arghhhhh Pushy parents - I never thought I'd meet a RL person who was obsessed with "results" and Y2 SATS......

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

but at the parents meeting for Y2 parents the other night I did.

Very informative (but nice and short) evening for YR2 parents to give them a brief oversight about what happens in YR2, flexible streaming (which I like the idea of), what to expect for us, and problems some children find in the changes.

It was made VERY clear at the start of the meeting that they would NOT be discussing SATS (and said with a tone of voice and a look in their faces that said "I wish we didn't have to do the damn things at all" ). There would be a meeting sometime in the Spring term for any parents that had concerns/questions about them.

First part of the talk over (explaining how they do the literacy) and a first opportunity for questions.

One parent pipes up "so what do they need to be able to do for their SATS" (answer was concise and to the point.....don't worry about that now - meeting in the Spring terms). Near the end of the meeting we had the flexible streaming explained to us that they do for all subjects, for some parts of the lessons. Question time again

Same parent pipes up "so if they're in the highest group will we be told".......answer - "no - you'll be able to see how they're progressing by the work they bring home and the minimal amount of homework they will get).

Although they were quite smart (the teachers that is not the parents) and did actually give some examples of how we would know that they were "ahead" of others. Ie Maths they're going to be doing 2,5 and 10 timestables - and that's what they'll be "expected" to know by the end of the year (and their application obviously). Children in the "top" group for multiplication may well be pushed onto 3,4,6 timestables if they're mastered the first three.

Obviously dumb pushy parents didn't pick up on that......but I did go home feeling sorry for their child as you already got the sense that they are "expected" to be at the top of the class and fly through their YR2 SATS.

Personally I couldn't give 2 hoots how DS1 does in his SATS.....it's not like he's going to put them on his CV in 20yrs time /

QoQ, you would love our school then? I found out that the majority of parent had gone out and bought SAT practice books for the Y2 sats.
I already know ds is near the bottom of the class, but he is also a late August birthday so I let him off , and apart from helping him learn his 2,5,10 times tables I did nothing for his sats. In fact, the school themselves do not even call them sats, they tell the children they are doing a 'special worksheet'.
But in the playground, the parents were comparing workbooks and feverishly ensuring their child had done most practice.
And the looks of pity I got when I replied 'nothing, none whatsoever' when asked what preparation I had done with ds for the sats.

It was all quite ridiculous really!

I shan't be doing anything with DS1 either lol - well I've been quick firing 2 and 10 times tables questions at him as they started learning them this week......but he answers them correctly anyhow - and I'm certainly ont going to be buying SAT practice books - although I do tend to buy some of those "I can learn....." books from Wilkinsons just to help him "reinforce" what he's learned at school (but I mainly do that as his "homework" for his 2 and 10 times tables consisted of a printed out A5 sheet with 2 columns.......one had the 2 and the other 10 times table on it and I'm not very good at making up ways to practice them ).

I did buy the sats books once. I dont know why. Saw them in the school mag I think and got them. I expected them to be something different as they were not what I would have expected. Never got used lol and left at the back of the cupboard!!

Crikey, KS1 SATs are 7-8 months away, are they not?? QoQ, if your DS already knows 2x and 10x tables, he'll probably fly thru by the time May arrives.

I bought various workbooks for DS, some for KS1 SATs, but that's because he likes doing them -- he does them for fun. And he does them when he feels like it. He's in y3 now and some of the KS1 exercises are still well beyond him, but he still got a 2a in the maths (oh the shame he didn't get a 3, eh??).

It gets worse, much, much worse. You wait til you get to Yr 6 SATS! I've got a lad that I childmind, he has just fone into yr5. I asked him the other day, why he wasn't doing the School football team club this year and he said, because its the same night as my tutor. How sad is that?

I didn't think they did Yr2 SATS anymore, anyway.

ds1 went into yr two in sept, on the first morning I had a demonic looking mother, wild eyed at the class doorway saying " oooh- you do know its SATs this year dont you"

tbh- I didnt even know what sats were, I know nothing about KS levels either, although I do know that ds1 does very well ( but only after asking what KS levels were on here as I was too embarrased to ask the teacher at parents evening what she was wittering on about )

Ignorance (or rather complete lack of knowledge ) about this is bliss- I want DS to enjoy school and I for one dont want to turn into some neurotic twat about stuff that quite frankly- I feel is slightly irrelevant.

I help ds at home with homework and reading. this is enough for me.

yes SATS (I'm led to believe) are near the end of the school year - I don't care if he flies through them or not - I know of a lot of people (myself included ) who would probably have "failed" their YR2 SATS - but did really well when it came to important tests such as GSCE's, A Levels, Degrees etc etc

Wow SATs seem to creep up rather quickly don't they? I'm very glad that our school doesn't do them. Though we have a far share of pushy parents - wouldn't be surprised that someone asked for them to be done for fun or something!

i hate SATS

I hate the concept of SATS

I hate the fact that little children are sitting tests

I hate the fact that stupid parents get obsessed by them and then make me obsessed them because competitiveness is catching

I farkin' hate SATS .. I hate SATS so much I wrote to my MP about them, who passed it on the Dept of Education who sent me a 3 page form letter which basically said thanks for your interest, we're right, you and the teaching unions and headteachers' union are wrong

I farkin' hate SATS

did I mention that I hate SATS

no I'm not sure I did

According to our Y2 curriculum evening, the children are now just assessed continously by their teacher from February to June, and there is no longer any obligation to sit any tests at all. The teachers said that they use some past papers at some times to give levelled questions, but they don't actually sit tests on one day in May any more.

I think they're a complete waste of time. Unfortunately they do still have the tests in Y6 and they seem to spend most of the year preparing the children for them and hyping them up.

Twiggers.... I'm not sure that I understand your position on SATs. Do you love them or hate them?