SATS 2018 & administration

[vickibee]

I have just found out that two of the words in this years spelling test were displayed on the classroom wall. My son has SEN and sat the test in a room on his own so didn't get these free marks. All the kids saw it because a child pointed them out on the wall. Should I talk to the head or just leave it as my son did badly on this test but really well on the SPG and comprehension parts?

I suspect the point out happened part way through the test and they were immediately removed. And before that I would also suspect very few had remembered.

Once when I was a parental helper I was asked to take the children 2 by 2 and do a short spelling test.
I had done about 3/4 the class when my dd and another child were asked to come. First spelling and dd turned round. So I asked her why, and she said that the spelling was on the wall behind her. I looked and the whole test was. Teacher had totally forgotten.

But she was the first to look despite them all knowing it was up there-I hadn't specifically told them not to look, so I would imagine that they would have if they'd remembered.

KS1 or KS2?
Can I just ask why you want to speak with the head? Do you want an extra 2 marks even though your son doesn't know how to spell these words?

If it is KS1 then let it go.
If it is KS2 then let it go.
Though if KS2 this is iffy of the school. Ours always covers everything in the classroom with display paper before the test week.

You won't get marks added as these tests are national not just applicable to your child's school. They'd have to give 2 extra marks to everyone else.

The head teacher can't change the test marks either.

The most you could do (or the head teacher on your behalf) is to report the school for maladministration and there may be an investigation. Outcomes from that would be nothing, removing 2 marks from the other spelling papers, cancelling all of the marks from all of the other spelling papers.

I'm not sure what you'd gain.

Your child won't be awarded extra marks but the school's results could be annulled if it's decided that the tests haven't been administered correctly.

Both KS1 and KS2 have to cover all displays. I agree with mrz regarding the most likely outcome.

This sounds like an oversight by a harassed, overworked Year 6 teacher - who had no idea what the words were going to be until the test started. Yes, everything should have been covered, but sometimes teachers leave "non- academic" stuff like Notices - which could then show up in the spelling test.
The words will have been instantly covered when they were spotted. Unless the teachers are totally cynical/don't care, they are already terrified that this will mean the annuling of results, national headlines and the end of their career (or at the least a Level 2 management warning on file). All of those things could and have happened.
Almost certainly the head already knows. There will have been two members of staff in the room anyway.
If you pursue it, nothing good will come out of it for anyone- the school, the staff or the kids (who could have all their results annulled). And it is very very very unlikely that anyone had an unfair advantage - don't forget the power of the exaggerated rumour as well!!
So it depends - if it is generally a good school and you support the staff who are generally doing their best and doing a good job, then trust them that they will have dealt with the situation in a way that didn't affect the children.

If it was pointed out in class, the teacher should have reported it directly to the head and who should have logged it with the Standards and Testing Agency on the same day. It's possible therefore these marks will have already been discounted for the other students but that's at the discretion of the STA.

While it potentially shows maladministration, I do have a lot of sympathy in this case because the KS2 spellings this year included two staggeringly stupid choices. My headteacher laughed at me covering my bookshelf up as overkill but if I hadn't, the kids nearby would have been able to read "science" on their book labels. Moreover, I was worried my school council member would have his badge on but I guess he forgot it that day (or at least it wasn't on him in the test room) so he couldn't use it to spell "council". I bet there were hundreds if not thousands of children across the country who were in eyesight of a school council badge though. I'm happy to take reasonable precautions to prevent the tests being compromised but when this needs to extend to confiscating badges, it's just bad test design. Next year I suppose I can look forward to "captain" and "extinguisher" making appearances...

'Extinguished' was indeed there one year - I stood in front of the fire extinguisher. Possibly 2002ish.

I think the words were science and architect. The head was the other person in the room and removed them when she realised but it was too late as the had been spotted. The y6 teacher is an nqt and he is really hard working and lovely I would not want him to get into any bother.

viki Is it not possible that the HT did the right thing and reported the incident, so possibly all the children had marks for those 2 words disallowed anyway?
The bottom line is it doesn't sound like they did it on purpose, it didn't affect your child, so ignore.

soapboxqueen 'the headteacher can't change the marks either' I'm still laughing at that comment. Cheating is rife and the LEA don't bat an eyelid as it's on their heads at the end of the day and affects future government funding for them. In some cases, the LEA are telling staff to 're-submit' KS1 papers.
vickibee this is a much more widespread problem and if the only thing that your school is doing wrong is forgetting to cover up displays on the classroom walls during SAT's then I would say leave them to it. Other schools are having much more serious issues to do with the maladministration of SAT's

In some cases, the LEA are telling staff to 're-submit' KS1 papers.

There's so much ignorance in even just that statement that it renders your entire post completely invalid - sorry.

I agree Feenie

Maladministration is so serious. If it does take place then it should be reported. However please be sure that this is the case. The investigations are akin to a criminal investigation with pupil results and hard work written off and staff careers ended.

This is a very tight and clear process to ensure fairness for all. Stakes are so high actions just can't be based on playground gossip, urban myth and vexatious parents.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stages-1-and-2-investigating-allegations-of-maladministration