Education professionals: what happens if I take my child out of KS2 SATs?

[Wordsmith]

I am at the end of my tether with DS2's school. Long story which I won't go into in detail, but he's in Y6, is on target to get his Level 4 (which I am completely happy about) but is being pushed to do more and more to get up to a L5. He has problems with concentration and confidence and is getting very stressed about the whole thing. Now he's just told me he's been told he'll be doing his SATs in a room on his own with a teaching assistant. God knows why? I'm obviously going to try and get to the bottom of it - I have already complained about the pressure he is being put under. It seems they are telling me one thing and DS another.

If I can't sort this out we're seriously thinking of taking him out of the SATs altogether. I know someone who did this a few years ago and got a lot of grief from the HT for it but it was perfectly legal to do. What I want to know is, is that still the case? I know his secondary school re-test the kids within a couple of weeks of starting Y7 so the SATs aren't that vital, but what sanctions, if any, could I expect from the authorities?

Is it because he is having a reader for maths?

You wont have any recourse from the LA (possibly a fine for non-attendance) but it really isn't fair on the school or the secondary school. He will end up with a writing SAT result and a teacher assessment for the rest. It will affect the schools overall performance table outcomes, The secondary school will be aware that you personally boycotted and probably wont be pleased- it will mark you out as a trouble maker tbh.

I don't know what the legal position is but I disagree that it would mark you as a trouble maker with the senior school. I think a lot of parents wish they had the nerve to do what you are proposing. Secondary schools in particular know what a complete sham the whole thing is. I work in education btw. Sats are only of use to primary schools for their league table position. They are irrelevant for everyone else. Secondary schools know Year 6 children are hot housed and don't trust the results.

Based on what do you disagree about being marked out as a trouble maker?

I was a parent governor there for 4 years so I hardly think I am a trouble maker - I have been VERY supportive of the school for 10 years now. And I know the secondary school he is going to (DS1 is there) and will speak to the Y7 head before making any decision. And I really don't care about the school's performance table - honestly! Not when it's at the expense of children's sanity! In my opinion the school isn't being fair on my child. He doesn't fit the mould but they keep trying to force him into it.

I have no idea if he is having a reader for maths - no-one has told me that. What is a reader for maths?

We are about to hit the GCSE year for the 2010 boycott. It is a nightmare for secondary schools as we simply don't know the impact. We know that the teacher assessments submitted for boycotted pupils are erratic to say the least. You could say that 1 pupil doesn't have any impact -depends on the size of the cohort

Have you thought that you child will be excluded from the shared experience? I think this is quite important- it is a big thing in their lives.

Go and talk to the Head Teacher about your concerns. If you don't tell them then they wont know. Talk about what you would like.

Ask if they have applied for extra time. Ask if they have applied for a reader. They would both be valid reasons to be in a room 1 to 1. If you look at the .gov.uk website for the KS2 assessment and reporting arrangements it outlines the procedures

www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-2-assessment-and-reporting-arrangements-ara

My DD didn't do SATS at the end of Yr6 because her school boycotted them, as did several other local schools. Her primary school reassured us that it would never be an issue as it was all about schools and not about pupils etc.

Fast forward to Yr11 and it's a nightmare! She went to a different secondary school to her friends and everyone else seems to have SATS results. All targets are formed from the Yr6 results. Instead of being given no targets, which we would have noticed, she was given Bs across the board at GCSE, despite showing potential to achieve more. I started trying to fix this in Yr9 and DD is about to finish school and it still isn't fixed. Every time I see tutors, heads of year etc they assure me that they will sort it out but nothing ever changes because they don't seem to be able to alter the data on which decisions are made. The problem is that those with A and A* targets are given extra help to achieve those grades, like tuition and second chances with coursework. DD is not because she has already achieved her target. As long as she gets a B they need do no more.

I would urge you to be cautious - we were told it would make no difference and yet it has had far-reaching consequences for us.

Cross posts there!

tranquility- she will have b's as she will have been submitted as a teacher assessed L4.

Concentration issues could mean he gets a prompt to keep him on task if he starts staring out of the window.

If you dont do SATS he will be TA at a level 4 not a 5.

losingmyreligion- you said They are irrelevant for everyone else. Secondary schools know Year 6 children are hot housed and don't trust the results.

That is tosh. They are the basis for the progress 8 measure and so matter vey much to secondary schools.

It may partially depend on this election, don't the Tories want to make pupils retake them in Y7 if they don't get L4 or above in Y6?

Thanks all. I am going to discuss it with the DHT - she tells me she discusses everything with DS and he is 'completely happy' with everything - but just wouldn't listen when I said that he's hardly likely to tell her he's unhappy because he thinks he'll get into trouble! (Which is exactly what he tells me).

She also didn't believe me when I mentioned a few parents were unhappy about the pressure the kids are under (I didnt name names obviously). "They haven't said anything to me about it!" Is the only reply I got. Well - doh...

I am not anti -SATs per se, just the way it skews teaching and performance in Y6. It's got a lot worse - DS1 did them 4 years ago and there wasn't anything like this level of coaching.

And mo - I don't want him to miss out on the shared experience at all. But that's not the point I'm making.

Acegik - I'm complete happy with him being assessed as a level 4 because that is the level he is at!

As a governor, you will know that if your child is absent for the tests, he will immediately be counted as not having achieved level 4, and in a cohort of 30 that would mean a drop of 4%.

You would also have to keep him off for a fortnight, since children absent for the test period may be tested the following week. This would probable incur a fine.

If you do this, as a governor who is automatically responsible for overseeing the assessment process and attendance figures, you will make your position untenable, imo, and will need to resign.

And I have been told by DS1's secondary school that they don't assess on KS2 levels, but on Y7 CAT test results.

A friend of mine is a DHT at a different secondary school and says KS2 SATs are a nightmare for them as they know the levels from one of their primary geeder schools are inflated and they are supposed to spend the next 5 years getting them to completely unachievable GCSE grades as a result.

Feenie - I WAS a governor 3 years ago - it wasn't this crazy then, believe me.

TBH if I didn't have to earn a living I'd pull him out altogether and homeschool him for the rest of the term.

Apols for typos

We have several rooms of Sats going on, the majority in the hall, a few children in library and a couple in staff room. It just means the ones who may need prompting, breaks or reading support in maths will be able to get it without disturbing the others.

I'm not a fan of KS2 tests, and definitely not pressuring children unduly (that's not what happens at our school) - but wouldn't be in favour of an individual parent boycott, I don't think that's fair either.

I'm so glad you're not able to home educate just for the last few weeks of his time at primary school.

After SATs the Year 6s do so much that is memorable (ours go on the residential, have a leavers' service at the cathedral, leavers' disco, induction days at secondary to name but a few events). It would be so sad for him to miss taking part in all of that with his friends.

I know SuburbanRhonda and I keep telling him that to get him through it. For me to even think like that is an indication of how exasperated ibam by the whole thing.

I told him that this was his last term at this school and he was ecstatic. That to me is really sad because up until Y6 he'd loved school.

lostscot - thanks for the clarification. that makes me feel easier about it.

To clarify Feenie - I don't want to boycott, but I don't want DS2 to have a breakdown either (slight overstatement but you get my drift).

I really wish he was one of those kids who responds well to pressure and can concentrate when needs be - but he has real difficulty doing so. he is on School Action + and seems to be constantly assessed and taken out of lessons like French and Art to do extra maths and English.

I think they are daft and completely useless irrespective of what schools use them for.
So much can change between y6 and GCSE's and targets are ridiculous anyway.
Tell a child they are expected to get a C and they pretty much will do. tell them they can achieve an A and this is what they'll aim for.

What I don't understand is when do the dc learn the material for SATS for y6?
Obviously, they have dedicated years for 3, 4, and 5.
Most schools start revision from January giving dc 1 term to get through y6 material.