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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?

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ClaraOswinOswald · 13/05/2013 09:45

lljkk Hope your DD is ok. Poor you and her.

DD went off quite happily today with a four leaf clover in her pocket and an extra drink. She is quite level headed but lucky to be one of the eldest. When I think of her friend who won't be 11 until the end of August I feel so sorry for her.

It's a lot for kids to be put through and the pressure is huge, on the children and the school. A school can't get "good" without good data and anything less brings Ofsted and HMI in like a shot. It shouldn't be like this.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 13/05/2013 09:59

I think the whole Ofsted culture is really wrong, with teachers dreading being "Ofsted'ed" and some children subsequently put under too much pressure, and the curriculum becoming too narrow, driving out the development of a real love of learning through interesting, broader, project work which can respond to children's interests, and teach more than the 3R's
(That short-hand makes me laugh actually with the implied spelling of Writing and Arithmetic Grin)

I think there should be much more of an advisory role and relationship from those going into schools, with advisors who are experts in their field getting more alongside teachers and helping to spread and promote best practice. I think (a long time ago) it was possibly more like this, perhaps before education became such a political hot potato ?

peeriebear · 13/05/2013 10:03

I've deliberately said very little about the SATs because DD is not very academic. I just said they were tests for the school, not her, and she should just relax and do her best. She's in breakfast club this week as it's free in SATs week, so she'll have a chill with her friends before it all.

piratecat · 13/05/2013 10:25

lljkk

hope your dd is ok?

my dd started with a sickness bug thursday night which lasted 24 hours, it could be a bug?

Dancergirl · 13/05/2013 10:29

lljk your poor dd

What do to? Sod the SATS that's what. Let your dd rest at home today and don't rush her back to school tomorrow if she's not 100%. Her health comes waayyyy before these tests.

And DON'T let the school bully you into bringing her in, don't answer the phone if neccesary. The general rule is 48 hours after last being sick. Same rules apply, tests or no tests. Think of it as doing all the other dc a favour, not infecting them with the bug.

piratecat · 13/05/2013 10:33

yes deffo. It would have been annoying had dd been ill today but not the end of the world.

There was no way my dd could have sat any bloody sats, she was in and out the bathroom being sick.

Hopefully your dd will recover soon. Dd couldn't keep down water either, but i just kept telling her to take little sips for hydration.
She was really hungry on friday, and tried some dry cereal, but twice was sick.
By the evening she had some more and kept it down.x

ShadeofViolet · 13/05/2013 11:16

We had this last year and I am so glad I wont have to do it again for a few years.

ShadeofViolet · 13/05/2013 11:17

posted too soon.

Was going to say I feel for you all and your DC's.

BerthaTheBogCleaner · 13/05/2013 11:32

Dd spent all Sunday lying on the sofa with a temperature and a headache, looking horribly yellow (I kept checking the whites of her eyes, was freaking a bit!). This morning, bright and breezy, bounded off to school saying "we get to play rounders after the test". Leaving me dealing with the barrage of texts from concerned rellies wanting to know if she made it to school ok Grin.

Iljkk I think they are allowed to take each test up to 5 days after the original day. You and the teachers are supposed to make sure she doesn't get a chance to ask those who sat the test, what was in it (as if they'd remember much!). And if she doesn't get to sit the test ... it doesn't really matter. Better to miss it, than to sit it when she isn't 100%, do worse than she could have and feel bad about it.

CouthyMow · 13/05/2013 11:35

Well, I will eat my own words about DS1 being cool about his SATS. They haven't seemingly bothered him all weekend, but this morning he had a massive meltdown over what needed to go into his see-through pencil case!!

Bloody SATS indeed!!

Tingalingle · 13/05/2013 11:37

lljk your poor DD!

Be warned that the school might indeed want her to do the SATS from her sick bed.That's how DS did his, 6 years ago.

The really embarrassing bit was that they sent someone round to 'check that we didn't still have any educational posters on display in his bedroom'.

Erm, no, we didn't.

Tingalingle · 13/05/2013 11:38

Oh, and I would have told them to stuff it, but DS has autism and was definitely not going to deal well with 'Not Doing SATs' after being told for weeks that this was the week to do them.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 13/05/2013 11:49

Your DS sounds very like mine Couthy. Quite cool over the weekend, but it all hit him a bit this morning. But I guess Monday morning is often a pressure point for everyone isn't it ? Hopefully they'll be back to cool again by tomorrow Smile

grants1000 · 13/05/2013 12:05

Who can tell me which sats are on which days? Reading today?

DS so laid back, due to excellent teacher minimising stress & worry about it all.

DS just requested a Kit Kat Chunky after school for doing his SATS today and he will tell me every morning what he would like as a treat!

grants1000 · 13/05/2013 12:05

He as nervous and just wanted to get into school early and get going, I think the will all feel a lot better after the first one is out the way.

melika · 13/05/2013 12:07

My DC didn't even know it was SATs week when they did them, they just told the kids it was over a few weeks in May. Don't remember any stress at all!! Pencil case contents must have been provided.

Iamnotminterested · 13/05/2013 12:07

Reading comprehension today.

Nice paper.

grants1000 · 13/05/2013 12:08

Fab thanks, and what for the rest of the week? (if you don't mind)

RustyBear · 13/05/2013 12:11

Today is reading (comprehension), tomorrow is the spelling, punctuation and grammar and the two Maths ones are on Wednesday and Thursday, plus mental maths on Wednesday.

Iamnotminterested · 13/05/2013 12:11

SPG tomorrow.

boxershorts · 13/05/2013 12:46

Some of the SATS and HOMEWORK statemenst here are horrendous and need widder publication.

FRI TV Any of you see the Hong kong exam hot house exams (Which Master Gove approves of) ?

chicaguapa · 13/05/2013 12:51

I know this is controversial, but I don't mind the SATS at the end of KS2 tbh. I think DC should get used to doing tests and the general jumping through of hoops required of them all through life. Tests are as much a part of school as everything else and I think it should be seen as a practice for the pressures they'll be put under at secondary school and in time, their GCSEs.

It's all well and good saying they're only 11, but most of them are gaining independence by now, have mobile phones, are out with their friends on their own at weekends, some have boyfriends etc and are more than ready for secondary school. I know this doesn't apply to all those in y6 (DD included) but my point is that they are growing up and I'm sure they can cope with tests in y6 with a focus on how well they've done at primary school.

DD hasn't brought any papers home to do, other than ones she did in class. She had a little wobble last night, but we just said that it's her chance to do her best and show what she can do. We are focussing less on the level she achieves and more on the attitude that she should be approaching the tests with. She's doing all the level 6 papers too but she knows that there's no difference between level 5 & level 6 at secondary school.

Parents do put a lot of emphasis on league tables and the pay-off for that is pressure on the y6 to do well in their SATS and produce the results that parents value so highly. Equally parents want to ensure that their DC has access to the best teaching at primary school and again, how else can you ensure that unless you measure schools and teachers on progress and acheivement?

boxershorts · 13/05/2013 12:54

Its a matter of degree, CHICA. Are you not impressed by some of the worrying statements on here about SATS and HOMEWORK EXCESS?

chicaguapa · 13/05/2013 13:00

Yes, I agree that too much stress is a bad thing.

As a parent, I would probably decide how much I felt was appropriate. eg. If DD didn't want to do the level 6 papers and the school was putting her under pressure to do them, I would have to look at it differently and ask the school not to enter her for them. DD has had some mind map homework to revise for the SPaG paper, but I said she didn't have to do it as she only got 1 wrong in the level 6 practice paper and I thought the time was better spent for her to relax instead.

Every DC is different but in principle, I don't think the SATS are a bad thing, but not for the schools to escalate them out of all proportion maybe. Confused

boxershorts · 13/05/2013 13:02

Chica thanks for the response I learn a lot from reading sites like this