Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

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

Original poster

Ks2 Sats disappointed

60 replies

TooManyPlatesInMotion · 08/07/2022 17:02

I'm not sure how best to support/comfort my DS. The school heaped the pressure on for sats, he worked hard and did well in all his practice papers, getting grater depth scores in reading and maths. The results are in and his marks, while fine, are not what he hoped for or got in all the previous mock assessments.

He is now really down on himself, quiet and subdued (not at all like him) and says he is now worrying about secondary school.

I have said all the usual things - you worked hard and did his best, that is all any of us can do etc, it won't affect the start of life at secondary school, we are proud of him, sometimes exams don't go to plan etc. I'm not getting through.

Any ideas? I feel bad for him.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Spud90 · 08/07/2022 17:30

Oh bless him!

I think sometimes getting greater depth puts more pressure on because they are praised so much that if they don't get it next time then they feel like they've failed. My friend's daughter is like this, she always gets greater depth but she really stresses about it. I'd just validate his feelings and tell him you understand why he feels disappointed. It's hard when you're expecting one thing and something else happens. If he'd got expecting in his mocks and then on his sats he'd be fine but because he was expecting greater depth he's disappointed and that's natural. Share a time you were expecting something to happen and end up disappointed.

I hope he feels better soon!

Soontobe60 · 08/07/2022 17:36

Just tell him that SATS are a waste of time - they don’t show how amazing he is, how hard he works and whether he’s clever or not.

Original poster
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 08/07/2022 18:38

Thanks both. We are going to watch a film together tonight and have a chat. I have plenty examples of exam disappointment that I can share!!

So tough when the school has made such a huge deal out of Sats.

OP posts:
Cantthinkofadifferentname · 08/07/2022 19:18

I never told my eldest their results nor the youngest this one. I've just said it's about the school performance not theirs, so they don't need to know the scores

Plasmodesmata · 08/07/2022 19:31

Please tell him they don't matter. Many independent schools don't even bother. Secondaries are likely to retest them anyway.

Also, this year group have been badly affected by COVID and if the government had any sense they would have taken the opportunity to scrap the stupid tests.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-61980677

Original poster
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 08/07/2022 20:03

I think a bit part of the issue is the results were sent home with pupils instead of just being sent directly to parents/carers, so they all knew and were comparing etc. Not the best way to do it!!

OP posts:
whataloadabullocks · 08/07/2022 20:28

We never got the SATs results so I have no idea of results/ score. But just tell your dc they don't matter. I mean look at Alan sugar, and Richard Branson. Both left school without a qualification to their name, they've done okay for themselves!

Georgieporgie29 · 10/07/2022 20:15

I’m so sorry for your DS @TooManyPlatesInMotion It really isn’t a big deal (although it certainly feels like it is to them) what scores did he get? Or is it that they are lower than his peers that is worrying him? Because I’m sure they’re really not that bad.
my DD’s teacher has told them that the marking had been really strict this year and not to worry about their results.

Original poster
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 11/07/2022 08:39

He got 109 for the reading and 107 for the maths.... He is disappointed because he was getting gd in mock assessments and most of his friends have in at least reading or maths. But his marks are fine and secondary have already done their own assessments. Just hard for him!

OP posts:
Saisong · 11/07/2022 08:43

My boy never got to do SATs last year. And they retest them again as soon as they hit secondary. It's hard when he feels so disappointed, but reassure him that they really do not matter for his future - they are really only relevant to the primary school, which he will be leaving long behind!

CruCru · 11/07/2022 11:16

I do get cross when I hear about stuff like this. SATS were meant to assess a school’s teaching - not necessarily the children. Heaping pressure on 10 and 11 year olds is unhelpful.

Georgieporgie29 · 11/07/2022 17:49

@TooManyPlatesInMotion its such a shame that he feels the pressure because those marks are fab. My daughter also got 107 for the maths if that makes him feel any better.

Original poster
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 11/07/2022 19:08

Thanks @Georgieporgie29 !

OP posts:
roseapothecary · 11/07/2022 23:26

My son got 107 in maths too! Really proud of him.

NCTDN · 11/07/2022 23:29

As a teacher I'd be delighted if my child got those scores. They are totally a waste of time though. I can't believe the results were given to children not parents. I'd be making a complaint about that.

ihearttc · 12/07/2022 07:21

My son also got his as well. He was getting GD for reading/Spag last September (they started practice sats then but he came out with 108 reading and 109 SPAG. He is also disappointed as his friends got higher. I’m so pleased with his Maths though as there was a strong possibility he wouldn’t pass as maths is not his strength but he got 105.
I know it’s hard but tell him not to compare.

Original poster
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 12/07/2022 07:52

NCTDN · 11/07/2022 23:29

As a teacher I'd be delighted if my child got those scores. They are totally a waste of time though. I can't believe the results were given to children not parents. I'd be making a complaint about that.

@NCTDN I am considering a complaint, yes. If the results had come to me I could have managed the whole thing better for him... But no, an envelope in the school bag!!

OP posts:
LetItGoToRuin · 12/07/2022 09:15

Was it a sealed envelope, addressed to the parents/guardians?

My DD has always brought her reports home herself, including the KS1 SATs results, but always in sealed envelopes, addressed to us, not to her. I'm expecting her KS2 SATs to come home the same way.

Hersetta427 · 12/07/2022 10:15

We got an envelope in the school bag too but they weren't for the children to open - ours were brought home to open together

Original poster
TooManyPlatesInMotion · 12/07/2022 13:17

It was addressed to parents/carers yes, but all the kids knew exactly what they were and opened them on the way home from school.

OP posts:
Hersetta427 · 12/07/2022 14:06

Ok so not in the presence of the teacher so the school absolutely cannot be blamed. Perhaps the kids need to be taught boundries - they do not address sealed envelopes meant for parents.

LetItGoToRuin · 12/07/2022 14:25

TooManyPlatesInMotion · 12/07/2022 13:17

It was addressed to parents/carers yes, but all the kids knew exactly what they were and opened them on the way home from school.

This is not the school's fault then. I would be furious with my child if she opened an envelope addressed to us!

I really hope you don't complain to the school about this...

Yodaisawally · 12/07/2022 15:59

I'm so glad my school isn't like this. Dts are y6 and foot their results in a sealed sticker in their reading book. We didn't get numbers just expected / working towards / greater depth. None of the kids care. They know who is going to the super selectives and they're not SATS based. I wonder if it is region or MAT based on the info you get.

They all get retested in secondary for setting here so SATS are mostly a waste of time.

TeenDivided · 12/07/2022 16:05

You can't blame the school for kids opening results addressed to their parents.
Also the time for downplaying sats and the whole greater depth stuff was Sept-may, not waiting until July.
Just tell your DS you are happy he has tried hard and met the expected standard and that he is well set up for secondary.
I always advised mine to never discuss results, no good comes of it.

itsjustnotok · 12/07/2022 16:15

Yeah I was going to agree with a complaint to the school until I realised you DS opened the letter addressed to you. Yes have a chat with him about how he’s feeling but he also needs to realise he shouldn’t be opening mail that’s not addressed to him. That’s not on the school.

Swipe left for the next trending thread