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Parents informed about Level 6 SATS

96 replies

lisson · 19/03/2013 10:40

Do primary schools tell the parents if their child is going to sit the level 6 SATS?

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lisson · 20/03/2013 12:22

maths paper B level 3-5 are on the Thursday morning and then the two level 6 papers are in the afternoon

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lisson · 20/03/2013 12:24
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lisson · 20/03/2013 12:24
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TheOriginalSteamingNit · 20/03/2013 12:24

Yes, ours did.

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NoThankYouToSideSalad · 20/03/2013 12:31

DS doing Level 6 papers in maths and literacy. No extra preparation from school, though. Thankfully, he is chuffed to bits as he "likes exams". Confused

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areyoubeingserved · 20/03/2013 12:36

Yes lljkk both maths and English papers are being done on same days as level 3-5. Thursday especially I think is a long day!

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nipersvest · 20/03/2013 12:37

dd is doing level 6 literacy, i know this because she's having extra lessons at school, no-one at school has told me directly she's doing level 6 though. there is a parents meeting soon about the yr 6 sats, so am going to ask a bit more about it then.

from asking dd, i understand there is a small group doing level 6 literacy, a small group doing level 6 numeracy, with a handful doing both, all are getting one extra lesson a week per subject, plus extra homework.

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areyoubeingserved · 20/03/2013 12:37

Ah just seen lisson posted the timetable.

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areyoubeingserved · 20/03/2013 12:43

The English is much harder to get tbh. Seemingly only 900 (lower than 1% of entries) children got it last time. I know is a bit different this year with the new spelling punctuation stuff but I think is a challenge even for the more able ones.

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lljkk · 20/03/2013 12:44

Oh bother, this creates a problem, because DD's teacher insisted otherwise. Even in the face of DD's hysterical tears & angry strop.

DoE agrees with you lot.

DD's residential holiday is the following week. There should be no timetable conflict. DD is extremely keen to do the L6 SAT (did I mention the hysterics?), or I would not pursue this.

Do I show DD's teacher the DoE page and ask him to explain how there can ge a timetable conflict, WWYD!!??

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RussiansOnTheSpree · 20/03/2013 12:46

Lisson - my DD2 is in year 5 and they have already told us they are getting in specialist L6 support for her and a couple of other kids from next term. This is part of a school improvement plan though, they have to demonstrate how they are catering for the really high achievers. So I'm guessing the unexpected information about the specialist support was in order to (a) demonstrate that they are doing that and (b) forestall complaints from one of the other parents (who specialises in complaining).

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slug · 20/03/2013 13:09

Frankly, I don't give a damn. The sats are for the benefit of the school, not the child. DD already has her secondary school place and it matters little whether or not she has level 6 for anything at this point in time.

At the Parent/Teacher evening we were informed she would be doing level 6 in maths and asked our opinion of whether to put her forward for level 6 in literacy. My comment was "ask her". She knows that her father and I aren't that fussed and that we know she will do well in maths and even if she does do badly then this is not a reflection of her but the result of a bad day.

I hate the amount of testing children are forced to do in this education system. It angers me that subjects like science are sacrificed during the latter part of year 6 in favour of exam preparation. It damages, in my opinion, the overall experience of children and I don't think it's any surprise that disillusionment in education starts around this age.

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lisson · 20/03/2013 13:09

did I mention that the cut off date for schools to register children for the level 6 exams is this coming Friday?

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lljkk · 20/03/2013 13:12

You did say that, Lisson, and that's putting the pressure on me for thinking I have to confront DD's teacher about this.

I'm not kidding, she had an almighty meltdown when I told her about the timetable conflict.

How do I confront her teacher without saying "You were lying, weren't you?"

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lisson · 20/03/2013 13:13

Your DD was upset to not be sitting L6 exam papers?? Why?

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lisson · 20/03/2013 13:15

You say to the teacher that you noticed on the DoE website that an alternative series of exam dates appears to have been arranged which is good news given the timetable clash problem. Would he like the URL?

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LaQueen · 20/03/2013 13:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lisson · 20/03/2013 13:24

I decided the easiest way to find out was to just ask the school! Unfortunately, there is no way of having a quick word with DS's teacher, so I dropped a note into school. Its a simple YES/ NO question, but I have a feeling that I won't get an answer for a long time if at all.

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lljkk · 20/03/2013 13:59

I think that I will say (50% lie) I was chatting to "a friend" in London and her high achieving DD is doing L6 same day, then I looked on DoE website (handover printout) which says the tests are same day, so can DD sit L6 after all, maybe the dates have changed? It's just finding the right tactful manner when I say all that.

Why did she have a meltdown.... she's competitive & ambitious, I guess that's it. She likes exams. She likes proving herself. At Oct. parent Eve teacher said she might be put in for L6 exam, I asked DD how would she like that (explained what L6 test meant best as I understood) and her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She is well-psyched.

Final mark of "only" 5a or 5c even wouldn't be half as disappointing as not being given any chance at 6, iyswim.

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lisson · 20/03/2013 14:14

In that case, I can't think of any reason why the school would not put her in for the exam. There's no downside for the school if a child sits and fails it, is there? Or does it open the teacher to suggestions that they should prepare the child for the exam?

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TheOriginalSteamingNit · 20/03/2013 14:56

Lisson No downside that I know of for the school or the child, only that they might not want to put a child in for a test they needn't do, if in their judgment that will cause more stress and upset than any good it might do.

Last year was the first year this happened, so our school was definitely finding its feet - I think about 5 did the L6 in Maths, about the same in English, with the sort of overlap you might expect in such groups.

DD only did the English one - and she'd previously been going off with the Special Maths Teacher for Special Maths in a group of 6 or 7, which suddenly went down to a group of 5 - so DD and the other 1 child were obviously confused and upset. I asked the teacher what had happened, and he explained they'd decided to make it an L6 prep class and so the make-up had changed.

I think he was anxious that DD and I might be angry she wasn't doing L6 Maths (as the parents of the other child indeed were), and he explained really sensibly that they just weren't going to put anyone in for it who might find it more stressful rather than an enjoyable challenge etc etc.

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lljkk · 20/03/2013 15:47

Update: DD's teacher still insisted L6 was different day & then looked genuinely surprised & confused when I showed him DoE printout. Confused Said he would double check.

Am I the only person in history of MN to campaign and almost demand that their child be allowed to do a SATs test? Grin

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lisson · 20/03/2013 16:08

lljkk - is your DD's teacher usually so ill-prepared as to not even know exam dates? Presumably he wasn't planning to put any L6 pupils forward then?

No, you are not alone with wanting it for the benefit of your child. I am doing it as well, lljkk. The school haven't said either way to me and I don't want to ask the parents of the other likely candidates in case they think I am being pushy.

DS has just been quietly expecting to do it, he's in the G&T group but I am not sure whether they've been doing L6 prep or just extension maths. Maths exams don't worry him. He'll be ok if he fails whereas if he passes he will get a much-needed confidence boost. So I can't see a downside for him. I have no idea why his teacher just hasn't replied with either "yes he's doing it" or "no, he's not".

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lljkk · 20/03/2013 17:30

He said that DD could take the test if she didn't go on the residential trip, her choice. He was insisting that the L6 tests were following week, not same dates. I cannot understand why he would have wrong dates, though.

I was there when Dd asked about another pupil who I guess she feels is similar ability, other girl is going on residential too so couldn't do L6 test either. I don't know if they thought anyone was going to take L6 tests.

Am I going to make him feel like an idiot? Blush Grin

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Myliferocks · 20/03/2013 19:11

DD3 has come home today saying she's doing the level 6 Maths as well as the level 6 English.
They're doing an extra Maths session one lunchtime a week and an extra English session in tutor time one day a week.
She's very blasé about it all.
It sounds like her teachers are being very low key about it and aren't pressurising the children at all.

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