My child missing KS2 SATS

[ClareJK]

Hi, my father has been very unwell, when he was diagnosed, he said if he gets better we will have a family holiday. Thankfully he is on the mend and has kindly booked a family holiday to Disney in the US. However, despite advising on dates, the holiday has been booked during SATS week. To be honest, I went into denial about this at first and really didn't want to make an issue, as my children were presented the holiday as a gift for Xmas. My child has achieved decent results at 11+ and we are happy missing the SATS won't affect her too much, but the school are very unhappy and trying to push me to cancel or delay our holiday. We have two more children still at school and really didn't mean to cause this amount of upset. Help, what would you do, we are due to leave in 2 days!

Well, at this point you go on holiday.
You've really left it too late to do otherwise.

I'm not surprised the school are unhappy, it is a bit like sticking 2 fingers up to them. SATs results impact a school, and you've been happy to have them teaching your DC, helping them do well in 11+; but the 1 single most important week in 7 years as far as the school is concerned and you take them out. For a holiday.

Thanks for your candid feedback, Just to clarify the school did nothing for my childs 11+, we paid for a tutor to support their 11+ work.

The problem is that your child (who I am guessing would have been targeted to get Greater Depth?) will now be recorded as 0 - a fail. This means that the school will be recorded as minus 5 in progress just for one child. Just to get back to zero, 5 children will have to make better than average progress.

This may make it almost impossible for your child’s Year 6 teacher to achieve their targets for their performance related pay.

I think realistically it is a shame you’ve done this - any other week but this is a big one for schools and the mark downs could go on to effect ofsted - and their results in the school tables etc... teachers and staff work so hard throughout children’s time at school- and even tho sats aren’t everything - they mean a lot to the school. I presume there’s nothing you can really do now- but I think you’ll be surprised if your child’s new school doesn’t question the fact your child will have failed their sats - May effect their groupings.

And of course the school helped your child with 11+ - they’ve taught your child for the past 7 years- it is not just down to a tutor!!!

Nothing you can do now, I suppose, but it is such a kick in the teeth to the school who have taught and supported them through their primary education.

^ This is nonsense

The school will be upset, primarily as it is unauthorised abscence.
I think they can insist your child sits SATs in the weeks following (used to be the case and was the case for SATs in KS1)? May be out of date here with that.

Secondary schools will not care. Most stream, when and if they stream according to CATs, own testing etc. If she's going to grammar/selective post 11+ this is largely irrelevant

Go on holiday. You may get fined for unauthorised abscence though.

I think they can insist your child sits SATs in the weeks following Not the case for KS2.

primarily as it is unauthorised abscence. Nope - would happily take the hit on attendance but the zero score on a child presumably looking at EXS or GDS is really, really shit.

Ah, so it's one shot only on the KS2 SATs?

I can understand the school being upset in that case, but your need is greater.

It shows it this testing regime up for the nonsense that it is.

So if a kid is off sick what happens?

Yes, it's annoying for the school - but it doesn't effect your DS so just go and enjoy your holiday!

The worst that will happen is a fine.

If a child is off sick they are permitted to take the test at home with a teacher present, take it a day later as long as the school can prove they haven’t seen the test, or it gets noted that they were too sick to take the testing they miss it. Sickness is hardly the same as going on holiday.
It’s a bit crap for the school OP (and if it’s a good school it won’t have much of an effect on results) but not a big deal in the grand scheme of life!

If a child is sick the school can apply to the STA for a timetable variation, which allows them to sit it the following week ( under certain conditions) This is not possible if the child is absent on holiday so, as has been said, the child scores Nil and progress scores are hugely affected depending on the KS1 result.

It can’t be helped- it’s been booked.
However (to put into context why the school is unhappy) I’m a yr 6 teacher and I’d be gutted if this happened.
Rightly or wrongly, a huge amount of effort goes into the tests. Our year 6 team have given up massive chunks of their own time for starters. We are crawling towards next week right now. Unfortunately the school is judged on the results and therefore my effectiveness as a teacher and leader. So I see why they are so upset.
Secondary schools use the results to set targets for GCSEs too (not out of choice!)
But I don’t see what you can do now so you should try to put it to the back of your mind and have fun.

They make sick kids at home sit the tests? Jesus

OP how long are you away?

I've never heard of anyone taking the test at home when they're ill with a teacher present -surely this is a myth! I have heard of kids feeling poorly coming in and going straight home afterwards.

You can't take them the week after -the papers are collected for marking by the end of the test week (or early part of the week after)

You'll certainly get fined £120 per child and I'd prepared for your child sitting the tests when they get back-that way if Ofsted come knocking the headteacher can have calculated your child's results into their informal calculations. You'll still affect their league table results. You can't really be surprised the school is cross!

If you are away more than 2 weeks be careful they don't deregister you.

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis Deregister? In what way? And why?

@areyou
I imagine it is extremely unlikely and more hassle than a few lost SATS points but apparently if children do not attend school for a period of 2 weeks or more continuouse unauthorised abscence, school can assume their place is not needed and remove them from the roll. I'm catastrophising & I could have misunderstood it & it probably doesn't help the OP, so I wish I'd not posted my comment.

It's 15 days unauthorised absence and then the school can, if they want to, off-roll them. ( Obviously there are procedures to follow but that is certainly a possible outcome!)

Cut off date is 24th May. So they could require a child to take them after but would have to prove they had not spoken to any other child about the test.
Taking them while off sick is possible but not usual. It certainly wouldn’t be a case of forcing a child in the middle of an illness to take them at home.

15 days unauthorised absence and then the school can, if they want to, off-roll them. ( Obviously there are procedures to follow but that is certainly a possible outcome!)

Not true. That only applies if the school do not know where they are and if they plan to return. They have to try to contact the parents first. I have seen it done though.

My friend’s son missed a day of his SATS due to illness and the head and deputy head came to his house the following Saturday so he could take the tests he’d missed.

So that definitely happens.

@Ihatemyseleffordoingthis I never knew that! Thank you for explaining.

This may make it almost impossible for your child’s Year 6 teacher to achieve their targets for their performance related pay.

Okay so I don't think OP should take them out for their sats, in fact I'm shocked anyone would do this, but how is the above OPs problem? It is not up to OP to facilitate the schools targets and teachers consequent bonus. Like it isn't up to my patients to all behave the way I want them to so we don't get thousands taken away from us when we don't hit targets.