Year 6 SATS. What's going in the clear pencil case?

[Sparklingbrook]

I can't remember what DS1 had even though it was only 3 years ago.

I am sure there is a note from school somewhere if I rummage.

Calculators are supplied I know that.

[snice]

SPaG is shorthand for Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation test

[Feenie]

Nope, it specifies Level 6 reading aswell.

4.2 Level 6 English reading test
Format
This test consists of an answer booklet and reading booklet. Children will
have:

Equipment required:
? pens or 2B pencils, pencil sharpeners and erasers

[Feenie]

There's no way the reading papers could be scanned. It wouldn't even be possible.

[snice]

how odd-perhaps they think everyone will only be able to afford 1 new pencil so they specify the spag one

[Feenie]

But it is so weird, isn't it?

[snice]

^The English grammar, punctuation and spelling test and the level 6 tests are scanned and marked on screen; STA therefore recommends that children participating in these tests complete their scripts using a black pen or 2B pencil so that markers are able to read their answers. Children should not use gel pens or glitter pens as they do not scan well for
on-screen marking^

so it sounds like the papers aren't physically sent to markers but will be scanned and e-mailed to them do you think?

[snice]

italics fail!

quote is from the Assessment and Reporting arrangements

[cece]

That's the way I read it. Surely has not been introduced to save money

[TheDetective]

DS1 has never owned a pencil case. Or taken any stationary to school. Ever.

No instructions here.

So I'll just send him in, and hope he remembers his brain unlikely. We have got a free breakfast club though.

I'll probably just check with the head my mum tomorrow! I doubt any of this palaver is needed though!

[Feenie]

I suppose that would explain it, snice.

Doesn't explain why, though! Still

[snice]

save on postage?

[Feenie]

Can I just highlight the difference between 'stationery' and 'stationary' at this point? As homage to the SPAG test, like

[AintNobodyHereButUsKittens]

Yes that'll be it, scanning them for sending to markers working from home.

Quite sensible really.

[Feenie]

More sensible than Parcelforce?

What's the difference, apart from a load of faff scanning?

[AintNobodyHereButUsKittens]

It's quicker (indubitably) presumably cheaper (depending on the precise nature of your workflow and staffing costs), and perhaps less likely to get lost.

[Feenie]

How is scanning several thousand papers quicker than just simply taking said papers from A to B?

Am I being thick?

[Tournament]

They'd copy them before posting them anyway Feenie. Imagine being the school which lost all the SATs papers.

[AintNobodyHereButUsKittens]

Email is quicker than post Feenie, which was my point. But putting a script into an industrial copier and then forwarding the file to the relevant marker is not that much slower than putting it in an envelope and labelling it with the right address.

[spanieleyes]

But schools send the papers on to the markers direct. We are given the envelope and the address label. And schools DO NOT copy the papers before sending them off, that would be a clear case of maladministration and all the results would be voided. We shouldn't even LOOK at them ( although I did have a Head who would go through the maths papers to get an indication of the levels they should get )

[Sparklingbrook]

it would take forever to copy the papers wouldn't it?

[clam]

StationERY!

As you were...

[Feenie]

They'd copy them before posting them anyway Feenie. Imagine being the school which lost all the SATs papers.

They most certainly do not! There have been several cases of missing papers from markers cars, etc!

Yep, I remember all that, Miaow - we had about half of ours re-marked, and there were differences of 2 levels in some cases.

[deeplydullmnnickname]

As an aside to the OP, do most primaries still provide pencils and exercise books then? Just curious.

[Feenie]

It's very unusual not to, ime.