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Original poster

Past SATs papers set as Christmas holiday homework - is this normal?

55 replies

QOFE · 07/01/2014 11:21

DD (10) was sent 2 of them to complete over the holidays. She also had to do a mini-project on this terms topic.

She did the mini project (she enjoyed it, worked hard, and did a great job of it too) but with visiting family and generally having some down time and enjoying the holiday, the SATs papers didn't get done.

I have this morning been told by her teacher that they are very important practise and she must do them tonight Confused

Really? I though they weren't meant to make a big deal out of SATs? Seems a bit much to a) be piling on the pressure nearly 6 months in advance and b) setting them as Christmas holiday work FGS.

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Blackcathaireverywhere · 07/01/2014 11:50

My son is in year six and he also got two papers (part of papers anyway) to do over the holiday. They didn't have any additional project work to do though.

Our school do, indeed, seem to be making a big deal out of SATS. I'd say over half of the kids now have a tutor too.

Original poster
QOFE · 07/01/2014 12:33

Tutor Shock

Why would anyone want to tutor their child for SATs?

OP posts:
NigellasDealer · 07/01/2014 12:37

i would just not do them, it is up to the teacher to have their class ready for SATS, not you. SATS are supposed to be a snapshot of the school, not a reason to pile on stress and pressure onto children and their families.
Tell him/her to stick them where the sun don't shine.
Actually don't that is a v bad idea.
But seriously just do not do them.

scarletandblack · 07/01/2014 12:46

If the school is making a big deal of SATS, then maybe the impression is being given that the individual results will count when the secondary schools stream the children?

That's the only reason I could think of that parents would spend good money on tutors to bolster the what are essentially the school's SATs results. As far as I am aware, most secondary schools conduct their own tests to stream pupils.

Blackcathaireverywhere · 07/01/2014 13:01

Yes, I think there is a perception that the results will be used by the local high school for setting. I don't actually know if they do or not.

The trouble is, is that the more children that are being tutored, the more you feel your child is at a disadvantage if they are not.

I feel rather fed up with it all and there is still 5 months before they are over!

QOFE - to insist that those papers are done tonight does seem a little ott! I can't see how one evening's work can hold that much importance.

scarletandblack · 07/01/2014 13:07

In my area, SATs are pretty much ignored by parents, as they are aware that SATs results are not considered to be particularly important by the secondaries.

Most of the tutoring happens in year 5, as part of the desperate push to get children through the 11+, which is itself pretty much ignored by the primary schools round here. But that's another thread!

Too much pressure all round for children these days, imo.

mummy1973 · 07/01/2014 13:27

What Nigella said. My dd is in yr 5 and I will not be playing!

mummy1973 · 07/01/2014 13:30

Probably been done to death before but do they have to do SATs? Knowing dd she'll probably get quite excited about the prospect but what if you have a child that is stressed and it isn't the best for them?

flakjacket · 07/01/2014 13:34

Mmm had this problem at half-term and Easter when my first DC was in Y6 and am anticipating it again with current Y6 child. 2 papers per holiday. I told her not to do them, she said if she didn't she'd be kept in at playtime to do them. I said copy answers off internet - she said that was cheating and she wouldn't. Can't see an answer but it made me FURIOUS.

mummy1973 · 07/01/2014 13:34

OP. What is your school's policy been pon homework till now? If this is a change because it is SATs then I'd be miffed. I'd be inclined to make your views known early if you feel too much focus/pressure is not needed.

Original poster
QOFE · 07/01/2014 13:48

There's always holiday homework of some sort (except Summer holidays when its just a general 'keep up with reading') so that's not new. However the SATs papers were in addition to the mini project which would have been the normal level on its own.

I always make sure holiday work is completed but wasn't about to sacrifice any of our Christmas holidays for SATs papers that do not enrich DD's education in any way whatsoever.

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pointythings · 07/01/2014 13:51

DD1's school tried this on at Easter when she was in Yr6 - she had a stack of maths and English reading papers and was expected to do a total of an hour and a half every single day. Which was a heck of a lot more than normal homework.

Fortunately they said in the accompanying letter that the work should be done but not handed in and would not be marked. So we recycled it.

DD2 is in Yr6 this time, we have parents evening in February and I will be raising holiday SATs practice at Easter pre-emptively, as in 'she will not be doing it'.

pointythings · 07/01/2014 13:53

Must add that DD2 had nothing SATs related over Christmas, just had to build a model of a Victorian house. Which took her about 8 hours all told so quite enough work for a holiday.

SapphireMoon · 07/01/2014 16:14

Lazy of the school. Perhaps they rely on parents doing the SATs papers and having tutors to get their children through SATs and look good for ofsted...

Original poster
QOFE · 07/01/2014 19:37

So from the responses I'm getting it seems like it wouldn't be utterly PFB and nightmare parent-ish of me if I was to ignore any further SATs practice papers sent home?

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NigellasDealer · 07/01/2014 19:43

i would accidently 'lose' them or get the dog to chew them up personally.(you know, the dog ate my homework, miss)

CaptainTripps · 07/01/2014 20:14

Ignore the hw.

But please do not blame the teachers. Blame the politically motivated system for piling unbearable pressure upon schools. If schools don't get the results, they fail their ofsteds or come under unbearable scrutiny due to what may simply have been a poor cohort that year.

How did it all come to this, eh?

Feenie · 07/01/2014 20:25

But please do not blame the teachers.

I am a teacher and I would blame them - it's ridiculous and counter productive. My ds's school sent my cm's Y6 ds home with 3 lots of past papers in each subject at Easter - if this happens when my ds is in Y6 he will simply not be doing them. It's atrocious practice and it does not help anybody.

AICM · 07/01/2014 20:26

I'm a Year 6 teacher so I feel qualified to comment on this!

Firstly, as I'm sure you know, SATs have little do with your child. Most secondary schools use their own tests in September to group them anywhere.

However, I have no choice but to push SATs massively as my job and financial security depend on the results of your kids. This goes double for headteachers. I have regular meetings when I am put under pressure to get children to achieve certain levels. Heads and teachers don't like it but this pressure ultimately be passed onto your child.

On SATs homework my position is this. Each school should have a homework policy stating how much homework they should be doing. If the school asks children to go more than this you are within your rights to say no. However if the school sets SATs revision for the time stated in the school policy then that is fine.

VworpVworp · 07/01/2014 20:32

What happened to everyone doing their bit? Surely you want your DC's school to be a good school, to be perceived as a 'good school'? Confused
Schools are judged according to their results- it is parents that have fuelled this drive to testing, by calling 'Performance Tables' 'League Tables' for a start... Hmm

AICM · 07/01/2014 20:34

As far as throwing the homework away is concerned if the homework set is in line with the school's policy then whether it's SATs related or not if it's not done at home it's done at lunchtime. My kids know that and I have issues with a parent that disagreed.

Original poster
QOFE · 07/01/2014 20:39

VworpVworp - not me Hmm

I couldn't give a shiny shit about league tables and in fact I have no idea at all where DD's school comes in them. I know it has had only 'satisfactory' OFSTEDs for several years but again I really don't care. Its the local school. If she's going to school, that's where she'll go.

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Iverkevinao · 07/01/2014 20:53

Isn't there some benefit to learning about past papers and exam revision at this age?

I certainly wish my only decent A level teacher hadn't had to coach me on all this as it would've come in handy for my GCSEs.

Saying that it shouldn't be excessive at ths age and the kids should get something out of it i.e. skills for future exam prep.

pointythings · 07/01/2014 20:55

AICM I agree with normal, routine homework. It should be done, and there should be consequences if it is not done. However, this is the time of year when schools turn into SATs factories and start piling on homework far in excess of the usual amounts.

And a school would have to have a very, very explicit policy statement on homework in the school holidays for me to accept daily homework at those times - adults get holidays when they are not at work, why shouldn't children? In fact, I would move my child away from any school that did this. I would feel that the school was not doing its job if it felt it necessary to impose holiday homework in any quantity.

BananaNotPeelingWell · 07/01/2014 20:59

I have had 3 dc go through the SATS circus and last year was especially bad regarding relentless, repetetive and unimaginative sats work.

I detest SATS and when teachers themselves admit that they are of little benefit to the children, I cannot see how they can expect to rally support for them from parents.

Many a weekend and holiday was decimated by SATS homework. New concepts were regularly being sent home for us to actually teach largely from scratch. My dc were pushed far too hard over them, as were we.

To what end? The secondary school has retested the children and have drawn their own conclusions regarding ability.

As I've said some of the work was new and appeared to be pitched at a much older age. I don't understand why. SATS are supposed to be an indicator of how well a school has performed by yr6. If that is the case and if (ifHmm) SATS are necessary, then surely all that should be required by yr6 to prove this 'performance' should be some gentle revision of work already covered. But this is not the case and I massively resented my dc being pushed to jump through ever expanding hoops purely to big up the schools reputation.

Also once the sats were over, the school pretty much stopped teaching them anything at all, leaving weeks and weeks of not much at all going on educationally. All very well, except that by the time they began yr7 in September they hadn't been taught anything much in months.

Teachers can push them all they wish for whatever prioritories they may have. But my dc are my priority and I think the school served them poorly in yr6 and yes I do blame them. I liked the school, but the final year of primary, which should and could have been a wonderful ending and preparation for a new beginning was marred in the worst way.