My sons missing 2 days of SATS

[Bright4880]

Hi , my husband booked a surprise holiday to Florida as our Xmas present and it's just hit me it's his year 6 sats that week and he will miss 2 days , I'm so worried

What a silly cooment. Of course any kid would adore to go to Florida. It’s not going anywhere is it why go while sats are on. It’s 4 days. Go before. Or after. My dd who is quite bright and would hate to miss the tests would quickly come to that conclusion. You have the whole sodding year to go to bloody Disney but he chooses the very 4 days when it is quite important for your son and for his school that he is there. It’s not difficult is it?

My comment was for the poster that addressed me not ineedaholiday

thehorseandhisboy Thanks. PieceofPurple is a teacher and other teachers on here have confirmed in the past kids without SATs go in the middle set in their school.

Losing a relative or having something else drastic happen to prevent you sitting an exam is on a different planet to choosing to go on a jolly holiday because it’s cheaper
Of course. I wouldn't have booked a holiday during SATs myself. The point i was making was that it would be unfair if missing SATs disadvantaged a child re sets at secondary school

Oh and the sats had a massive impact on dd as her secondary set entirely by sats there were no other exams. And her entire progress at secondary seems to be based from her sats score so your comment makes even less sense.

Any online big spend in our house is done by both of us together sanity checking on purchase of flights, holidays, online school applications. I want dh equally tied in if we cock up.

I think you'd have to be a really unclued up parent not to realise that Year 6 children take SATS in May (yes, you might not know the exact dates without looking them up but I think they are normally the week following the bank holiday?). You can't expect to be spoon fed every piece of information (and there is no reason for the school to circulate the dates months in advance).

But then I remember a thread from a mum who didn't realise her Year 11 child would be sitting GCSEs in June, so perhaps some parents really are that clueless.

The secondary will be told why he doesn't have a maths score and so they'll have a negative opinion of you and your family before your son starts. They are important and it's deeply irresponsible to miss the last one for a jolly. It's all of the following week too surely because most half terms are the week of 27th encompassing the Spring Bank Holiday Monday.

How does your son feel about it? What else will he miss? End of SATS celebrations? Residential? Preparations for Leavers Assembly? Transition Activities with High School? How will he feel about preparing all year for an exam he won’t take? What message do you think it sends to him about the importance of sitting exams?

The SATS tests aren't 'exams'.

What @LauralovesLuke says!

I’m a teacher. The SATs are for the school. We want the kids to do well so that we can show their progress and so that ofsted won’t say we’re inadequate. That said, some secondary schools do use the sats to predict GCSE results. He’ll be missing the maths. The secondary school may be given a predicted grade based on teacher assessment or he may be tested when he starts and given a prediction based on that. Either way, this should not affect his education in the slightest.

It will be awkward telling the school. I would be completely honest and apologise for the inconvenience. You say he does well. They’ll be disappointed not to have his result. If he was a less able child they would likely be thrilled. I would gonin and speak directly to the head when you hand in your holiday form. If you are fined it is usually £60 per week per parent so a maximum of £120 per child per week in a two parent family. He’ll only miss 2 days so normally I’d say this would be unlikely but who knows under these circumstances. I would also speak to his teacher and not just assume that the correct information will be passed on to her.

Have a fabulous holiday. You’ll feel much better after you’ve told the school. I really wouldn’t cancel your trip. Your husband sounds great, I’m sure he won’t be making this mistake again!

In the four schools I have worked in, all have used SATS for setting in year 7. Targets are also based on SATS results.

Sorry but your DH was a Nob for booking this & not checking first. It won't go down well at all & your D.C. will suffer as a result too. Sorry

Sats are ridiculous. Many teachers agree. When I taught secondary, we gave children a test to see their level, if they didn't have sats scores. Contact the secondary school and ask what they do. Most likely, your son's teachers can give them an accurate level.

Budget for the fine. Enjoy the holiday!

If you are fined it is usually £60 per week per parent

The fine is £60 per parent per SESSION (i.e morning or afternoon - 10 sessions in a week) - NOT £60 per parent per week.

Sorry I haven’t had time to RTT beyond your first 2 messages. What time do you fly on the Thurs? They don’t always have a SAT on the Friday and the school may be willing to let him sit the Thursday one at 9am and leave. Chat to them about it and see if they have the timetable yet.

Your husband sounds great, I’m sure he won’t be making this mistake again!

A husband who is far too busy running his business that he can’t even be bothered to find out when the term dates are? Sounds really great.

He’ll only miss 2 days

No-one goes for a long weekend to Florida - more likely it's two weeks he'll miss.

They don’t last the full week. You may be ok.

The last paper is Thursday morning. Maths

It's really wrong of your dh, our schools made the dates of sats known 2 years ahead and made it clear no holidays to be taken. One parent disobeyed and was taken to court for non attendance of school (they did have form though and refused to pay fine). If dates can't be changed write to the school today

@Justthecover
ALL schools use SATs to inform GCSEs predicted grades. Not some. It's how the system works. I don't understand how teachers can be so ill-informed.

Our kid as a lay non teaching parent we were told over and over by the primary how sats were for the school etc but this proved bollocks when my year 7 dd was setted purely on sats as and they seem to be used as a universal baseline. So they are not just “for the school” are they? Felt a it misled tbh.

If all schools use them then they will have a system for the odd child who misses them due to illness or extenuating circumstances. Such as teacher assessment or an in-school test in year 7.

The OPs situation is not ideal but it was not done on purpose and it doesn’t warrant cancelling an expensive holiday imo.

If all schools use them then they will have a system for the odd child who misses them due to illness or extenuating circumstances.

The OP’s situation doesn’t fall into either of those categories. It’s a family holiday arranged in termtime because one parent didn’t speak to the other parent about dates and was far too busy to check them himself.