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Original poster

SATS support thread for parents

271 replies

simpson · 08/05/2016 22:02

As yr6 SATS start tomorrow, I thought it might be a good idea to start a support thread for parents to say how their DC are finding them.

DS has had a very chilled day due to the lovely weather: loads of water fights and he walked to the corner shop with his younger sister for the first time (with no adult) and loads of ice cream etc.

He went to bed very chilled but am sure the nerves will kick in in the morning!!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
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TheDailyMailareabunchofcunts · 09/05/2016 15:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CoolforKittyCats · 09/05/2016 15:04

My DM sent me this she has seen in TES.

It is similar to the one we had sent home.

SATS support thread for parents
Janefromdowntheroad · 09/05/2016 15:04

tes

HemanOrSheRa · 09/05/2016 15:08

This is appalling Sad. I shall be showing DS this thread and the TES forum threads if he is distressed in any way.

ineedaholidaynow · 09/05/2016 15:13

So will I Heman

member · 09/05/2016 15:40

Dd wasn't distressed but knows that she got no.1 wrong and then had to rush the final set of questions to finish. She's tired more than anything (didn't sleep v well last night). Not aware of anyone crying/freaking out at her school. They did normal lessons this afternoon.

Lottielo · 09/05/2016 15:44

Just posted in AIBU about DS coming home very upset today. He said the reading comprehension was harder than any other paper he had seen and he didn't manage to complete all the questions. Teacher had high hopes for DS too, so I feel sorry for her as well.

AChickenCalledKorma · 09/05/2016 15:57

DD2 was very proud last week because she got 100% in a practise reading test. Today she is upset because it was "massive" and she couldn't finish.

It's somewhat reassuring to hear that lots of kids didn't finish and I will tell her that. But I'm pretty livid on her behalf and really not looking forward to the maths tests (which are the ones that she does normally find hard )

HemanOrSheRa · 09/05/2016 15:57

Thankfully, DS seems to be quite cheerful. He's got a friend round for a play and tea. A bit of light relief after today! I'll ask him about the paper later on this evening.

exLtEveDallas · 09/05/2016 16:03

DD, whose last report had her exceeding all levels in all areas, had a complete meltdown during the paper and had to be calmed down by the HT. Apparently she was hysterical.

She's home now completely subdued and saying that she missed loads of questions and didn't understand what a lot of the questions were asking her - she gave me one example and even allowing for 11 year old panic/drama queening I couldn't make head nor tail of it. She says she asked the teacher (invigilator dinner lady) and she didn't know either.

I am angry and upset for her. But trying to play the whole thing down for both our sales. Fucking horrible.

Janefromdowntheroad · 09/05/2016 16:06

DD still not out of school. Eve that sounds awful, poor DD!

HairyMaclary · 09/05/2016 16:08

Oh, my DS came out saying it was ok! He would have been a solid old level 5 but does have significant SN with a statement/EHCP. Don't know what to think now, we came to a deal that I would only ask one question about each paper so I can't probe further!

Original poster
simpson · 09/05/2016 16:26

DS said it was hard and only a handful of kids (him included) finished it (2 form entry) but he literally just finished by the skin of his teeth and didn't get time to check answers or if he had missed out questions by mistake Sad

There were kids crying in the playground afterwards too.

I have just had his best friend's mum on the phone as he (best friend) came home in tears.

DS seems upbeatish so am cooking him his favourite meal.

Roll on tomorrow for dreaded SPAG Sad

OP posts:
Arkwright · 09/05/2016 16:28

Dd said it was ok. She managed to answer everything. There were no children crying at her school. She said the stories were a bit odd.

Janefromdowntheroad · 09/05/2016 16:30

DD said it was very hard. She managed to finish it along with 5 other kids but had no time to check answers.

Texts sound very strange and obscure.

Lots of vocab question asking about meaning of words. Some of them are Hmm

OrangesandLemonsNow · 09/05/2016 16:30

Well DSC twins. DSD missed a couple of questions. DSS finished but had no time to check.

They did find it very hard.

They seem ok although quiet and have asked for their favourite thing for tea.

Not going to push it with any more questions.

Three more days.....

TeenAndTween · 09/05/2016 16:31

I wonder whether more able children have had more of an issue with a harder paper?

More able children expect to be able to understand and answer all the questions, so get more upset when they can't.

Less able children, like my DD2, don't expect to be able to do it all, so are maybe more happy to make a guess and carry on?

We have done lots of work with DD regarding: don't expect to be able to answer everything but have a go (for English and SPaG); and don't expect to answer everything so miss out the ones you know you can't do (for maths). DD came out quite happy this afternoon (perhaps in blissful ignorance Smile)

Reminds me a bit of Hannah's Sweets for GCSE maths last year. DD1 missed it out and moved on happily, but it seems that more able children were 'thrown' by the question which put them off later ones.

Westminster002 · 09/05/2016 16:37

After reading the postings on TES, expected to see a lot of tears at the school gates. Could not have been more surprised. DD and friends came out as normal. DD thought she did fine. No tears in her class.

IsItOnTheTrolley · 09/05/2016 16:56

Dd and friends came out saying it was fine. Confused

She managed to finish and so was pleased, no melt downs from any other classmates.

Maybe the prep, though it seemed extreme did help.

She is busy finding different mascots for tomorrow. :)

IsItOnTheTrolley · 09/05/2016 17:03

Teen not sure that is the case re "more ambled" children having the meltdowns.

DD and at least six of her friends are all top of top set, and the class has a huge range of abilities, with some children needing the paper read to them. Yet none of them came out complaining, or had visible upset during the SAT.

Hope the rest of the week goes as well. :)

IsItOnTheTrolley · 09/05/2016 17:05

Gah, abled, not ambled...

TeenAndTween · 09/05/2016 17:17

If they are children that are chilled out and 'amble' along, they won't be the ones prone to meltdowns Grin

I can imagine 'caught' tears / hysteria. If a class has been highly stressed up by the teachers / parents, then if one child starts crying I can imagine it setting others off. Which would explain some schools having loads of upset children and others none.

exLtEveDallas · 09/05/2016 17:20

Been talking to DD.

It wasn't only her crying. One of the most clever children the class pushed his paper off the table and walked into the corner. He also wrote "I hate life" on the desk. Two other girls were in tears and one parent is talking about keeping their child off school for the rest of the week.

Conversely one girl who has been nervous for weeks has said it was OK and one of the less able children said they answered all the questions easily.

I don't know what the hell is going on Confused

CoolforKittyCats · 09/05/2016 17:27

The thing is no one knows how anyone has done.

Those that didn't finish could have got all those answered correct and those that did could have answered more wrong.

Answered the questions easily doesn't equal answered correctly nor does found it hard equal haven't.

Truth is we don't know.

Very able DD said it wasn't like the practice papers but did manage to finish but no time to check.

She is very tired this evening though.

helenwilson · 09/05/2016 17:36

My capable ds said it was really hard, he did finish it but didn't have time to check, he said some of the girls were a bit upset but not actually crying. He did make the point that he thought the threshold would be lowered - very insightful lol ! His teacher told the class that tomorrow would be easier..... I think I would've been more worried if he'd come out saying it was a breeze - he's normally unflappable do it must've been quite tough.