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.

I am a school governor. I find it quite distressing to read some of the comments above about schools and teachers. The teachers I know have worked really hard to teach and help the children in their classes. They have a great relationship with the children and genuinely want the best for them. They find it is something like a kick in the teeth when a child deliberately misses SATs and I rather agree with them. Most children get a heightened sense of something important happening, but are well prepared and take it in their stride. The teachers are supporting them all the way. It seems that quite a few people respond have a poor relationship with their schools and it seems wrong to take it out on the teachers who have no choice in the matter. Ours go on an adventure week away from school after SATs and it is a highlight of their time at the school and a rite of passage.

Around me, the secondary induction ( in July) is being increased to two days and the first day will be for administering - tests! Before they even are on roll at the school. This is the future - you will have to get used to it!

Bojorojo, loads of kids fine the year 6 SATS extremely stressful. They are 10 and 11 years old! Parents have to do what they think is for the best of their own individual children. Not all children have a great relationship with their teachers; many children feel they are failures, and are not encouraged in their strength areas. There are also kids who hate school trips and do not see it as "a rite of passage".
I agree teachers do a difficult job under difficult policy restrictions.

And no, they don't have to get used to testing. Tens of thousands of families in the UK are removing children from the school system, including loads of teachers! There are alternatives!

Secondary school teacher here we retest all children in the first week of starting.

Our local secondaries don't test pupils until the end of the first term.

Well it is perfectly possible for many secondaries to not use SATS for setting, or to cope with children who have never done them. 4 children from DD's primary (independent) went on to state secondary schools. Not one had to do SATs on arrival. And they didn't do KS1 or KS2 at DD's primary. Many schools use CAT tests in early Y7, or similar type assessments, for setting.

This is likely to change after 2017's KS2 SATs though.

I hate the idea of SATs and I am mightily pleased my DD didn't have to go through them. Yes, they did other assessments and all in her year did entrance exams too - but the pressure and stresses for these were minimal, especially compared to what I saw/see Y2 and Y6 children doing in some schools.

And they've all coped with secondary school and tests with no issues ever since.

What are we actually talking about? Our children want to be inspired, climb trees,Learn about cool stuff, make things, grow as people, make mistakes and explore learning with passion and fun. The Govenrment on the other hand wants them to know about modal verbs, active and passive voice, fronted adverbials and other such things. Of course they are important but hey what is going on. My boy comes home everyday with worksheets for homework and yet this Govenrment gets away with it time and time again. Let me tell you it's appalling. Teachers are leaving in droves and moral is at all time low.

I really don't know what I'd do. Eldest is in yr4 now but we've been home educating for a year, and probably will for the rest of primary anyway.

I do remember how the SATs completely overshadowed DSDs' final year at juniors, it was so sad. One of them was a total wreck, she is dyslexic and the pressure was just horrendous, no matter how much we tried to counter it.

I was unaware about this official resit thing.

I would worry far less about having to do a resit in yr7 because there would be no long preparation for them. It would be just like the CATS, they go in and do them without the same level of stress. The results would be given much quicker and it would purely be a box ticking exercise.

I'm already so fed up of hearing about the new curriculum and how my 8 year old DD will need to work extra hard if she is to reach the new targets. She can read, write, knows her times tables, can solve maths problems, she is bright, articulate, well behaved, interested in how things work and keen to learn. But apparently this is not enough - she could still possibly fall short of the 'required standard' to pass tests at the end of primary school.

Don't get me started on adverbial phrases

Never mind about KS2. Some children will only be SIX when they sit their KS1 tests and in Y1 children will only be FIVE when they are tested on real and pseudonym words to test their school's ability to teach phonicsphonic knowledge.
I think most 5 and 6 year olds are more concerned with the content of their nose, fluff noises from their bottoms, who got a visit from the tooth fairy in the night, which Paw Patrol character is their favourite and having the ambition to grow up and be Elsa or Anna!

8reasons And this is exactly how children should be

I've yet to see any evidence the tests, targets and pressure has improved the standard of education of primary school kids. Under the new curriculum they have to cram in so many different concepts without having the time to master and refine basic skills.

shebird I don't think that the tests have improved anything, particularly as the goalposts move at a dizzying pace.

English is my subject. Colleagues I used to work with and I, cannot make head nor tail of the terminology used and would find it difficult to reach the required standard for the tests, despite having excellent spelling and grammar.

I don't envy teachers dealing with this Foxy it must be beyond frustrating to have to teach in the current system. I can see that DDs teacher and HT looking frantic and very concerned any time 'new curriculum' is mentioned.

I wouldn't withdraw her unless I really thought there was a danger to her mental health. Tests - even ones that are too difficult or are pointless - are all part of playing the game at school. She is part of a school and part of that education system.