Can my nephew's school refuse to enter him for SAT S??

[peppajay]

My nephew's school are refusing to enter my nephew for yr 6 SAT S. He is working at year 3 level and in the practice papers he hasn't been getting any more than 3 right. The school says his low scores would reflect badly on the schools overall percentages. My SIL wants him to be given the same chance as his classmates. Are the school within their rights to do this and can my SIP insist he does them. Many thanks.

[llhj]

Floggingmolly

[Floggingmolly]

He'll be the only child in the room "full of joy" to be doing SAT's...

[peppajay]

Well he is doing them. He wants to be like all his classmates and is so excited. He will have a reader for the spag and maths test but will have to cope in the reading test on his own but he doesn't care coz he just guesses to multiple choice and writes a load of waffle to the longer questions. The head asked him what he wanted and him and his mum were so desperate for him to do them they have let him. Last week I was thinking his mum was mad fighting for him to do them but after hearing him full of such joy on Thursday that he is allowed to do the tests I think it is the right decision.

[Pud2]

Even if a child is withdrawn from SATs, their results are still counted in the data. For example, if, in a class of 30, all the children achieved expected standard but one didn't do the test it would be reported that 97% achieved the expected standard. Therefore, schools have nothing to gain from withdrawing.

[WateryTart]

Of course I don't. It is horrible - but not as horrible as the mother is being to the poor child, that's the point.

[user789653241]

Do you honestly think saying Mum cares about her ds less than his teacher isn't horrible?

[mrz]

I'm presuming there is something which stops a school just not entering any child who they know will come out as not having made satisfactory progress?

Schools have nothing to gain from not entering a child

[WateryTart]

Watery, that's a horrible comment.

It's a horrible thing to do but have a go at me instead of the mother, that will help the poor DC.

[mrz]

The rules schools must follow are

Pupils who shouldn’t take the tests
Pupils shouldn’t take the tests if they:

have not completed the KS2 programme of study, or
are working below the overall standard of the KS2 tests, or
are unable to participate even when using suitable access arrangements 

. The interim pre-key stage standards16 should be used to provide a statutory assessment outcome for pupils that have not completed the programme of study or who are working below the standard of the tests. Section 7 includes further guidance about TA at the end of KS2. 
 .
If a headteacher decides a pupil shouldn’t take one or more of the tests, they must report this decision to the parents. See section 9.2 for information about reporting to parents for pupils who have not participated in the tests.
. Decisions on participation in the tests 
 . Headteachers make the final decision about whether it is appropriate for a pupil to take the tests. Some parents may ask a headteacher not to enter their child for the tests. Parents may also ask a headteacher to enter their child for a test when the school has decided this is not appropriate. 
 . In all instances the headteacher’s decision regarding participation is final. Headteachers should report this decision to parents. See section 9.2 for information about reporting to parents for pupils who have not participated in the tests. 
















[sniffle12]

I didn't even know a school could pick and choose who they enter. Out of curiosity if any teachers are around, do they have to show there were specific reasons such as special educational needs? I'm presuming there is something which stops a school just not entering any child who they know will come out as not having made satisfactory progress?

[user789653241]

Really? Watery, that's a horrible comment. She maybe misguided but I don't agree with your comment.

[WateryTart]

How horrible to set the poor child up to fail. No wonder the teacher isn't happy, seems she cares more about his feelings than his mother.

[Megatherium]

The school is being quite hypocritical. If they're right in believing that his problems are caused by not choosing to focus as opposed to a learning difficulty, then they should not contemplate disapplying him from the tests as he could not meet the criteria. They seem to want to have it both ways. Has he got an EHCP or statement?

[user789653241]

I got same impression as JoJo.

[Pud2]

The LSA shouldn't be saying he shows traits of dyslexia unless they are qualified to make that assessment. Presumably there are other agencies involved, such as the educational psychologist, if your nephews is performing three years below expected standards? Transition to secondary school will be important. I guess if he's desperate to do the tests and feels he is doing them correctly then there's no harm. The school will presumably dis apply anyway.

[2014newme]

Why on earth has he got to year 6 with no formal assessment of his needs? Both sil and school need to get their fingers out l. She is focused on entirely the wrong issue. He is three years behind fgs she needs to be all over that.

[JoJoSM2]

It sounds like your SIL is in denial over your nephew's level of need and that's why she's so pushy. There is no 'chance' attached to sitting a test you can't do...

[spanieleyes]

I have taught a child who was desperate to do the tests too, just to be "the same" as his friends-even though he too was working well below the level of the tests themselves. So we actually disapplied him and he simply "sat" the KS1 version instead. This meant he could al least access many more of the questions and felt proud that he could do so, rather than not being able to do any!

[flowery]

"he needs to be given the same chance as his classmates"

'Chance' at what? I'm confused why she sees sitting these tests as a 'chance' for him?

[peppajay]

Thanks for all your advice. SIL thinks he has ADHD but the school say he chooses when to focus and when not and his latest learning support assessment says he shows traits of dyslexia. He is like a 7 yrs old and just wants to play all day. As he is so young in his outlook hrnjust wants to be like his classmates and do the tests he doesn't worry about his low marks at all. SIL had a meeting with the head on Friday and has managed to convince him that he needs to be given the same chance as his classmates and nephew is desperate to do them. So looks like he is going to do them now although his class teacher isn't happy.

[mrz]

It would be useful to know if the child has SEN rather than speculating that he has.

[semanwen]

Now I'm a bit confused, semanwen. So you think child operating at yr3 level at yr6, can only answer 3 question out of all taking KS2 sats is beneficial to the child?

No I think the opposite.

[semanwen]

A child moving from P scales to current Y3 expectations has made considerable progress!

Not in the national accountability measures. You have to work it through at child level to see.

A p5 at KS1 who is then assessed as below using the interim pre key stage 2 statements has a big negative progress score.

[mrz]

The ‘expected progress’ measure
"The system of national curriculum levels is no longer used by the government to report end of key stage assessment. The previous ‘expected progress’ measure, based on pupils making at least two levels of progress between key stage 1 and key stage 2, is no longer produced and will not appear in the performance tables or RAISEonline in 2016.
This measure has been replaced by a value-added measure. There is no ‘target’ for the amount of progress an individual pupil is expected to make. Any amount of progress a pupil makes contributes towards the school’s progress score."

[user789653241]

Now I'm a bit confused, semanwen.
So you think child operating at yr3 level at yr6, can only answer 3 question out of all taking KS2 sats is beneficial to the child?