Parent petition supporting Primary SATs boycott

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/link{https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/parents-support-sats-boycott-kids-strike-3rd-may?source=facebook-share-button&time=1459365428/Y2 parent petition
Would you keep your child/children home from school for a day to protest about over-testing in the UK Primary system?

Feenie, what I find odd is lack of clocks in English school. In my country, there's clock everywhere in school. I went to school in US as well, but didn't find problem finding clocks in school. When I go to ds's school, I can't find it easily.
Even it's not timed test, I find it useful to time yourself, since you don't have unlimited time to complete a task or a test. (School finish at 3 ish so you can't carry on after that?)

I signed it. In principal. I'm not planning on stopping my yr2 child from attending that specific day, in reality.

what I find odd is lack of clocks in English school. In my country, there's clock everywhere in school.

There has been a clock in every classroom and hall that I've ever taught in (England)-I'm surprised you've found otherwise.

Ds in Y2 hasn't noticed anything about SATs yet. Hopefully next term won't ramp up any stress, but teachers I've talked to say they try to make clear it's the teachers being tested, not the children.

The Y6 tests seem a bit pointless but I'd prefer for schools to just do them in half-arsed fashion as boycotting just makes a bigger thing out of it and gives the tests dignity they don't deserve.

I'm sure it is, Fedup21, but then why "clocks in view so children can pace themselves" is included in instruction or whatever? If it's a standard, why they need to be reminded is my question. (And I always find difficulty finding clocks in my ds's school.)

an example of my dd's sats revision. I have managed to reach the ripe old age of 45 and get a degree and phd without ever learning this. Why is it important for a ten year old to know this????

I've never been into a school with a dearth of clocks

I have yet to meet the 7 year old who has had to pace themselves for an untimed test.

It is just one of many mistakes made in the whole assessment debacle this year.

I signed it, I keep getting parent consultation's saying that my child is not demonstrating the knowledge taught. He's a shy summer born. I mean really he's 5 FFS. He'll get there eventually.

Most Y2 kids will go off like a rocket say they're finished after ten minutes only for you to discover they've missed out all the middle of the answer booklet
We have a clock in every area I couldn't function without one

Theoriginal I can see that would be useful knowledge for someone learning German, where in subordinate clauses the verb goes to the end. But grammar error there, don't start sentences with but, German isn't the most popularly learnt language in the UK.

I'm old and I can remember when grammar was taught, and I think things went too much the other way, but I don't remember learning about subordinating and co-coordinating conjunctions ever.

I have started one for the year six sats, Would be great if you could sign this also.

Thanks
you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/boycott-year-6-sats-and-call-for-teachers-to-strike

Hands up all those who had to goggle what the schools are actually learning to find out everything just has a different name? Me! Me!

Dd Y2 hasn't got a clue but complains of lots of hard work and it's making her ill tbh. Ds however had the pleasure of being told by a complete dickhead teacher all about them in Y2 and was pretty much made to feel that his life depended on them so when he saw SATS written on one of his practice papers in Y6 he knew exactly what they were and the stress automatically set in...cue work refusal and lack of support from home apparently.

It's going to happen regardless of what we sign or do.

Y2 parent with end of August dc! Had a long chat with his very lovely teacher who's angry that they are being put through testing. Dc takes his time but his work is correct which is fine for me and his teacher.

I won't boycott the tests as it seems futile and makes hard working teachers lives even harder but I do understand why people would want too boycott. I'm not paying attention to the results at all though

My child is in yr 6, they have had SATs build up since June. He is not coping at all.
If I think we will get away with it I will take him out of school for SATs week.

I am not anti testing, I am against the government setting unrealistic targets that put massive pressure on teachers to put massive pressure on their pupils for a test that doesn't actually mean anything to the child, at a point where they are still relatively little children who should be encouraged to love learning, rather than feel under pressure for almost a whole school year.

I fully agree. My daughters is still doing the work, just not this exam. Most teachers I speak to are against them , at least how they currently are.

What you should be protesting about is the way Y6 is, in many schools, nothing but intensive SATs practice for two terms. I suspect that this is what causes children greatest stress/boredom/dislike of school. Boycotting KS2 SATs won't make a ha'porth of difference to this. Really, you're subjecting your children to 2 terms of intensive work without protest then moaning about the tests...very odd.

Lucsy

8 Science sampling
Biennial science sampling tests for pupils at the end of KS2 will take place in June 2016. The tests will not be taken by whole cohorts. Instead, a sample of approximately 9,500 pupils will be randomly selected, based on five pupils from 1,900 schools.

In addition, of the 1,900 schools selected, a sample will be selected to participate in the pre-test trialling of the 2018 science sampling tests. Five additional pupils from each school will take these tests.

Schools that are selected have a statutory obligation to participate.

The science sampling tests will cover the aspects of the curriculum that lend themselves to paper-based, externally marked testing. An overview of the tests is available. Detailed information will be provided to schools selected to participate.

What are those ways Lucy? I don't want ds to do the yr 1 phonics test. I'm considering taking him out of school for the day, not sure if they will just do it the next day.

Fanny The year 1 phonics test is really not something to boycott, and I think you'd have to miss a week or more to miss it anyway.

All they do is go and read 40 words.
Some pages have 'aliens' drawn next to them to indicate they are made up names they won't have come across before.
Other pages are 'real words' but ones which are phonics based.

All the DC has to do is read the words using phonics he has been learning for 2 years, be told 'well done' by the teacher, receive a sticker, and go off happy as they have done something special.

Eventually you (not your child) will be told the score and whether they met the threshold.

A school teaching phonics well should have no difficulty in non SEN children passing. A school only paying lip service may have more trouble.

Surely you want to know whether your child knows his phonics? If he is reading well but from memorising words, it will be storing up problems for later on.

They'll do it the next day or the next week ... Why don't you want him to be screened?

I think the year 6 SATs are great. They prepare the children well for the testing environment which they will encounter at senior school. I think pulling the SATs from children who have prepared (well) for them, would be a disservice to the children.

I'd like to boycott any boycott on the SATs.

My dd has less pressure on her as she approaches her GCSEs than my ds has had for SATs, and GCSEs actually count towards what the child will do in the future.

Rather than being taught effectively, ds2 has a daily reminder that SATs are fast approaching and that he must work harder except this is having a reverse effect on him and the stress is making him unable to concentrate. How on earth is that preparing him well for the testing environment he will encounter in 5 years time?

Because I disagree on principle with all the testing. Because he's 6, I'm happy with the way his reading is progressing. For a long time he struggled and was a reluctant reader. I didn't want some stupid test telling me he had failed.

I'm am ex-teacher. In fairness is current teacher (other one left at Christmas) has never mentioned it. The first one was always bloody texting and emailing about it.