KS1 sats 2014

[GXS]

Hello
First post ever...be gentle ladies! With KS1 sats fast approaching is anyone doing extra work with their children? If so from what source? Honest answers only please. I have noticed some mums at school doing extra stuff but not sharing...none of that thank you very much!

I never did with DS and don't plan to when DD gets to tat age either, imo SATs are more about checking how the school is doing than the children and it seems unfair to add too much pressure to work at home at that age unless there is something your child is struggling with, they already do enough with schoolwork and homework and it's not like SATs results have any real impact on their future

If there are things you think your child needs to work on though the Gold Star books are quite good.

Absolutely no point in prepping your DC for KS1 SATS.

Absolutely not

If you are reading regularly with your child and doing and homework (spelling, maths games, whatever) you are preparing them well for KS1 SATs. When I taught yr2 I wouldn't tell parents when I was doing the paper as it just caused a lot of unnecessary pressure on very young children. In fact I did them by about February as part of my ongoing assessment of the children's learning needs.

Oops. Posted too soon. So, sorry, my last post ended abruptly!

I was going to add that reading and talking about the book, creative play (making up stories with DC, creating adventures with toys, maybe drawing them out or writing them down (as a "book" or "comic") if that appeals etc), counting, weighing and measuring through cooking and perhaps number games in the car would be just as good (and much more fun and meaningful) than the workbooks out of WHSmiths!

Thanks ladies. Honest and kind answers much appreciated.

My children are both in juniors and I can honestly say that we didn't do any extra work for KS1 sats.

However just to throw another thought into the comments above, KS2 targets for your child are set on KS1 targets as I understand it. And then secondary school targets are set based on KS2 sats. If your child gets level 3s at KS1, they will be 'pushed' by the school to ensure they get level 5s by year six. So, yes, sats are for the school....but they do impact on your child too.

It's all changing I think though isn't it....so maybe that is irrelevant!

Hi GXS:

I think with either KS1 or KS2 SATs it really is best to leave it to the school.

This is a test paid for with tax payers money used to monitor whether schools are doing their job.

If parents coach/ prepare their children for these tests (in addition to what schools do - and at least at ours they do tons in Y2 and Y6) - then in fact you're just making the school look better than they should.

Of course you want your child to do well - that's natural. But helping at home should be about the long term - yes, yes helping when they're struggling - but really about encouraging good learning habits, discovery and interests. And frankly if you're doing that your DC will do just fine.

HTH

KS1 SATS are teacher assessed. Teachers do use the more formalised assessment papers as one piece of evidence to inform the level that the child is at - but it is one piece out of many.

The SATS papers can be done at any time. Some year 2 children may have done them already. They are still being assessed though and will continue to be assessed throughout this year. It isn't a "throw everything at one day/week/month" scenario.

Thanks ladies. Honest and kind answers much appreciated.

The only thing I have done (in the past with DS2) was to practice the style of questions - he has asperger's and needed help figuring out what the questions were asking and his teacher suggested this. DS3 loves playing school so I will possibly make some worksheets for him with TAs style questions (as the make believe teacher) to use with his class and have him explain to me whats required. As SATs are now teacher assessed it's not so vital he performs on one specific day so I'm less concerned about the exam technique and more on supporting what he's doing day to day.

Your child is teacher assessed from the second they walk in the door of Reception till the moment they leave in Y6. The only difference with this assessment is that it is reported to you, the LEA and the government. If you're going to help your child at school, fine - but why only do it now?

Our school sent some booklets for ks1. It just went over the work they had done. Ds1 didn't have any problems. I refuse to do more work, on principal. Why are you even considering it OP?

blackcathair ' If your child gets level 3s at KS1, they will be 'pushed' by the school to ensure they get level 5s by year six. '

The child would only be making expected progress from Level 3 in KS1 to Level 5 in year 6. To make 'good' progress, the teacher will be pushing the child to get level 6, in the same way as they will be pushing 2as in KS1 to be level 5 in Y6.

Thanks again. I am considering it not because I want to but feel pressured by the parent around me. Maybe I am stressing about it too much. Thanks for the reassurances guys.

I am assuming my son will be okay without additional support. He is a free reader and seems to be in top groups, from what be says anyway. The fact that its teacher assessed puts me at ease.

Why would you feel pressured by other parents? They will not know what results your child gets- the results are only given to each set of parents individually.

I meant like they are tutoring their kids. As a parent I was feeling a little pressured. I am not now though thanks.

If a child gets a L3 then this will be over all their work at school, not just the SATs test result itself so prepping for the test is irrelevant, if they scrape a L3 because of lots of test practice at home but are only really a 2b/2a presumably the teacher will not award a L3.

True slightly.

Ha, just realised that ds2 is in year 2, and will be doing SATS this year. Hadn't even crossed my mind, which I guess is my answer.

The SATs are really to verify the child's level at the current time so loads of practice surely is pointless anyway?

DS1 did well in KS1 SATs but I always had a feeling he wasn't really awarded the level he was capable of but actually I think it has been beneficial in the long run (I did not feel that way at the time though) in the first term of Y3 he has moved up 2 or 3 sublevels in all subjects whereas I know some of my friends DCs who were at different schools are disappointed as their DCs have moved down from a L3 to a 2a.

my youngest seems on line for 2s but her brothers got 3s. I suspect political manipulation of stats so progress looks better at ks2. we are therefore doing work at home.

mercibucket - that would be possible if a primary school of course.

Getting L2s at KS1 would not necessarily mean a child wouldn't get high L4 or 5s at KS2 though.