SATS do you give a shit or do you not?!

[MidnightVelvetthe5th]

I do not. I have a Year 6 & a Year 2 so both are doing SATS this year. The Year 6 has had special class meetings about them & is worried about his potential scores, my Year 2 has come home with workbooks in English & Maths that were given to him 'as a present' by the teachers & he says we have to do them over the half term.

The school have put on special evening meetings for both year groups for parents to talk about how to improve their childrens scores' (I was working so had a good excuse for not attending) & I've had pages & pages of stuff come home in bookbags for my DC to do in their spare time.

My 10 year old was getting far too worried about them so basically I've taken the line that the results the children get are not important for the children themselves, they are for the school to show how good the teaching is and the new Head that has something to prove So I expect my DC to do their best certainly but I don't expect to be deluged with the bloody things or to have them encroach on holiday time.

Where does everyone else stand on them, are there parents who frantically work their way through the extra workbooks & I'm being weird by not doing so?

Certainly not the tests mum!

In response to RosaDiazepam that asked Why do some schools not have meetings/workshops/homework or even letter home to parents?
Sounds like this is the norm but ds school doesn't (but is definitely doing them)

At DS's school is the same. He is in Year 2 and will be doing the KS1 SATs this year. But so far they have been very low key. We haven't had any meetings/workshops/homework or letter home to parents about the SATs. Other subjects have not been squeezed out of the curriculum, he is still doing topic, music, PE, RE, science, art, ICT, etc on a weekly basis.
When I asked him if the teacher has mentioned any exams they have to take this year he didn't even know what I was talking about.

Last year it was the same with the Phonics screen, only on the week leading to it the teacher explained what they were doing as a "challenge". And he was happy to do it.

So the SATs experience really varies depending on the school.

ProggyMat why would SATs be a problem?

I'm not sure I understand your post given my previous post:

My DS has not mentioned SATs, the teachers have not mentioned SATs and non of the parents care about the SATs as we are waiting to hear which secondary school our DCs have been allocated (notified at the beginning of March).

mrz Certainly not the tests mum!

I'm not sure I understand your post. Are you saying your DCs secondary school never conducted their own tests and assessments throughout the duration of years 7, 8 & 9?

Are you also saying that it is unusal for secondary schools to not base all their teaching in years 7, 8 & 9 in the year 6 SATs results?

The NAHT are waiting to see the government's response.

www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-news/exclusive-new-dfe-primary-assessment-proposals-expected-after

I'm just curious as to why parents see the 11t as being of value to their child yet place no value on SATs given they are both assessments.

I guess parents see 11+ as value as it gets their children into a grammar school?

Proggy

Erm, because the results of the 11+ mean your child either will or will not be able to attend a school that many parents see as "better" than the alternatives. Black and white.

The SATs have no such direct either/or impact.

www.gov.uk/government/news/primary-school-teacher-assessment-deadline-changed sugar

No Mum I'm saying their actions aren't directly related to the National Curriculum tests

www.gov.uk/government/news/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-changes-to-primary-assessment

Yes, but mrz you were also saying that, had the school "believed" your children's Y6 SATs results, they would have had a completely different experience in Yrs 7-9. Which says to me that you don't have a terribly high opinion of the teachers and leadership at that secondary school (and rightly so, it would appear). Do you think SATs should magically compensate for a school's inability to assess and understand its own pupils? Do you think they do when the results are artificially inflated, because the primary school had to meet particular targets or face salary freezes/job cuts/forced academisation?

ProggyMat I'm just curious as to why parents see the 11t as being of value to their child yet place no value on SATs given they are both assessments.

Likely because, like me, even if their DC got a level 8 in their yr 6 SATs it won't get them into a local secondary school.

Feenie www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/501803/NG_to_Russell_Hobby_SIGNED.pdf

No multi I thought most of the teachers were good teachers but they believed primary teachers lie

...and you think sticking to that belief, not bothering to get their own evidence, being "surprised" by test results having taught these kids for three years... you think that makes them "good teachers"? You're think that's a) common or b) the sign of a good school?

Blimey.

And inflated KS2 SATs results happen for a reason. Not for something as infantile as "primary teachers lie". But because of unreasonable and intolerable pressure on primary schools to deliver unrealistic results - or face potentially damaging sanctions as a consquence. Because what matters to the government is the overall percentage, not the individual child.

Luckily, I know that the overwhelming majority of teachers - primary and secondary - understand this.

No multi that's certainly not what made them good teachers

Luckily most aren't as you seem to believe

mum but that isn't 'the fault' of SATs as an assessment per se.
The 11+, as an assessment, selects children by ability and enables parents to choose a school that they perceive to be 'better' , for their child, than the alternatives- I can understand the 'value' in that.
However, I don't understand why for, equally able children, SATs are considered to be of no 'value' as an assessment of their ability.

mrz Luckily most aren't as you seem to believe

Can I just ask, if your DCs secondary school is only able to teach at an apropriate ability level if they are given year 6 SATs results they think are accurate, what exactly do they do with the children who don't do SATs? Do they just automatically spend three years going over primary level work?

mum

Why do grammar schools and selective secondary schools use 11 plus exams if SATs are an accurate way or determining what a DC has learned and how they will perform academically in the future?

Because children sit the 11+ in September of year 6 and the headteacher appeals take place at the end of September normally. Year 6 SATS are taken in May.

Grammar schools do not see the 11+ papers. The entire measure for secondary schools is now based on progress - so KS2-KS4 is critical.

ProggyMat mum but that isn't 'the fault' of SATs as an assessment per se.

Have you actually read the posts in this thread?

The 11+, as an assessment, selects children by ability and enables parents to choose a school that they perceive to be 'better' , for their child, than the alternatives- I can understand the 'value' in that.

If you can't understand the value of your DC attending a school 400 meters from your house over a school 5 miles away then fair enough.

I don't understand why for, equally able children, SATs are considered to be of no 'value' as an assessment of their ability.

Perhaps if you read the posts in this thread you will see a number of reasons that have been given.

The prep for the year 6 SAT's at DS's school has managed to suck all the joy out of learning. Where's the fun in year 6? There isn't any. It's such a shame - DS has loved school up until this point but now he cannot wait to get out of there and get to secondary school.