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Original poster

SATS reflections

184 replies

weareallout · 14/05/2023 00:03

I was never anti SATS. In some ways I like that Yr6 have some form of testing at the end. My child has found yr6 a bit boring but their primary is nothing like some about if all. Friends tell me their schools little except SATs work Jan - May. I'm actually now quite annoyed that their 7 years of broad & varied education are being defined by about 4 hours of tests. The reading one sounds hard & not relevant to modern day 10-11 year olds?!?! SPAG - I've managed a degree & career without it.
Our school said it was 'low key' but mocks / booster groups / breakfast club etc all make it a big deal.
Anyone feel like it's all out of control?!?

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Onetreelake · 17/05/2023 21:50

Dacadactyl · 17/05/2023 06:59

If you say so 🙄

I dont think there is the time for work (across the country) to be assessed in the manner you describe. Not every child's work would be assessed because of time constraints. Not to mention it would be open to abuse. Also, who would decide which child's work would be assessed?

No doubt if the government suggested it, teachers would be up in arms about that too.

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This has already been said but it's so important and so completely disproves your point that it needs to be said again - this is how Writing has been assessed in Y6 for 8 years now.

IsThePopeCatholic · 17/05/2023 21:51

QueenofLouisiana · 14/05/2023 09:49

@SamPoodle123 I think in the interests of balance, it must be noted that if your child passed the 11+ they are clearly academically able and therefore may not have been too concerned about the content of the SATs. However, for many children, this is not the case. We cannot have two levels of SATs as many will tell you that even classroom teaching should not be highly differentiated as it was even 18 months ago- now it is scaffolded and adapted.

Analysis has shown that the reading paper would have taken a fluent reader (90 words per minute) 8 minutes longer to read the text and questions than it would have done last year. The text was only 190 words under the maximum word limit, the questions were often unnecessarily wordy thus adding to the words which needed to be read. It is calculated that those same fluent readers would need to score one mark every 25 seconds- not allowing for time to scan back through the paper. The reading paper does get harder as the texts progress, it always has done, but I felt that there was no gentle introduction to get the less confident readers started.

Much of the style of the papers had changed, making the past papers less useful in terms of preparation. Children who looked at these and found familiar ground would possibly have been shaken by these. And why does every maths question need a story? More reading to plough through, even though it's not a reading test! These children are ten and eleven years old, I think the government has lost sight of this fact.

Just for clarity, my class found them tough going but I keep reminding them that they never have to look at those papers again. They are over, we now have much to do to get us ready for sports day, transition to secondary school and DT projects to organise. 😀

Excellent points. I bet you’re a great teacher!

Original poster
weareallout · 17/05/2023 23:29

@cyncope you've summed up how I now feel about it all. Yr6 totally dominated by SATs. Yet they only a snapshot. Friends across loads of schools say the same. Kids bored & stressed

OP posts:
HeartStarRose · 18/05/2023 00:18

Shinyandnew1 · 14/05/2023 09:42

I do think children need to be tested by an external body at the end of year 6, because how else will we find out the quality of education provided by a school?

How can you possibly find out the quality of education provided by an infant or first school then?!

I think there are SATS for KS2 (end of Year 2) as well as Year 6?

spanieleyes · 18/05/2023 06:35

This is, thankfully, the last year of KS1 SATS.

Feenie · 18/05/2023 06:40

Onetreelake · 17/05/2023 21:50

This has already been said but it's so important and so completely disproves your point that it needs to be said again - this is how Writing has been assessed in Y6 for 8 years now.

Show quote history

Yes, and it’s worth noting (pay attention at the back,@Dacadactyl) that those results are entirely in line with reading and maths tests nationally, apart from the award of greater depth which lags way behind. Proving, if anything, that teacher assessment is accurate and has the utmost integrity.

Qilin · 18/05/2023 07:34

HeartStarRose
*
I think there are SATS for KS2 (end of Year 2) as well as Year 6?*

It's the final year for compulsory KS1 SATs.
We've just finished our last ever compulsory year 2 paper yesterday - couldn't have come soon enough!

Qilin · 18/05/2023 07:36

Also parents couldn't use KS1 SATs results to see 'the quality of teaching/learning' at a school anyway. They weren't used in the national reporting for league tables, etc.

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