SATs, SATs, SATs and now SATs homework - is this right?

[Thermometer]

Combined year 5/6 class. DS complaining that they are doing loads of SATs papers at school, daily weekly etc then today we get this...
This week your child should come home equipped with 2 SATs Buster books for English; Punctuation and Grammar. These have been purchased by school in order to help your child reach the expected level of them in their SATs test in May. Each Friday your child will be set work from the books to be completed for homework. It is imperative that you encourage your child to complete this work and hand it in on Wednesday of the following week. This gives the teacher time to mark the work before the following weeks homework needs to be set.
Rise and Shine Maths books are on order too and these should hopefully follow quickly next week for Maths homework. This homework will be set each Tuesday and will need to be returned by the following Monday.
Setting staggered homework gets the children prepared for the system used in secondary schools and also makes them take responsibility for their learning. However, it would be appreciated if you could encourage your child to show you their English books on a Friday and Maths book on a Tuesday; so that you know it has come home and can encourage them to complete the work. Sadly, lost books will have to be replaced at a cost to you, so it is important that the children take good care of them. The set pages will also be on the website each week for your reference. Please be assured there will be work set from these books every week! Spellings will continue to be set on a fortnightly basis too.
This week the homework is: Grammar book- page 12, Active and Passive Verbs and Punctuation book ?pages 11 to 14, Apostrophes.
If your child is a Year 5, please use them as good preparation for next year! Thank you in anticipation of your support!

Is this normal?
Is this right?
We never get regular consistent homework despite parents asking for that. Usually we get 4/5 weeks of homework then nothing for weeks etc. Now this.
Thoughts please...

Hi Thermometer:

This is happening in Y6 (last year) of our school - they went on to score 62% NC Level 4+ in Maths & English - which I think is only 2% above government floor (minimum) expectations for primary schools in England.

I agree with Euphemia this is madness. The Scottish system is stable, isn't endlessly tinkered about with and parents believe in it.

The English system seems to be in continual reinvention and a political football. The almost total negativity about test results/ curriculum at primary and secondary level in England from parents & the press just lends to a growing feeling amongst parents that they can't trust the system.

sorry Thermometer - didn't meant to send it just then

I think what this SAT buster homework you received actually signals is that the school is concerned about raising performance so that they won't have repurcussions with OFSTED, etc....

Is this normal in English primary schools though? (It's not a "failing" school or anything. Has Ofsted outstanding score. Most schools in this area are good or outstanding.)

I'd be interested to hear from a teachers or governors or heads view as I am finding hard to see this as a positive thing from parent's (child's) perspective.

Our school [in KS1 which is my experience so far] take a very low key approach.
Children 'do booklets' at the required time at school, but probably [unless a parent informed them] don't know what a SATs is. Other schools round here give SATS papers for home work for KS1- maybe they do get better results.. but have stressed children and parents.

KS2 I think there is more emphasis but absolutely nothing like you describe.
I like our school approach. Other parents I know prefer their SATs factories schools. I would hate that for my children.
Hope you get more advice from those with KS2 experience.

"I'd be interested to hear from a teachers or governors or heads view as I am finding hard to see this as a positive thing from parent's (child's) perspective."

As a parent governor I am speaking from the school's point of view

BLAME THE SYSTEM

Yes, it is all about league table ratings and ofsted. I don't agree with it either, but until they change the system what else can the school do about it?

In terms of preparation for high school there is some truth in that. DD is in year 8 and has tests and milestones on a regular basis.

Her old primary school is in the top 50 of English primary schools. It is an outstanding school ofsted-wise and in its own merit. Over the last few years they have achieved 100% level 4s and over 65% level 5s in KS2 SATS. There is no way they want to sit back on their laurels and become complacent.

DD's high school has only a satisfactory rating by ofsted. They have been pulling out all the stops to improve and we, as governors, are trying so hard to improve the school in every way. Last year they couldn't achieve "good" because their GCSE results weren't good enough, so this is why schools do all this cramming, because no matter how good everything else is at a school they are still chasing great results in SATS/GCSEs/A levels.

I have 3 dcs, 16, 13, and 10. They've all had these books (outstanding school with very good SATs results)

Ds2 came home with them last week. They have homework club on Mondays and homework is set for the week. So in answer to your question, yes I think its quite normal.

But Bunbaker - all these practise tests do is teach kids to pass the tests, it doesn't actually teach the kids anything new, or to think for themselves or raise standards.

They might raise the SATS results, but. It standards.

It's madness that your year 5 child will effectively have 2 years with very little new input.

Interesting to look at some of the comments from secondary teachers on the other thread about Gove and the detrimental effect of SATS.

So - it SHOULDN'T be normal.

Dd1 is in a year 5/6 class and certainly doesn't have this.

Meant to say there is evidence (certainly at ka4) that teaching students to think and problem solve leads to better results

ninja I agree with you entirely, but it is the system. I know from my experience as a secondary school governor that schools are desperate to achieve the gold standard of an outstanding status, and good results are part of that whether we like it or not. It gets worse at high school.

When DD was in year 6 they did practice SATS papers regularly, but not all day every day

Thank you all for your comments. It is so helpful to see it from all angles.

I dont think I would resent the "cramming" if it was for GCSEs or A-levels etc as these would go with DS towards his future. The same does not really apply to SATs does it? Friends with children at all local secondary schools said they assess the children very soon after arriving at secondary school so his SATs don't even really shape his set for lessons. GCSEs and A levels are on his CV for life.

To do this much (in yr 5 and 6 if they are in that class for both years which many are) seems really excessive although I do totally see BunBaker that it is the system that is driving the wish by the school for good SATs. Do SATs results directly effect Primary School's Ofsted or just the league tables?

I obviously want him to learn the skills needed for tests and exams but is this at the expense of being taught and educated in other things?

I think so, but I'm not sure. I know that GCSE results affect secondary school ofsted results.

this week dd in year 6 have been pulling various bits off their teachers car and putting them back together again -checking oil/water levels, changing a wheel etc

not entirely sure what the point is but they have really enjoyed it and it has taken them away from SATS

they seem to do a week of mainly sats then a week of a completely seperate topic -its a really nice balance and is creating some really nice memories for them

We continue as normal but with a SATs paper thrown in every now and again, but just for the year 6's ( I teach a mixed age 5/6 class) so last week they did a reading comprehension paper, and in a couple of weeks time we will do a maths paper. So as low key as possible but ensuring the children know what to expect and how to tackle the papers so they show themselves off ( and of course, the school too) to their best!

The difficulty we have this year is with the GAPs paper. Although we have one example paper, we have no idea what levels the questions are set at, we have no "thresholds" to assess by, and although we teach grammar and punctuation as part of the normal Literacy curriculum we have never been "tested" just on these aspects before. So no-one really knows the standard expected, which probably makes us a bit "twitchy" over it

Whilst the majority of parents and the Government place so much emphasis on results, schools will always stretch the children as far as possible, few parents would actively choose a school with poor results so if even one school crams for results, everyone else has to as well or suffer by comparison.