Poor SATS results

[nat73]

I just read the KS2 SATS results for our school. 25% meeting expected standard overall :-(. National average is something like 50%.... reading was good something like 83% but writing and maths 'well below average'. I had guessed there was an.issue with maths because 2 parents had asked me to tutor their kids in maths last year and they both seemed pretty poor compared to expectations.
On paper our school.has many advantages.. small, small classes, no EAL, low FSM. We are heavily white working class. DCs are happy at the school and school always says they are doing well but maybe school's expectations are low? So what to do? What's the problem here? Crap teachers? Parents with low expectations? All schools around here seem to have equally low results so no pointerest moving to another school only alternayive would be to go private..

Anyone else in a similar position? Where can I find KS1 results for the school?

Nationally the complaint has been that writing results were inflated by teacher assessment

Nationally the complaint has been that writing results were inflated by teacher assessment

It is highly inconsistent by LA and academy trust. There is a marked difference by LA. Big north/south divide.

I think there were two complaints, weren't. Firstly that the writing results were inflated and secondly that the moderation varied hugely between LAs. Which is a problem given how the new progress measure is calculated.

Looking at my local schools the writing seems to be out of line with results nationally. I'd take a guess that the LA have been slightly conservative with moderation.

I just want to thank everyone for their input. Sometimes on mums net you just get flamed but this has been genuinely helpful so thankyou. I'm hoping the issue is the small cohort (10ish) and apparently 2 or 3 have quite severe dyslexia. The school pride itself on inclusion of SEN so it could well be with a small cohort this has given a negative twist. Doesn't explain why all the nearest 6-10 schools have done badly bUT might help to explain the case of our school. Many thanks again.

10 is an unviable cohort. But there can't be 10 as the figures at 17% and 33%

We do have 4 classes so the class is year 5/6. Some of the tiny schools (less than 30 pupils) only have 2 classes which must be really hard to teach.

Its interesting you say bootcampish. Maybe some schools are more focused on the SATS results and hence focus on them more...

About 25-30% of the class of 10 or so we dyslexic so perhaps this did not help with the writing score.

But thanks for your inputs. Something to ponder over the holidays.

Good grief - hit enter too soon, what I meant to write was..

'We do have 4 classes in the school so the class is year 5/6. Some of the tiny schools (less than 30 pupils) only have 2 classes which must be really hard to teach.

Its interesting you say bootcampish. Maybe some schools are more focused on the SATS results...

About 25-30% of the class of 10 or so we dyslexic so perhaps this did not help with the writing score.

But thanks for your inputs. Something to ponder over the holidays.'

It seems I would not pass the SATS :-(

I think SATS results have to be taken with a pinch of salt this year, writing in particular.

Even with moderation writing results seem very inconsistent. DS was in Y6 last year and so took these SATS. The HT said that they had marked the writing really toughly (I am a Governor at the school). No children exceeded in writing, and we had some good writers. Other local primary schools were not so tough. The HT at the local secondary has commented that there are discrepancies between the writing levels of the children coming from the feeder schools and the SATS results.

DS's school was one form entry and had 30 children in his class, so one child's results could have a reasonable impact on the overall results. We had a very difficult cohort, think we ticked boxes for every issue eg family bereavement, life-limiting illness, SEN. School definitely didn't go for the boot camp approach, think half the pupils would have completely fallen apart if they had done that. Went for a much more sensible and sensitive approach. Our results were above national average but only just.

My school doesn't usually do SATs bootcamp but did last year as a result of realising we had been a little late to the party in terms of appreciating the impact of the 2014 curriculum on how hard the new SATs would be.

It won't be as bad this year as the current Y6s have already been taught much more content.

I imagine there were schools who were caught out last year and didn't have the resources to turn it round in time.

Probably 12 in the cohort to get the percentages the OP described. Each child counts for 100/12 = 8.33%
25% = 3 children
67% = 8 children
83% = 10 children

My DC school had not great SATS for KS2 - 36% but KS1 was 0% (yes really zero) and only 25% passed the YR1 phonics so it was part of a pattern of a failing school. The classes are nearer 30 than 20 pupils. It didn't do well at a recent Ofsted and there were many other things not right. So I suppose it depends whether you have any other concerns.

I have to say the children are very happy which is great. However they are definitely not pushed /challenged.

And at the risk of sounding like the grinch in my opinion too much time is spent on 'other stuff'. I don't if it's normal these days but this Xmas seemed extreme. There was;
Christmas Fair
Christmas Party (half a day)
Christmas lunch
Trip to pantomime (half a day)
Christmas treat (day trip for entire school)
Carol Service (practising for about 2 weeks)

Back in the dark ages we had a carol device and a Xmas lunch and that was it.

When the world cup was they spent an afternoon watching a football match on TV which I consider a total waste of time. I don't mind them getting out and playing football but I don't expect them to be watching it on TV. Even as a one off. At the end of every half term they watch a film. I probably sound like the fun police but surely the weekends are the time to watch football and films if patents want their kids to?

DH believes there is not enough focus on education and I sm beginning to agree :-(

Fat fingers. ... patents = parents.

Thoughts:

1. One child in a group or 20 is 5%. If things are a little above or below par, the impact on borderline performers could be significant.

1. You are not going to effect meaningful change at this school either at all, or in a timescale that helps your child.

1. You can tutor maths? That's good... you can be a supportive parent who makes a difference in other areas of your child's eduction.

My school (SAT results in top 10% reading and above average in maths and writing) had 2 nativities , 1 Victorian Christmas performance, 1carol performance in school, 1 carol performance at the local shop, 1 Christingle service in the local church, (plus rehearsals for these) Christmas family day, Christmas fair, Christmas parties X3 ...much the same as last year ...results don't suffer.

Coming from a child mental health point of view, those bits of fun count for a lot. SATs results, 'Flight paths', stressed out teachers, endless pressure and endlessly rising targets and testing...not so much.

I loved the teacher that had them rocking out playing tennis racket guitars and wearing wigs singing we are the champions or something during SATs week.

Not a criticism btw, just another perspective.

A reoccurring theme on the recent Ofsted at my DC school were the children were happy and friendly - but - they were not being taught well at all. Their school has always done very little fun extras (virtually no trips apart from Yr6 residential) but they are now doing more and in the short-term it looks like it has boosted morale and encouraged the children. My usually literacy-avoider decided to do another report at home about their trip. Nothing makes up for weak teaching and management though and there has been a big change around to try and tackle the deeper problems.

Reading your posts, the overall impression one gets is of a school that is basically "nice" and and has no major dysfunctions or horrors... but which does not have very high expectations and is not pushing the kids an awful lot in terms of academics.

As others have noted, white working class pupils tend to be the weakest performers in most regions (other than one or two minority groups such as Travellers). This is not about people being bad parents--but WWC families perhaps tend to be less academically pushy towards their kids on average. And it seems like the school is not filling in the gaps.

As others have said, trying to effect change at this school could be very difficult. My advice would be to get your own books and materials, and get into the habit of doing some work with your children at home on a regular basis. And if you can help other families out by tutoring, that would be an amazing thing to do as well.

By the way, I don't think it has to be a binary choice between "goofing around/watching TV in lessons" vs "narrow focus on pumping up SATs and nothing else." There is such a thing as academically robust, interesting teaching. Sounds like this school is not managing this.

One thing I feel strange is OP school's SAT math and reading average score are not bad, I remember one is 108 and the other one is 103.

Our school only has 104 and 103. But our percentage for overall pass is 67%. We are a good local school which are fun and not academic pushed as well. We have 0 % higher standard students which I think it is the result of school not provide any strech to the bright children. A similar school in local area , they have 7% higher standard, I think that is normal for a local school. The outstanding school in our town has a 27% advanced , and 108 average score for both math and English.

I agree with PP, as long as the school is fun and safe, children are happy, we can get a bit extra worksheet , make up the gap ourselves.

I'm not sure how those scores can relate to the percentages

I just feel OP's school, the average math and reading score are quite high compare to our town, but their overall pass rate is only 25%, which is a bit strange. In our city, the school has such a low overall pass rate only has average score around or below 100.

I am also slightly concerned about my daughters school SAT results; which is an outstanding school; last year the results were 97% reaching the standard and 51% above the standard. This year results are 66% reaching the standard and 6% above. They are 90 children in year 6.

My guess is that the school decided to take a relax approach and not stress the children as it was the first year of the new curriculum being tested; however this is a big change from previous years.

It's a big change from previous years because the tests were MUCH harder!

A couple of ours have gone from 97% or 100% down to 55-60%. I wouldn't worry too much about it.