Too many Year 6 SATS exams?

[justicewomen]

My son came home and said he has to sit 10(!) exams/tests in english, maths, and science. I believe they are over 5 days morning and afternoon. It feels like too many too quickly. I understand that this is a national requirement rather than the school organisation, but crikey!

Im not worried about him as such (as he has previously done 11+ and private school exams this year) but feel it is overkill. Surely they could reduce the number down.

What do others think?

ours does residential the following week, too, this is why school said initially that no one could do L6 tests this year (and good on the school for prioritising the residential over SATs, too).

DD really wanted to do L6 tests so I'm glad she didn't have to choose between them & the residential.

Everyone doing L6 will do them same day so yes they are tests of endurance, too, but so what? It's not like they are important to anything in the long run.

Another school had children sitting level 6 papers at the residential venue! Poor kids. But they had been told categorically that it wouldn't be allowed this year.

Dd was begging to be allowed to sit the L6 papers during her residential, when we thought 2013 L6 were following week. Daft Girl. She even asked about being allowed to sit on them at a school in the area instead. I blame myself for telling her in October about L6 SATs and would she like to try for them (her teacher hadn't told us about any date conflicts back then but had said she might be put in for L6s). I guess it's worked out okay now, anyway.

(I have 3 determined underachievers. I'm allowed a few stealth boasts for this one DC.)

My DS1 is sitting them over 4 days, Monday to Thursday. He's sitting the lvl 6 papers. He's doing 3 papers in one day on the Thursday!

I think it's too much for 10/11yo's, and can't see why if there are going to be lvl 6 tests, which are essentially putting DC's in for tests to make the school look better, why they can't be sat at a different time to the rest of the SATS.

All the Secondaries do CATS tests in the first half term anyway, so the SATS are only really for the school's league table position anyway, so the obsession with the lvl 6 papers seems a bit nutso to me, just putting lots of stress on very young children unnecessarily.

I'm not 'stealth boasting', I have a DD that didn't get lvl 3 on her SATS in Y6, in fact she is working at lvl 3/4 in Y10 now.

It's just a fact that different DC's have different abilities.

DS1 is academic, DD could cook Gordon Ramsey under the table with far less swearing.

IMO, SATS are for the school, not the pupil, so I'm not over stressing him. He's already done the 11+ whilst ill this year (he insisted), THAT was for him, this isn't. I've just told him to do HIS best as that's all he can do.

Still too much for 4 days though, I think.

, Can you tell me whether those taking level 6 maths also have to do the
level 3-5 papers?

yes they are at my DD's school

Yes they must ... if a child only completes the level 6 test they will be marked absent.

Thanks

And they can only be awarded a level 6 if they achieve a level 5 on the first paper and a level 6 on the second.

If they were to only score a level 4 on the level 3-5 paper then got enough marks on the level 6 paper to theoretically be awarded a 6, they aren't allowed a level 6.

that seems a bit mean. if the level 6 paper has been passed then why do they need to have a level 5 on another paper.surely they have achieved a pass or not

Quite!

Although in reality, how likely is it that a child who passes the level six would fail to achieve level five on the "normal" paper?

Hmm, have had one or two (in Reading and Maths) with a bit of an attitude - as in, 'why should I bother with the small stuff?' Have had to have serious words to explain why they needed to secure the level 5 also, clever or not!

Oh please don't say this - I have one such of so I've entered for level six in everything. Serious, pre-emptive arse kicking may be needed!

choccyeggs I completely agree. The only purpose of SATS tests is to determine where a particular school will be in the league tables. I refuse to put my son under pressure at age 10 and I know he will do the best he can but like most boys will not really stretch himself until he reaches about age 13. I was very sad to hear that my friend's 11 year old daughter is suffering from alopecia brought on by the stress of SATS. To put young children under such pressure amounts to child abuse!

Yep, 'fraud it might be an idea, Stuffez!