child is given at Level 2 paper in Maths, is the maximum score he can receive a 2? Or is a child who, for example, scores 100% on Level 2 Maths then given the level 3 paper to see how he does on that one?

Finally, do these tests "matter" at all? Are they used to determine anything about the children's educational future or are they just to help the government gauge how well a school is teaching its pupils?

From memory (hopefully others will correct me)

• reading test
• writing (including separate spelling test)
• maths

Children sit only 1 test in each area. In your example of a child getting 100% in their Level 2 paper, this should prompt the teacher to assess (but via their own continuous assessment, not using the Level 3 paper) to see if they were working at Level 3.

Children working at Level 1 can do a "task" instead (e.g reading a book 1:1 with a teacher).
Children working towards level 1 don't have to do tasks or tests.

I don't believe KS1 SATs have any value except to the school. My DS (in Y2) will go to a new school in September and his new school do use SATs results to determine initial groupings, but will move the children about once they've made their own assessments.

This is actually really helpful. I didn't know what SATs were either.

What is the difference for SATs at KS2? Also, I've always wondered how the results from these influence an OFSTED report. We were looking round a primary school last week that DD has been offered and the Head said that they had received a 3 OFSTED because they had merged with another school whose SATs results weren't good and subsequently the overall OFSTED went from 2 to 3. Can anyone explain? I understand it's just a snapshot, so not to worry too much about it, but am more intrigued more than anything.

frosty, I'm no expert but SATs give a standard attainment benchmark, so for eg: I think at end of Year 2, the target is for children to reach 2B. If lots of kids aren't hitting that then the school will never be given a 'Good' Ofsted. The best that school can hope for is 'Satisfactory' (3), but improving.

SATs at KS2 are a completely different kettle of fish, not least because they are used as a big stick by OFSTED to beat schools over the head with if they don't get enough level 4s! Although teacher assement plays a part in KS2 SATS, all anyone is ever interested in is the test result, from papers which are sent off and externally marked. The "average child" in year 6 ( when KS2 SATs are completed in May) is expected to be at a 4B, ie 2 levels progress from KS1. Papers are sat, under strict test conditions in maths, mental maths, reading comprehension , writing and ( in a selection of schools) science.

Please don't put too much pressure of the children about the SATs. I have to say I think they are of greater importance for the school rather than the child.
Children at this age need to be happy, social and making progress. It's hard to fight against the SATs but one day I WILL win!!!
Or die/be sacked trying.

letthembe SATs are only an assessment tool. There is nothing really to fight against. I'm more worried about the progress children are making in class so that they achieve the targets we set them at the beginning of the year BASED ON MY TEACHER ASSESSMENT.

But how is the school judged at the end of the day? By the Y6 SATs, so yes there is something to fight against!! Or have you never the felt the pressure of the Y6 SATs, children crying, nails bitten to the bare bones, emotionally unstable children having complete meltdowns in the middle of a test, etc, etc. So the sooner we stop testing 10 and 11 years the better.

But as soon as they are at secondary school they are tested and re-tested. What happens to them over the summer that makes them suddenly able to cope with the testing regime when they can't 2 months previously! My Year 6's absolutely loved the SATs tests-all of them, even my level 2 boy who shouldn't have done them but insisted as he didn't want to miss out! I've only ever seen 1 child in any way upset by them-and she was upset by any type of assement as she expected to be perfect and she wasn't-the pressure for that came from her parents, not the school.

CAT test are quite different to SAT testing. I worked in a very deprived area for a number of years and some children came from extremely disfunctional backgrounds, they just different have the emotional resilience.

letthembe, I don't like SATs v.much either, but surely the school's at fault if the kids are that stressed. Our Yr6 weren't stressed at all. They were mostly quite into it like Spaniel says.

And many of my children come from extremely disfunctional families too, school is often the only security they have. part of my job is to instill resilience and perserverance and to be proud of our achievements at whatever level that might be.

DS's school sounds similar to yours Spaniel. Lovely to see them the kids all so excited by how far they've come - and you're right, that's across the ability levels. Hard to pull off, but brilliant when a school manages it.

Some were, some weren't BUT a school can't plan or be blamed when a child's dad is found guilty of a horrendous crime (and given a life sentence) a couple of weeks before the test, or another child's mother tries to commit suicide with the children in the house, or the mothers return to a smack habit, or all school's computers are stolen, windows smashed etc. So unless you have worked in such situations, please do not criticise a school or its staff!

letthembe, sorry you're so cross. I wasn't criticising any individual school, merely thinking it through in terms of best practice, as your examples are so worrying and so very, very sad.

Following what you've just said though, of course a school can't be blamed for the situations you give, but let's face it a kid facing trauma at home will be affected regardless of whether they're sitting SATs or not. How much the SATs hit them on top of that trauma, will depend on what that child has been told about the importance of the tests.

My point is that if a school handle SATs well the kids can be relatively matter of fact about them, regardless of their background or expected levels of attainment. So for me, if the levels of extreme emotion you cite were caused by the SAT's that would definitely make me worry about what the school's telling them. fwiw, I wish SATs were banned too though.

It's ok smee, I worked there for over 10 years, mainly Y6. The social and emotional backgrounds for the majority of the children in the area was and still is awful. I hold my hands up and say I just couldn't do it any more - I woke worrying about the children nearly every night, especially once I became more involved in CP. I have been promoted to a more affluent area - and I am TEACHING again, not dealing all the additional baggage. I just don't like the SATs system and the way they are used for political gains, NOT really for the benefit of the children. Last year, I knew many heads/deputies who boycotted, funnily they all used to be Y6 teachers!

Two years ago 2 of our Y6 children had their father arrested on the morning of one of the tests and were brought to school by a social worker and a police officer - surprisingly both achieved a level 4 in the test (I think for them school was a haven ).
Last year we took the decision (like many schools) to boycott the tests but regretted it as the children wanted to do the tests as they said it was a chance to show everyone how hard they had worked for 7 years in school. (oddly enough enough the heads local to me who boycotted had never taught higher than Y3)
The tests aren't the problem the league tables are!

Totally agree, my yr6's last year refused to boycott the tests, they insisted they wanted to sit them even if the Head didn't send the papers off for marking ( which she did!) It is the purpose the tests are put too after they have been completed which is at fault, not the idea of testing itself.

I don't understand why it's ok for kids to do music exams, swimming badges, karate belts, ballet exams, competitive sport.... Which are all stressful tests, but not OK for them to do a test in the classroom.

I don't see any difference at all (in stress levels) between a music exam and an exam in school......

We had far more children upset in one boycott than we have had in all the previous years of testing added together
Our preparation for the tests is very low key and we see them as the culmination of 7 years in school not a year of cramming. Remove the league tables and you remove the pressure

We boycotted, but had a SATs week anyway using past papers because the children were geared up for them. They were happy as long as they could have their SATs breakfast club (I am amazed every year by just how much they can eat, it's truly astonishing) and I am sure the marking was much more accurate. We cross moderated with another school as well, to ensure accuracy. It was lovely to have a year off filling in endless forms for appeals - not looking forward to that this year .

letthembe, that's sad that you had to stop. I can see why though.

I am just trying something different for now, but there are days when I miss the old place (I remain in touch with many of the old crowd). I also want to add, it doesn't matter what the catchment or area is like, teaching can always be stressful, have pressures but is bloody great fun and incredibly rewarding.