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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Would you tell your KS1 child that Sats are coming up?

94 replies

MotleyCroup · 30/04/2014 08:29

Had a letter from ds school explaining that Sats will be coming up (with date w/c).

Letter explained that the children had been doing various 'quizzes' which I presume are old Sats papers, to get them used to the test.

Would you explain to your child that Sats are coming up? Or would you just let them carry on (the wk of the Sats) without adding to their pressure and not tell them they'll be doing these tests?

I'm pretty sure ds knows they've been doing old Sats papers as he mentioned that they were Sats but he doesn't know that the real thing is coming up.

What do/have you done (if you knew about it beforehand).

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Original poster

MotleyCroup · 30/04/2014 11:24

Ooh, just catching up with the additional posts (at work)

Thanks, PSBD. I will have a look at the link later & the website suggested!

You're a star

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MumTryingHerBest · 30/04/2014 12:03

AmberTheCat lol, I've just noticed that I missed the word "these" out.

I should also clarify that the reason I mentioned the SATs being replaced is because, from what I can tell, the way the results will be presented will be quite different. There will be a scale score rather than levels and bandings. This is what I was referring to when I wrote "not sure if you know that SATs are going to be replaced. However, by what is not yet clear."

areyoutheregoditsmemargaret · 30/04/2014 12:10

No, why? I wasn't even aware dc1 had done SATS, the school was so low key about it and was very grateful for that

Original poster

MotleyCroup · 30/04/2014 12:43

areyou, I was asking because of the letter recently received from ds school. I would have preferred not to have been aware but alas all schools work in different ways.

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areyoutheregoditsmemargaret · 30/04/2014 13:25

I realise that, just saying very glad school didn't alert me that time - they did second time round. Good luck to your dc (even if they don't know I'm wishing it)

Twodownonetogo · 30/04/2014 13:30

Personally no. One of my sons is in a state school and they do not bring up SATS. They say they want as little stress to the children involved.

Biscuitsneeded · 30/04/2014 13:32

No, I won't be telling him. The actual tests are only a part of the level they actually get; the other part will be teacher assessment. So even if you could guarantee that telling them will help and allow them to feel prepared, as opposed to making them feel panicked and under pressure, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference.

Swoosg · 30/04/2014 13:34

I have - it's just one of the many things about school we have mentioned and/or discussed. The school held a meeting for parents and dd wanted to know what it was about. No big deal.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 30/04/2014 13:42

I neve mentioned it to either of my dses. They told me they had some tests as I remember but neither were bothered by it. The school did a really good job of keeping it very low key and it really wasn't a big deal.

Sats in year 6 on the other hand......the constant testing and booster classes before school throughout year 6 has really got me down. Even ds1 who hasn't been at all stressed and was loving the extra challenge of the booster classes has had enough and is showing signs of stress. Because of the emphasis put on KS2 sats by the school, me telling him not to worry is having no impact at all. I'll be so glad when they are over!

RustyBear · 30/04/2014 14:06

When DD was in Year 2,(back when the KS1 tests were still externally marked still externally marked) we got a letter from the Year 2 teachers, suggesting that we don't tell our children that the SATs are happening so they don't get worried.

DD handed it to me asking 'What are these tests we're not supposed to worry about?, having read the letter between classroom and playground.

The next year I noticed that the letters were in envelopes....

AmberTheCat · 30/04/2014 14:23

Lol Rusty Bear!

MumTrying - yes, it'll be interesting to see how the scaled score works out. I like the thinking behind linking assessment more closely to the curriculum, but I think the scaled score may just reduce all of that to a number again.

Original poster

MotleyCroup · 30/04/2014 14:39

Thank you, are you!

That's funny, Rusty! Ds letter was loose in his school bag but he hadn't read it.

I'm presuming many of the Y2 children at ds school will be aware anyway, which is probably why I'm more inclined to tell him.

If schools want to make it 'low key' then surely they should either email parents and make it known that the information was just for our benefit or send info in a sealed envelope. Our school has not told us to keep it from our children, so even if I chose not to say anything, ds would most probably be hearing about it from other children anyway.

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mummytime · 30/04/2014 14:57

No! I actually complained when a parent told my youngest about her KS1 SATs. The children should really be pretty much unaware that they are happening, and they are pretty meaningless for the children. They should just be another "assessment".

My DD is now in year 6, knows all about SATs and actually did an extra test yesterday - testing out some new exams - seemed to be for the brighter kids judging by who else did them.
She's not bored BTW, her school does pretty thorough preparation but doesn't push it - eg. no SATs papers come home. We did get a revision booklet, but she only did what she wanted to.

My eldest did KS1 SATs when it was a week of Exams, and probably at the peak hardness - so write 3 paragraphs on the chosen subject.

Original poster

MotleyCroup · 30/04/2014 15:09

I think if schools want to keep KS1 Sats low key then parents shouldn't be informed until after they're finished.

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Xihha · 30/04/2014 15:15

It depends on the child, with DS I didn't tell him because it seemed like adding unnecessary worry and I didn't see the point, but with a child like DD I probably would though as she likes routine and walking I think walking into an unexpected test would upset her.

ShatnersBassoon · 30/04/2014 15:20

No, I honestly don't care how well they do, so they're never mentioned at home. We've been invited to a parents' SATs workshop one evening .

ThatBloodyWoman · 30/04/2014 15:22

I couldn't care less when SATS are coming up, and I certainly don't discuss it with my dc's.

mrz · 30/04/2014 17:49

The test results aren't reported and are only there to support ongoing teacher assessment. If he has done his best all year that's what counts.

Hulababy · 30/04/2014 17:54

I wouldn't tell my child abut SATs in year 2. I may mention they are doing some quizzes in school if it came up but I would be led by them and what they told me of their school day.

I work in Y2 and we start our SATs tomorrow - we spread them over this half term and generally only have half the class at a time do them. The rest do enrichment activities which are planned to fit around them. The children have done "quizzes" in the past in numeracy and are used to doing "big write" etc. So this won't be any different to them really.

Our SATs are being moderated this year - at our request - but even so they do don't get reported on, and do not form the Y2/end of KS1 assessment for a child - that comes from teacher assessment over time. The SATs marks just form part of that evidence.

Hulababy · 30/04/2014 17:56

We do tell parents and had a brief meeting with some parents earlier this week.

We cant keep it hidden. Parents know about Y2 SAT. They know they the place around now. They ask about them. So - we tell them what they consist of, how they take place and how we use them when making end of KS assessments. We reiterate that we want to keep them low key and that they are not something for the children or the parents to worry over.

Feenie · 30/04/2014 18:09

We have no meeting and have been known to complete them in January.

Hulababy · 30/04/2014 18:15

Guess for us it would mean a whole shake up of the year's planning. Our parents know when our school do SATs as we do them around the same time every year. It isn't hard for parents to work out - children come home talking of their days, etc.

Our parents ask about SATs from the very start of Y2, if not earlier. Not all, but a large number do.

Still - it works for us. It is still very low key as far as the children are concerned - and they love the enrichment stuff we have going on at the same time.

mrz · 30/04/2014 18:15

We tell parents in September their child will be taking national tests at some point in the year.

ipadquietly · 30/04/2014 18:42

Why o why are schools practising SATs papers when the levels aren't even reported ? They are wasting valuable learning time. We did our SATs in February, and the children coped fine.

Original poster

MotleyCroup · 30/04/2014 19:41

Ipad, are you a teacher?

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