Is it norml to be this "full on" re Sats revision?

[northcountrygirl]

My twins school has been practising for the Sats since just before Christmas.

There has been no games lessons for months now, only 3 lessons of French since September, no geography, history or Art either for months.

Just lots of practise tests, and focus on reading, writing and maths. A bit of science, a smaller amount of RE and one PE session per week.

My DD and DS are getting a bit bored of working through past papers and to be quite honest I can't say I blame them. Are all schools like this in year 6?

Actually, maybe I should go in with them as my grammar was pretty poor above...

That's awful! We haven't changed our timetable at all it is similar to all the other years. However, we are building in booster and 1:1 sessions, which are occasionally in class time. We're worried about our results, there is so much pressure on school's now unfortunately but narrowing the curriculum like that is wrong (but maybe that's where we're going wrong!). I'm surprised no-one has complained, after all the children should be covering the National Curriculum.

They haven't officially changed the timetable. It's just when it's time for (say) games the teachers will say something like they need to catch up on reading, for example. The children have given up on the French lesson though which is sad really.

Myself and the other parents I know are all complaining to each other, but we haven't said anything to the school. It's difficult as it won't be the individual teachers that have decided this (there are 4 classes per year and the same policies are being applied to all 4). I'm not the heads greatest fan (nor she mine) and the school has just converted to an academy so I think we are all just gritting our teeth and waiting until they leave for secondary school.

The school has traditionally always been near the top of the league tables but it slipped last year. Don't know if this is why they are going OTT or if they have always gone OTT. Also, it just seems so fake. Obviously, I want my children to do will in Maths and English, but not at the expense of every other subject.

One of the main reasons I specifically moved into catchment for this school was that they seemed to offer such a broad curriculum and was especially impressed by the French. Well I could have taught them "Je m'appelle xxx" and "Frere Jacques" myself quite quickly really.

My youngest daughter is due to start reception in September and I'm hoping she gets a place in a different school, so I would be interested to know how other schools operate in general during SATS year.

Our old school was like that - Sats were the most important thing that happened in Year 6 and the dcs practiced all year till they were thoroughly fed up...but hey they all got all least a level 4 in that test - so that means they went to a good school with good teaching right? According to the league tables anyway

This is it isn't it? And I'd be lying if I said I didn't look at league tables when I chose the school. They were my first though so didn't really understand about league tables and ofsted at the time...

Yep they are playing the game - the school puts huge pressure on the kids tells them it's a really important exam, tells the parents the child needs extra help, tutors get involved - school gives extra lessons to pass the sats - the extra maths lessons stop once the exams arrive and worse than that the normal maths lessons stopped too! Just great for kids who struggle - but as long as those Sats results are good who cares?

Not all schools, but if that's how schools are judged by the outside and OFSTED, if that's how parents choose a school, then that's what will happen.
The core subjects are compulsory, the rest are part of a broad and balanced curriculum. Which their school doesn't believe in.
The rebirth of Mr Gradgrind.

It won't be the individual teachers deciding on this approach, it will be unwritten directives from the head and SMT.

Yes, its boring isnt it? for the children. I know parents that have hired tutors because of these blinking SATS. How important are they at this age?

Did you look at the SAT results when choosing the school? Most people do and that is one reason why schools are pushed to go to ridiculous lengths to teach test techniques and practice.

Ofsted can witness fantastic teaching, ethos, year on year progress, inclusion etc - but if the KS2 tests fall below an arbitrary standard, the school is doomed.

DS's old school was nearly that bad. He learnt nothing new in year 6 at all, even though Sats are irrelevant for the children and only matter to the school. I moved DD before she got that far.

I hate it, but I can see why schools do it because they are judged almost entirely on Ofsted/results tables these days, while really it's the things that you can't measure that make a school good or bad.

Sounds OTT to me, I'd be very tempted to complain. No PE is simply wrong.

DD2s school have been far pushier than they were when DD1 was in Y6.
(ofsted down graded the school, so they are now hipper twitchy)

Even so they aren't being as bad as the OPs school.

DD2 is being very good about extra maths lessons and extension work at the moment, but I think it may wear thin by May.

Also she's not the most laid back of people, nor are some of her class mates and they'll panic if they get too stressed.

My Dcs primary used to spend the whole month previous to the exams cramming. As in doing nothing but intensive revision for the whole day, five days a week for a month! It was disgusting. There were also incidents where the parents of children who had SEN would be requested to keep their children at home on exam day. I took DD (higher end of the class) out for the day when her class were sitting the exams. I am thoroughly against SATS.

It's not like that in my school. Not all schools are like that.

Absolute same timetable in Y6 as in rest of school, which is maths and literacy every morning, and topic (everything else) every afternoon.

We have 2 full day history trips in March :)

Only extra thing they're doing is booster classes before school.

But not much you can do about it.....

sounds like they care more about official grades, box ticking etc. than actually educating the children.

Disappointing when schools are like that

it does sound OTT to me, and takes away the joy in learning IMO!

you could write to the governors.

Children are supposed to be entitled to a broad and balanced curriculum. That sounds boring and stressful, for the children and the teachers. They are obviously pressurising themselves and receiving pressure to improve/maintain their results, but it's still wrong and you should bring the matter up.

This is a direct result of league tables.

My Dsc's school was exactly like this. It was awful and he got totall demotivated. I wild complain in writing though it won make any difference!

The only subjects they sit SATs in are English and Maths, so those (and maybe Science) are the only ones the schools need to focus on.

But no not all schools are like that, and that is something I looked for when choosing a school for my DC. They may become more focussed in English and Maths, and used to go over a lot in Science, but they still do everything else, certainly never missing PE etc.
Then they have a lovely time of enrichment after SATs, not just sitting around or running wild.

AFAIK pretty similar to normal, with French, specialist teachers coming in for P.E, R.E , trips out planned. They have done some practice papers, but they don't do them every day.

my dd's school isn't doing any of that. She did her first practice paper last week (in writing), but they make a big thing there of not making a big thing about SATs (one of the reasons I picked it). No extra lessons. it's a great school. and in fact came second in the borough for SATs results last year anyway.

I would also suggest complaining in writing and saying how disappointed you are with the school, giving the reasons why you chose it and how it is not living up to expections.

And After the Sat's are done they'll just be watching DVDs and playing games till the end of term.

I can't really see any point at all in complaining. The head is very single minded and has the full support of the governors. Plus there's not really anyone to complain to as they are an academy now so I guess they can do pretty much what they like now...

I've told DD and DS that all I'm bothered about is the report at the end of the year and that they try their best, so no pressure at home. Shame I can't say the same about school.

It's only a couple more months though and then as Redblanket says they'll be watching DVDs. On the positive side they're going to love high school - it's going to seem so exciting after months and months of only covering 2 subjects...

It's also good to here that not all schools are like this. My youngest will )fingers crossed) be going to a different school which seems a lot more relaxed about sats (they boycotted them one year when quite a few other schools did the same) so hopefully it will be better for her.

DD1's school is nothing like this - Yr 6 are following a normal timetable, they have no more homework than usual and they are learning new things according to what set they are in. DD has done a lot of work on genre writing, which has really kept her interest, the school are getting children to enter the BBC's 500 words short story competition, she's continuing work on science and her maths work is a logical progression from last year.

And apart from a post-SATs trip as a treat, they will certainly NOT be watching DVDs full time after the end of May as the school's acting Head is also the head of the secondary the majority of the children will be going to, and she wants that OFSTED outstanding sooo badly. Not that I care about that, but if it keeps DD1 learning that's fine by me.

Our children are off to Sicily in two weeks time