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.

"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?

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!

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...

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.

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.

I got same impression as JoJo.

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?

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.

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

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?

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. 










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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Floggingmolly