Parents support teachers - Boycott Sats - Kids' Strike May 3rd

[SuzieAllkins]

I am hoping that parents have heard of the Kids' Strike on May 3rd which has been set up by an anonymous group of parents who say 'Enough is enough'?' Their campaign supports schools in trying to reach the Government with the message that we need to stop national testing and let teachers teach in the way that they know is best. As a former primary school teacher (who used to administer Year 6 SATs) and a parent of two young children I shall be fully supporting this campaign on 3rd May by taking my school aged child out of school for a fun day of learning. I do not want my children to become stressed and develop a negative attitude to learning. Although the school my eldest attends is wonderful in developing the 'whole child', the pressure is on the teachers to 'perform' and submit figures to reach unreachable targets. It is wonderful to see, on the Letthekidsbekids website that so many head teachers and teachers are supporting this campaign and are saying thank you to parents for helping their voice to be heard. Our children are too young to be put under pressure like this - the new curriculum's demands are bewildering to me! Children at the age of 6 and 10 years are expected to know grammatical knowledge which even scholars in the subject can't answer!! These are not skills which will set our children up for life. There are many around the country who are supporting this campaign. If you haven't heard about it, check out the website to see if you'd like to join in on Tuesday!

My child is Y2 and, for various reasons, I can't join in the strike on 3rd May. I'm glad that it's happening though and fully support it.

It seems like an important focal point for protest and publicity and hopefully a springboard for further action.

The message is clear in the sample letters/letters from HTS etc, Patricia. See previous link.

Ds is in Y2. The teachers have made it clear we shouldn't be doing any prep for them other than usual reading and weekly home learning (which is thinking about something and possibly writing a bit), and that parents shouldn't mention them to the kids at all as they aren't at all important.

I think local Y6 kids are hearing about SATs in the media and wondering what the big deal is - they've done their banding tests and in some cases entry tests for secondary, there may be a separate setting test for their new secondary - SATs don't really register other than being the week there's breakfast parties at school and the last boring bit before 'fun' aspects of the curriculum in June and July.

I do wonder why some schools feel able to keep SATs low key and not give them more attention than they deserve, while others feel the need to drill for tests.

It's on BBC breakfast tomorrow.

I think the proportion of children having had or having external tuition for 11+, secondary school entry etc is a significant factor in how 'low key' or otherwise schools can be about the SATS NotCitrus.

In some areas, the very great majority of Y6 children will have had substantial private tuition over the past two years or so. I guess it's a bit more relaxing to be a Head in a school like that rather than one with high levels of mobility, high numbers of children arriving in KS2 with no English, high levels of economic deprivation etc etc.

Having said that, my ds is in Y2 in a school like the second one I described and a 'SAT' in as much on his radar as what colour socks he has on ie not much. I'm grateful for this, but still very much support the strike and know that no child is immune from stress, pressure and anxiety.

I feel divided.. I absolutely think we need to protest about the constant messing about with the education system.. None of these changes seem to have any evidence basis..
On the other hand I doubt this government will care in the slightest..They don't care about the junior doctors strike , teachers strike, firemen's strike... I also feel if I want to protest that is my decision to make and not my child's.
My DC will be in school though as he is having to miss school for various appointments over this term.

I think that SATS are too stressful and have changed so much over the past 50 years or so.
Oh yes, we have had them that long but were not really called anything back then, just tests.
Since I can remember and those before me can, we were tested end of infant, end of junior, end of y3/ now 9 at secondary.

The importance of these was always played down but you knew they determined progress and which groups you'd be in at secondary level.

I don't disagree with the testing and find it hard to know what schools will do without.
However the management, pressure and accountability on teachers for these tests is ridiculous.

I think a lot of SATs stress comes from parents. Why should I make dd have the day off about something she knows little about. Ignorance is bliss. I think that taking her out for the day would make her anxious about sats.

ReallyTired - I completely agree with you. I'm interested in exactly what those keeping their children off school for the day are telling their children? DD is Yr1 and I feel that I owe her an truthful explanation for why she is not going in (and missing a school trip, but that is irrelevant). Surely I then draw her attention in a very negative way to something she will have to do next year, and risk making her anxious about something she may not be?

In addition, if I tell her that I think the level of the SATs is inappropriate, surely I am risking her thinking she can't do them, when she may be perfectly capable?

That is not to say I agree with SATs in the current form and I am happy to sign petitions, write to my MP etc etc.

I also think that the organisers of this have scored a bit of an own goal with the timing - after a bank holiday which looks highly suspicious. And, locally at least, we have elections two days later and many schools are in use as polling stations so requiring parents to make alternative childcare provision twice in the same week. There are a limited number of parents (mainly those who can work flexibly and/ or are at home) who can do this.

'The DFE are making teachers' lives really difficult and continually changing the goalposts, which benefits no-one, and parents/ carers are protesting about this and supporting teachers' was easy enough for my 6 year old to understand.

How many children will be striking though? Is it all bravado and on the day they will bottle it? (I hope not!) what are head teachers and year 2 teachers actually expecting in realistic terms? There is often a lot of posturing and waffle on FB!

I completely agree with and support the points that this campaign is trying to make. Education is in a mess and parents and teachers need to make their concerns heard.

Initially I was all up for taking DD out of school in protest. However, when I thought about how I would explain to DD the reason for doing so I changed my mind.

She is not doing SATS this year, she is very happy and enjoys school. I don't want to be negative about school or SATS or potentially send her a message that there is something to worry or be anxious about. So I will be sending her ton school but I will send a letter voicing my concerns about education to my MP and sign the online petition.

I have NC for this because we have been told earlier on this week that we must remain neutral on this matter. The actual information from the Headteacher Union is somewhat mixed messages though. The statement says to stay neutral but it also says that parents should be told that it will be unauthorised and that children will miss learning, including preparation for assessments taking place that month.

Most teachers I know understand why parents are making this decision, and many will support them, even if they are not allowed to say so publicly to them. I know a small handful who don't support them too though which has surprised me, as those teachers did take part in the teacher strikes in recent times.

Most teachers I know try to make SATs a time of low stress and try not to make it too obvious to children in their classes. However, children are not daft. Children, even at 6 years old, know that things are different. Many parents will talk openly about them in front of their children. Parents often request meetings and further information. Many ask for practise papers. Pressure over SATs come from parents, as much, if not more, as it comes from schools.

Those people trying to compare previous years SATs - this year things are different. There are new assessments and new procedures. Children are being tested on new criteria. In year 6 the children are being assessed on a curriculum which they only started two years ago. The tests will assess them on the whole thing, not just the final two years. Not all of the information to schools has been clear. Much of it has been changed several times. Some of those changes are happening right now, days before assessment is due to start. It is not yet known fully what the results of these new assessments will be.

I can understand why some parents are feeling unhappy.

It is a shame that these absences cannot be marked down with some form of code that highlights why they really are away.

I have no idea how many children will or will not be affected at the primary school I work at.

I am a part time KS1 teacher. I will be taking my YR and Y2 children out of school because I think it is about time we stood up to the government.

I worry about the future, if this is allowed to carry on it will only get worse.

I worry about my children's mental health - I have an 18 year old who is doing her A levels, I've seen the stress she is under and feel that things will be worse by the time my younger children reach that level.

I am sad for my friends, amazing teachers who are leaving or have left the profession because the job they love has turned into a big long list of data.

I worry for children who 'don't fit' because there is already evidence to show that they won't be helped to fit in an academy school.

I thank this group for giving us the chance to stand up for what we believe in. I think this will be quite a historical day, whether it makes a difference or not. I am proud to be part of it.

Awww, that's a shame - Rafa was bringing popcorn and everything

The test administrators guidance has been released tonight (after schools finished for the bank holiday weekend) days before the tests
KS1 info

*ReallyTired

I think a lot of SATs stress comes from parents. Why should I make dd have the day off about something she knows little about. Ignorance is bliss. I think that taking her out for the day would make her anxious about sats*

completely agree

I have no problems with testing as such but testing in primary should be teacher led assessments and less importance should to be placed on the results.

We already know that many secondary schools ignore SATs and prefer to do their own assesments. So if after all the work and stress, the results of these tests are not even considered by secondary school, why continue with things in the present form.

This is being shared on my Facebook - mostly by friends who are teachers.

<a class="break-all" href="https://cdn.augur.io/_.htm#!www.independent.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">cdn.augur.io/.htm#!www.independent.co.uk/

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-36149850

schoolsweek.co.uk/heads-must-decide-on-may-3-protest-absences/

Sorry I am just quietly snorting at the thought of my six and seven year olds in my year 2 class pacing themselves using the classroom clock!! Cut and pasted from the year 6 info I feel.
I am against the SATs this year but only as part of the whole assessment process which I hate more each week.
I have an amazing writer who achieves all the standards except the spelling ones in working within and working at greater depth. She can use amazing words like 'glorious' and 'immaculate' confidently but just can't spell words with suffixes accurately. She will get working towards year 2 which is not a true reflection of her writing ability.

Rosebud - interesting, as my experience from family and friends is the opposite! Ds's school has 66% FSM and until population pressure stopped schools having empty places, his school had turnover of nearly 100% between KS1 and KS2 SATs (ie only 1 child in Y6 a few years ago had been there in Y2). So there's a sense of "no-one expects glowing SATs results so we'll just get on with teaching useful stuff in a sensible manner, and screw DfE".

Whereas the schools that have a significant proportion of parents who might tutor and certainly get very involved in their kids' education, seem to focus on SATs much more, especially the ones that have or really want an Outstanding Ofsted rating.

I may well go along to a protest event, but ds will be at school.

Mrz did I read that right, they're expecting Y2 teachers to remove or cover class displays that may help the children? FFS. I hated doing that even in Y6, it completely changes the look of a classroom and is unsettling even for 10 and 11 year olds.

The interim assessment framework specifically mentions the use of apparatus in several places (maths) and books that they are already familiar with (reading) . Yet we're supposed to remove all learning aids for 6 and 7 year olds.

OP- and any other parents wondering- please feel absolutely free to remove your child on Tuesday. It will have more impact if there are many absences from the same schools, so why not meet up with other families?

I'm confused - that guidance has been out for ages, I was moaning about the ridiculousness of it before Easter?