y6 parents - are yours being tested liked mad?

[carocaro]

I know its a SATS year and all that, but DS1 has been having a series of tests each day this week, we've had a parents info eve all about and I understand why, (ish) it just seems very excessive to me and a crappy way to start year 6. I know they do CATS tests the moment they start secondary, I think i just have a view that all this TESTING TESTING TESTING 123 is not the best way forward. He's done in!

I was shocked on wednesday when My DD brought 3 peices of homework back. All the previous years she had one peice on a Wednesday.

I feel its unfair as that time at home should be spent socialing with her friends, playing, chilling and not doing loads of homework. I dont know if they are doing pre-sat tests at school yet, with my DS last year it was after christmas they started doing them.

I agree that testing, testing, testing is not the best way forward it will make them resent tests etc.

Sorry op, it isn't right for the kids bit it's how it is and has been for a long time. Year 6 is a complete exam panic - if the schools don't get the " right results" there is hell to pay. As the Scottish poster suggested don't shout at school shout at the policy makers.

Kids that are not academically able are pushed and pushed, which isn't nice, it also (IMHO) means they are taught to " pass" the test and that is such an artifical measure of progress. Those who are bright stagnate and are board stiff - may be less so now there are level 6 papers , but 4yrs plus ago when my last came out of primary, achieved a level 5 across the board mid way through year 4 (and I don't think she was hugely exceptional) so there wasn't anything more the school required of her.

However post SATS the fun part of yr6 is good!

Practice entrance exams weekly here plus spelling tests. I think my DD found the start of Y5 more challenging but that could have had something to do with the teacher!

I'm told it's hard work until Christmas, then slightly less hard in the run up to SATs and then the last term is spent taking it easy.

DS has only been back at school for a week and he's already nervous about doing the SATS. Its ridiculous because apart from them being months off, he's already a level 5 so the school shouldn't be worried about him bringing them down in the league tables and the next school will do their own assessments for streaming.

No tests for DS1 in Year 6 so far - but today he came home with 2 sheets of Maths homework, 4 guided reading tasks, and history research he needs to do.

He is not happy!

He has an end of unit maths test on Friday, but nothing else mentioned at all.

Our school tend to put the pressure on after Christmas though.