Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Bloody SATS

468 replies

Ledkr · 11/05/2013 08:33

I know they are important to schools but its madness at dds school. They've gone on and on at them a out it for months, extra homework, extra lessons and generally created a great deal of expectation and stress.
Poor dd gets migraines and they are currently rife due to her worry over sats. She thinks they will impact on her going to her already allocated secondary school.
Then yesterday she came out with a list her teacher had given them. Apparently it's bed early a d a good breakfast (preferably cooked) which obviously all children need everyday.
It seems ott to me but hey.
Anyone got any comparisons?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Sparklingbrook · 13/05/2013 14:52

What's the plan for the morning Ruprekt? I hope DS enjoyed the paper too. I will find out in about half an hour. Smile Then we will be doing SPAG revision. Sad

crazeelaydee · 13/05/2013 14:53

SATS were a nightmare for Ds in year 2 it was relentless!, In fact anyone would of thought I was the one sitting them from how much jeffing grief I had about them...think I was averaging 3 times a week that "SATS" was mentioned to me by the frantic teacher. To this day I still do not see how they benefit a child in any way, when teachers are constantly assessing the Dc to be sure they are progressing.

During a recent meeting at Ds's school the HT muttered the "key stage 2 SATS" (DS is only in yr 3!) to me and I may of just flashed him an icy glance across the room, should of asked him in what way they would effect my Ds's education???? never thought of that. Well this time I will not be getting as stressed about the bloody SATS and I certainly won't be adding any additional pressure on my Ds because of them.

LackaDAISYcal · 13/05/2013 14:58

No revision needed here, according to the school. Which is good as I've never been an advocate of last minute cramming even though it got me through my uni finals

JugglingFromHereToThere · 13/05/2013 15:01

Hmm, they don't sound like they were too bad today, though thinking R&R a little high-brow ? Not sure DS will have heard of them but I know that shouldn't matter too much.

Rockinhippy · 13/05/2013 15:20

My own DD isn't even doing these yet - but seems is STILL feeling the pressure of watching her friends in the year above feeling SATS stress :( that & having her teacher tell the class how important it is they get top marks as it affects where they are in HS, DD was under the impression that meant if they don't do well, they don't get into the better schools :( -

It seemed so wrong to have to put her straight & tell her who of our friends did well for themselves - DESPITE failing in school & how it's not the end of the world - if you are clever & work hard, it will shine through anyway

My DD has health problems affected by stress & is a perfectionist, so I am dreading SATS, she's hyped up enough about upcoming tests as it is, though she did seem more relaxed after my undermining everything her teacher had said telling her its not so important so long as she just does her best

kjrv81 · 13/05/2013 15:48

Well first day of sats here for us. DD1 coped well, she said it was ok. She likes animals so glad it was about the jungle.

Can't wait for this week to be over.

crunchbag · 13/05/2013 15:55

First test over, DS enjoyed his afternoon doing PE and DT

Can't believe people actually sent their children in when they are ill.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 13/05/2013 16:02

DS is happy enough and says he finished this morning's paper.

Ruprekt · 13/05/2013 16:19

Crunchbag......we had to send them in!! Angry

No option.

School were great though. The school receptionist went up to give ds some ibuprofen at 10am, he had a rest in the office at break along with a bottle lucozade and a packet of crisps which then got him through the short writing task.

He came home at 12.

Plan for tomorrow is the same.

Dosing him up with calpol and ibuprofen every 2 hours.

grants1000 · 13/05/2013 16:27

DS is on a high, said it was easy, he has dyslexia and had help and extra time - so I am pleased he is pleased.

He's got no chance with the spelling tomorrow, but we know that as it is where he really stresses and struggles. But hey he can nearly touch type and knows what he wants to say and can say it how he needs.

He says he is doing a science one also? I did not think there was a science one? I've not asked him more as he said I was 'being moring with the questions'

Ruprekt · 13/05/2013 16:34

grants.....ours did the 2 science papers last week.

Not statutory tests.....ds did one from 2009.

morethanpotatoprints · 13/05/2013 16:36

OMG.

There's no way I would send my dc in if they were ill. Tell them to shove it, they're not God.
Ruprekt
I'm not blaming you, i just can't believe the bloody cheek. If they are no better tomorrow I'd keep them off. Grin

Ruprekt · 13/05/2013 16:40

But ds INSISTED on going in.

He has always had 100% attendance apart from earlier this year when he had a viral infection again! He does respond well to calpol and ibuprofen and he is glad he went in to do Sats.

He did not want to be on his own doing the tests.

His teacher was really proud of him. SmileSmile

OhLori · 13/05/2013 16:45

I couldn't give a stuff about SATS. If my son's school pulled this SATS hysteria stunt, I would threaten to pull him out of the exams, and if necessary the school.

Parents are way too craven to schools, IMO, and we seem to have lost all sense of proportion if this is what is going on in schools.

Originally, weren't teachers meant to keep quiet about SATS? They were just meant to be normal tests that children undertook, barely realising what they were doing?

morethanpotatoprints · 13/05/2013 16:47

Ruprekt

I think your ds is marvellous and any other children who have battled through illness. I just think its wrong of schools and hypocritical to insist they attend if ill.
How can they say 48 hours compulsory absence if you have a bug? Oh, but wait, its SATS well they can come in a throw up over everyone.
My 2 ds didn't even know they had done theirs, no pressure from school and parents weren't informed when they were. Oh the good old days Grin I think it has gone mad now and we will be celebrating the week when dds friends have to do theirs Grin

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 13/05/2013 16:52

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for giving too much info about the content of SATS papers

LackaDAISYcal · 13/05/2013 17:00

My DS left a couple out in the Jungle Book section Ellen as he wasn't sure what they were asking.

I was disappointed he didn't get to bring the paper home with him, like you do for your high school and uni exams! I'd like to have an ogle :)

Theas18 · 13/05/2013 17:04

Best of luck to all the DCs this week.

I definitely go with all the " it's for testing the school". It's easy ish with very bright kids because doing tests is a way of life for them, they seem to roll from one test/exam to the next. Easy to for get that each hurdle is the " biggest ever" though (OK apart from 11+ was before SATS).

Fortunately my youngest is 14 (almost) and they all remember SATS week as the week breakfast club did bacon butties rather than the tests themselves! Shame it's not like that now.

Mind you even 9yrs ago when my nearly 20yr old did them the whole of year 6 was a wash out as it was ALL SATS and very little happened for the kids starting year 6 on a 5a, the higher level papers had been abolished then and now are back! at least that gives he brightest something to aim for.

Deeply disagree with after school and saturday cramming clases though!

EllenJanesthickerknickers · 13/05/2013 17:11

Schools use the past papers as practice papers, so I guess that's why they don't let them out. And DC like lljkk's DD are doing it tomorrow.

catinhat · 13/05/2013 17:12

We all create this culture.

Parents pick schools because of their league table position and Ofsted reports. (Not all, but many. In our area, the number of people who apply to schools is definitely in proportion to their league table position)

Therefore, schools obsess about sats and Ofsted.

Therefore year 6 children in some (or most) schools are pushed horribly.

Why don't people withdraw people from sats? Secondary schools don't use them for setting; they do their own assessments or testing.

crunchbag · 13/05/2013 17:29

Ruprekt how can it be not an option to keep him home? What is the school going to do?

I understand your DS wanting to go but really he should be at home no matter how well he reacts to calpol. He shouldn't feel like it is his 'duty' to go in. It is madness.

girliefriend · 13/05/2013 17:35

My dd is in year 2 and I haven't heard anything about her doing her SATs. Infact I have just asked her if she has had to do a test or heard anything about her SATs and she shrugged her shoulders Grin

No SATs madness here then!!

I don't agree with SATs and would not pander to all this extra stress and work tbh. I think its wrong.

Ruprekt · 13/05/2013 17:51

It never crossed my mind to keep him home once he said he was going in!

mrz · 13/05/2013 18:04

He obviously felt up to going in Ruprekt

Ruprekt · 13/05/2013 18:23

Exactly mrz.

If he had been as ill as he was a few months ago, there was no way he could have gone in as he was vomiting and dizzy.

I would have phoned the school to ask what needed to be done.