I'm not alone am I? How can I help my stressed, overtested Y6 dd to cope with the relentless pressure that comes from the school. Grrrrrr

[northender]

Apologies in advance for the long post.
Just that really. I'm not alone am I? Ds did Y6 3 years ago at the same school and it just bears no resemblance to what is going on this year as a result of the new testing system.
She is bright and in the top set for most things but that, apparently, is not enough. Already this school year they have been tested several times in each subject, in the hall, under exam conditions. Today they got results of an arithmetic test. Dd got 80% which she was pleased with but was then told she had to resit it today and if she didn't achieve 88% then she would have to do another test type exercise for homework. She missed history this afternoon as a result, to do the resit. Last half term she missed 2 sessions of history/geography to try to improve her reading comprehension skills.
Dd takes everything to heart and has taken a couple of hours to calm down tonight. She was upset and angry.This is not an isolated incident and although I recognise that dd's temperament does not help her, I can't see how this level of pressure is helpful in the long run. She seems like such a tortured soul at times and I feel pretty helpless. We have discussed with school how much to heart she takes things but I'm not sure they really get it as her teacher said to her today "Don't go home worrying about it"
We do lots of hopefully distracting stuff with her at home which she loves. She helps me with cooking & baking, is helping dh research my family history and does sewing & all sorts of crafty things with my mum. These things aren't forced on her but things she loves to do. In terms of formal extra curricular stuff she does drama and music both of which she loves.
I genuinely don't feel that going into school again will help, but as much as we say to her that it's not all about results, the school say the complete opposite.

If you've got to the end of my post then thank you

[Feenie]

I would do as Ricardian suggests and withdraw her from the SATs if this continues

You could do this - but you will be fined. Only other option is removal from the school.

[Hoppinggreen]

I have a year 6 DD and I wouldn't be happy about that at all.
They know they are doing SATs but there is no pressure on them and certainly no resits.
I have told both DD and her teacher that I don't really care about her sats results at all as they are for the benefit of the school not her.

[Ricardian]

You could do this - but you will be fined.

Behave. The SATs take place over the course of a few days. The system for fining for unauthorised absence requires that you be absent for 10 sessions, 5 day. You would be perfectly able to withdraw your child from the SATs testing without getting remotely close to that limit.

And you could also, of course, quite reasonably say that your child was ill with worry. If a local authority wants to attempt to take such a case to court, let them.

[Happyminimalist]

Yes after a week of unauthorised non attendance, we would get a letter with a warning in our county. Nothing more. Eventually you would be fined but it would be minimal

In your shoes I'd say that you are going to withdraw her during sats week if things don't improve

[Happyminimalist]

You could always go to your Gp and get her signed off with stress

[Saracen]

I don't know whether you are in a position to have your daughter out of school for the rest of the year, but some people respond to SATs stress by home educating for part or all of Y6.

Not only will a year out of school spare your daughter all this pressure, but it also seems likely to provide a better education during this year than the endless drilling which her school does.

Unless the admissions policy of your desired secondary school gives priority to children who attend feeder primary schools, this won't affect her chances of getting her in. And she shouldn't have any trouble slotting into secondary school next year, as she'll be new there alongside all the other new kids in Y7.

[TheWindowDonkey]

We had this in y5 (y's5/6 share a classroom at dd's old school and the y5's git tested a lot.) Once we knew the tests were changing and that results exoectations for end of ks1/ks2 were to be raised a lot this year we decided to homeschool dd for a year. It is honestly the best decision we have ever made, our dd has gone from a stressed, tense stropmeister back to the happy, relaxed and confident child she was in y4. Ans we get to spend all the time that her classmates sit in exam halls and stuffy classroom out and about or doing fun things together.
We easily cover her curriculum ( which you can buy) subjects in 10-12 hours a week...leaving the rest to persue what she enjoys.
I realise this option is not open to everyone ( i run my own business so can be flexible) but its something we had never comsudered before and I'm so pleased that we did. It has the added bonus that we have met a fabulous set of new friends in local home ed groups.

[TheWindowDonkey]

Ha, her typing is better than mine too! Typing one handed due to injured right hand, hence the typos!!

[northender]

I would pull her out of school in an instant, for the rest of the year, but I'm not in a position to unfortunately.
Do we have the right to say that we don't want her pulled out of any more lessons for resits etc? Probably haven't put that well, I know we have the right to say it but do we have any actual rights as to what happens?

[Feenie]

Yes after a week of unauthorised non attendance, we would get a letter with a warning in our county.

It would have to be two weeks - schools may administer the tests on return from absence for up to a week after. I think you'd find your 'county' would be nowhere near as blase as you think on the issue of non-attendance for tests - in a single form entry school that would be -4% straight away and would affect the LEA figures as well. It would be a huge deal. I expect they would use their full force of whatever the full fine is per day, per parent (£60?).

[Feenie]

I'm afraid not, northender, no rights to non-resits as such - but as a parent in your shoes, I would be saying the same thing, and they would be foolish not to listen.

[northender]

Thanks Feenie that's what I thought.

[Feenie]

Behave. The SATs take place over the course of a few days. The system for fining for unauthorised absence requires that you be absent for 10 sessions, 5 day. You would be perfectly able to withdraw your child from the SATs testing without getting remotely close to that limit.*

Your child would have to be absent for ten sessions to avoid the tests, as I've explained, and any LEA would be keen for the situation not to be repeated, so would use their force to the full.

Please don't tell me to 'behave' - it's extremely important that parents are fully informed of the facts before they take a course of action.

[annandale]

Just going back to the home education thing again... Is there any chance that eg a grandparent/grandparents could take this on?

[annandale]

Oh, ds's school was absolutely nothing like this but it was last year.

I would certainly threaten to pull her out and let the fines come. But she will still be in this atmosphere all year. I wouldn't put it past some children and teachers to take out their own stress in nasty remarks to your dd.

[mudandmayhem01]

My daughter was incredibly stressed during says, did really badly in maths, was reassessed when she started Y7 and was moved from middle to top set. Sats really don't matter, protect your child by reinforcing this!

[Ricardian]

So, it sounds like deregistering for the last couple of months of year 6 is the way to go, OP.

[TeddTess]

but the pressure /unpleasantness will still be there from now until then. ime it actually eased off after easter as the SATS loomed the teachers focused more on those really needing help/support/boost rather than everyone.

also you'd miss all the fun end of school activities/school trip which would be a shame.

[Ricardian]

but the pressure /unpleasantness will still be there from now until then.

Perhaps the threat of strong candidates deregistering will make them back off a bit?

[OliviaDunham]

I have a DS in year 6 and they have been really dropped in the shit. The new tests have been rolled in with the new curriculum and they are now playing catch up to cover subjects they haven't learnt - but will be tested on next May.

As for all the exams, I agree with PP, the school is worried about themselves and how the grades reflect on them, not your DD.

[eleven59]

This approach is common and most schools drill to some degree or other in my opinion. Its a dreadful approach especially at this age. I've seen it from within a school and was shocked.

[Happyminimalist]

feenie. If fined after ignoring a warning letter for a weeks unauthorised attendance, the fine is only £60 in total for the whole period. That amount can double due to non payment.

[PettsWoodParadise]

DD is in an Independent school in Y6 and although selective is nothing like what you describe OP. DD sat three 11+ tests and they sound nothing like as horrific as you've experienced. good luck