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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Y6 SAT booster classes

75 replies

Kinsorino · 17/03/2018 14:32

It's seems to be fairly common for schools round here to run extra maths and english classes before or after school in the run up to year 6 SATs.

I just wondered how people felt about these, I'm particular the extra pressure it puts on 10/11 year olds and extra work for the teachers who run them.

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ReinettePompadour · 17/03/2018 15:21

I hate them, I hate SATs too, its all nonsense.

DS primary school have done nothing but SATs papers since February

They held a meeting last week claiming they weren't making a big deal about SATs and will not be putting pressure on the children to pass them.

Then they say they're putting on an extra 5 hours a week in revision classes (an hour a day for the next 6 weeks) and although voluntary they are expecting all year 6 students to attend from 7.45am starting Monday.

I've told ds he doesn't need to go but he feels pressured to attend by the staff. It's a horrible situation to put the children into. Primary school should be fun not stressful. My happy smiling child has disappeared over the last few weeks and I have no idea of how or if I will get him back anytime soon.

user789653241 · 17/03/2018 15:29

I don't see it as negatives, especially if it's voluntary. Maybe not so much for learning those silly grammar in English, but things like maths, more you practice, you will get more secure with concepts you need to know.

Original poster

Kinsorino · 17/03/2018 15:37

ReinettePompadour I agree the pressure to attend is horrible, our school are giving out bribes incentives to get the children to attend, as well as sending emotive letters home to parents.

My 10 year old only just about copes with 6 hours of school as it is and is very reluctant to attend for an extra hour, and I've no inclination to force her to.

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handmademitlove · 17/03/2018 15:41

I would be wary of 'boosting' SAT results as GCSE targets are set based on them. If they get higher results due to intensive tutoring (through school or privately) their GCSE targets will be artificially high. This leads to extra pressure at secondary to achieve their targets...

Excitablemuch · 17/03/2018 15:43

This makes me so mad! I have been a year 6 teacher for 12 years and have never run. Booster class. Ever. They work hard enough in class, they are 10/11 years old for goodness sake! I would be refusing to send my child for extra stuff- it doesn't work. Just means they haven't had a good enough deal in school hours!

I have achieved positive results throughout my career in
Many different 'catchments' and I can tell you it's pointless!

ineedamoreadultieradult · 17/03/2018 15:47

I'm on the fence as obviously it is a lot more work for the children but my son's year 6 teacher said to me that he was getting 3 afternoons a week of teaching related to SATs and there was 'nothing more she could do' whilst also telling him he 'wouldnt pass' unless he improved

ineedamoreadultieradult · 17/03/2018 15:47

Those afternoons are in school time not after school!

user789653241 · 17/03/2018 15:48

If they get higher results due to tutoring, I think they have potential to do better.(capable to learn with right teaching). They can't really bring up children struggling to exceeding expected levels by just extra booster sessions. But it's really up to parents and children to decide to take up the booster or not. But if the child is already struggling, the booster to bring them up to expected level will benefit children imo.

grasspigeons · 17/03/2018 19:14

they are doing a breakfast and booster class 5 days a week at my son's school but he says its been fun and he likes the toast

reluctantbrit · 17/03/2018 19:23

DD has maths sessions before and after school on Tuesdays since September. I do. It mind them, actually DD benefitted from smaller groups and more intensive lessons.

I hate more the holiday homework they give out. Only after complains after February half term they started this week I stead of just doing them in the Easter holiday.

Original poster

Kinsorino · 17/03/2018 19:30

I just don't see why booster sessions should be necessary though irvine. Like excitable says they've been in school 30 hours a week for the last 7 years. If booster sessions are needed then something's not right.

And I don't think booster classes are in the children's best interests - all they're teaching is how to do the exam. Even my DD comes out with stuff like "i dont have to bother show my working out on that one because its only one mark"!! as she's rushing to get through yet another mock paper I'm just not sure how useful all this is for her.

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grasspigeons · 17/03/2018 19:38

I the ones my son did ones are about getting a breakfast into them to be honest. 50% of the class are PP

The did mocks this week and came in early each day for the booster and breakfast. Then they are doing the same again for the actual SATS

user789653241 · 17/03/2018 19:38

Exam technique is one of the things that help children. If you spend too much time on 1 mark question and run out of time to do others, it will make difference in the results.
Clearly your dd doesn't need it, so just opt out. They can't force her.

SkeletonSkins · 17/03/2018 19:44

We don’t do any boosters or any extra at school, and on Friday had an entire day doing art. We have the highest results in the local area, with a dodgy intake, and I think it’s because we don’t make it a big deal and focus on quality throughout rather than panic last minute boosters. That said, schools are under so so so much pressure. We lost out on outstanding last year as 2 children didn’t meet ‘greater depth’ in Reading who should have.

We do a SATs breakfast for the real things though, to get them in on time with a breakfast in them. Works well.

user789653241 · 17/03/2018 19:56

Skeleton, that 2 children who should have got GD didn't get it, even though you get the highest results in the area, bothers me. Sounds like my ds's school that focus mainly on getting everyone expected and neglect able.

user789653241 · 17/03/2018 20:00

Sorry, I heard a exactly same comment from our HT, she said the school lost outstanding status due to not stretching able enough, and she said that it was only a tiny minority and she was very angry about the fact.

SkeletonSkins · 17/03/2018 20:25

Wow that’s quite an assumption to make! The two children needed 37/50 to get GD and each got 36. They’d studied some amazing texts, including Shakespeare, and were assessed as working at a high level but just missed out on one question on the day.

This kind of reaction, that it bothers you, is why such huge pressure is placed on SATs - % score for GD in one year does not illustrate how we cater for able children. It tells you nothing, it’s just luck of the day.

SkeletonSkins · 17/03/2018 20:26

Also to clarify, the number of children expected to hit greater depth is predicted based on their Y2 scores. Children change and these scores aren’t always accurate.

Original poster

Kinsorino · 17/03/2018 20:46

Skeleton it sounds like your school has the right attitude. I do realise schools are under so much pressure, but I am mindful of how much of it is being passed onto the kids.

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Lulahsmumma · 17/03/2018 20:47

My son did boosters for his sats in year 2 and 6. It helps to prepare them for the extremely intense intervention for gcse's they have then before and after school lunch times and during half terms and Easter break.

It's best for them to experience some pressure before they reach year 10 and 11 or they won't cope. GCSE years are unbelievably difficult with pressure from every subject teacher and senior management. All the extra intvention is not optional and they still expect at least 2.5 hours per evening and at least half of the weekend doing extra revision.

I would try and fully prepare them.

It's not ideal but

user789653241 · 17/03/2018 20:53

Ok, sorry, it just brought back my memory of HT's comment, that only tiny minority made the school's status go down, and almost felt like she was blaming able kids for being able. It was nothing to do with SATS results, it was about normal teaching at our school. So, I am sorry I made a wrong assumption.

admission · 17/03/2018 20:55

Skeltonskins, your school obviously has the right approach to the SAT tests, it is what the pupils learn over the whole of KS2 that matters not what you can cram into somebody in the last couple of months before the tests.
There has to be a test score which is deemed to be GD and there will always be pupils who just miss out or squeek in to GD. However I do not believe that the school missed out on being Ofsted Outstanding because 2 pupils missed out by a point in reading last year. That is just the reason that the head teacher is making. You said "% score for GD in one year does not illustrate how we cater for able children". I agree and that is exactly what Ofsted would not do, so I believe there were other reasons for not being Ofsted outstanding.

Twofishfingers · 17/03/2018 20:55

Really? Our school doesn't, and haven't sent a single practice paper home yet. Last year they had the top results in the entire borough and in the top 5% nationally.

Habanero · 17/03/2018 20:58

No boosters here, fourth in the county for Y6 SATs. DS is working hard at school, but hasn’t mentioned SATs and I’m not sure if he knows what they are.

SkeletonSkins · 17/03/2018 21:11

admission perhaps you’re right. Our letter only had two points to improve - number of children get GD in Reading and the attendance of a small group of persistent absentee children. It states in the letter that the school does all it can to increase their attendance, and our overall attendance is above national average so the GD thing stood out. But could be that there were other aspects, and I hope there was actually, as to miss out on such a small thing was frustrating, despite the fact that I think ‘outstanding’ should be scrapped!

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