would you consider keeping your DC at home on days of KS2 SATS?

[Onlyconnect]

I am seriously considering it. My DD could come out of year 6 with " below expectations " in maths and English after trying her hardest for 7 years at primary school. She's about average in fact, just below in maths, but performs badly in tests. I'm so appalled by this, and by the content of th tests that I'm thinking about just keeping her off school on those days. Secondary would then use teacher assessment to set her. I wish everyone would do the same to disrupt the whole terrible thing.

They absolutely would not get the child to do them in Yr7!

First of all, one secondary school teacher has already posted recently Thaksin her school, that's exactly what would happen.

Secondly, I wouldn't bet on it - I would not be at all surprised if the proposed Dec 2017 resits were extended to children with no data, and nor would most people in education! The secondary school would not have a choice in that instance.

that in her school. And that's now, pre official resits.

one secondary school teacher has already posted recently that in her school, that's exactly what would happen.
Where was that posted?

I would do what my daughter wanted, if she felt that strongly about it.

Noblegiraffe said so the other day. Will see if I can find the thread - there have been lots on this subject lately!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/a2571309-Home-ed-for-one-term-SATs#59288077

If she has performing badly in exams would it not be better to develop her skills and confidence in that area before she starts GCSEs? or will you keep her home for those too? The says are an opportunity to develop exams skills, have you been working on this with her? Do you know why she does badly in exams?

No, instead I'm planning on taking DC out from the Christmas before as I think the prep is the worst part. Looking forward to it as we'll have 8 months together before secondary school.

mouldycheese - we're taking KS2, not KS3!

It makes no odds for your DC if they don't do sats, they will go off to high school with a teacher assessment anyway. However it will means she effectively scores zero for each test she misses and this will impact the school's scores in the blasted tables. That's not to guilt trip you in any way at all just to let you know there would be no direct effect on your DC. You can't just sit them the next day you're back so don't worry she'll be hit with them on her return. Some parts of the system suck. I was a reader for a child last year, he got in a pickle on the mental maths and his head was a mess for the rest of the day. It was heartbreaking to watch, there's nothing you can do but be calm and reassuring, and the high schools don't do a great deal with the data anyway.

You can't just sit them the next day you're back so don't worry she'll be hit with them on her return

If she returns within the two week period, that's exactly what would happen. That's statutory.

My not very able DD also tests badly.

One of the things I am working with her is on confidence in tests.
e.g. To know she doesn't have to attempt all the questions, and to know she isn't expected to be able to do all the questions. But also to read the question carefully and answer what it asks not something else.

(Building on similar steps enabled DD1 to not panic over the infamous 'Hannah's sweets' last June. She quite happily decided it was beyond her and moved on, rather than panicking, which apparently many other more able children weren't able to manage).

the high schools don't do a great deal with the data anyway.

Except endeavour to meet the targets set for them by the dfe using said data.

Feenie, we've had children miss days, for various reasons, and they've never been made to do the tests.

If they returned within a week, and the situation occurred within the last couple of years, then your school did not follow statutory procedure.

suburbanrhonda I haven't asked DD what she thinks yet. I will only mention it to her if I think it's a realistic possibility. At the moment I'm being persuaded that it isn't.

The reason I wonder whether Nicky Morgan knows what an adverbial phrase is due to my concern about the content of the tests being utterly irrelevant. I think 11 year olds should be tested on things that are helpful to know for life or further learning and I think that is only relevant to those studying grammar in depth.

I have discussed the teaching of maths with the school and they have helped with some of my concerns.

teenandtween I found your post very helpful, thank you.

Y6 teacher here and I would second what Teenandtween said (and not just because you found her helpful).
For us SATs week is probably the most fun week of the year - except for the actual tests. We have breakfast together everyday; individual bottles of water, packs of sweets and tissues; new stationery (all always unbelievably exciting!) etc. In the afternoons we sneak in extra PE, run treasure hunts, have a party or cinema afternoon and so on.
It is very much a rite of passage and I would consider carefully whether it would be more or less beneficial for your child to do them. Obviously only you know her and how the school runs the week but, in my experience, most children get a lot out of the week - even if it's only the satisfaction of them being over : )

I think 11 year olds should be tested on things that are helpful to know for life or further learning and I think that is only relevant to those studying grammar in depth.

But how do you know she won't need good grammar skills when she's older? Maybe she'll want to be a writer or journalist? An English lecturer? Should you really be closing that door for her without even a discussion of what she thinks?

By no possible stretch of the imagination is the OP 'cutting' her dd off from any of those careers if she keeps her home for the KS2 SATs, fgs.

I am all for pointing out the legality/reality of the situation, etc, but let's not get ridiculous.

I didn't say she would prevent her DD for pursuing those careers, feenie. No need for the fgs.

The OP has already posted about her DD only needing to learn certain subjects "for life or further learning". It is she who is painting the study of grammar as irrelevant for her DD, so presumably she who has already decided her DD won't need those skills.

tiggytape -

What if a child has been homeschooled and never learned any of the SATS stuff - what if a child has come from abroad etc ...

Secondary schools won't have time to be able to teach these children the SATS stuff on top of all their usual secondary stuff.

So surely those children that missed out on all the SATS training will just fail over and over again.

What happens if they do keep failing? Does anyone - even Nicky Morgan know?

What if a child has been homeschooled and never learned any of the SATS stuff - what if a child has come from abroad etc ...

The "SATS stuff" is reading, writing and maths. If the child can't manage those things they will struggle to access the secondary curriculum. Many (most I think) secondary schools will put some kind of remedial training in place if a child is that far behind.

Sorry - by SATS stuff I meant everything that has been talked about in this thread and others - the stuff in the news at the moment - the pedantic grammar that will not be being taught everywhere.

Sorry not to be clear before.