KS1 SATs

[orangedot]

DS has autism and did his first paper (Reading 1) yesterday and I think he found it incredibly hard to cope with all the stress (he sat it with a TA in separate classroom). He had a huge meltdown when he came home yesterday. He has a paper to do every day this week. Why so many? Should I speak to school to see if he can opt out if it?

It really depends on school’s approach. My Dd did “Secret Agent Training Scheme” (SATS) and had no idea it was her SATs in ks1.

my personal view is it’s important for them to gently experience it or you delay dealing with the stress to GCSEs but it should be very soft touch, just so teachers can check they’re teaching you right and if you can’t do it that lets the Teacher know they need to do a bit more teaching on that bit. I’d be focusing on talking it through and distraction.

But you know your dc. And only you can be his advocate if it’s too much for him.

At DDs school there have been lots of changes e.g. tables moved around, more outdoor play, different break times. For most children these are positive, as it's more fun, but might be challenging if a child needs routine.

How was he after school today? Talk to school if he is struggling and see what they suggest.

KS1 teacher

You can't opt out unless he can't access the content of the tests. There's no set time for the tests so he can complete them in as long or as short a time as he can manage and he can stop and come back to them if needs be.

It's a crap system for 6/7 year olds. Not that it helps your DS but these are the last year of compulsory tests. As teachers we don't even have to submit the results - only our own teacher assessments!

Also he doesn't have to do them this week. They just have to be competed by the end of May so you could ask if he could do 2 papers this week and 2 papers next week.

Is this really true? It would be amazing if they are scrapping them as my DD is in Y1 and is being closely monitored for dyslexia. It is fairly obvious there is an issue but we can't get a full assessment till after she is 7. And I was dreading the tests next year. Its unlikely she will pass phonics assessment this year either.

@OhhhhhhhhBiscuits They're optional next year so we still have to submit our teacher assessments but don't have to administer the tests (either in May or at all!).

Thank you! Now to keep my fingers crossed they don't do them next year at our school! It would just take a lot of pressure off. She is the most amazing kid, she is so creative and she gets very upset that phonics and writing alludes her.

@OhhhhhhhhBiscuits

It may not help depending on her level of need but do you know what strategies they use to get them through the phonics screening? The children are allowed to put sound buttons on the words during the screening (if that's normal classroom practice!) and it just gives those who struggle a strategy rather than staring at the page blankly. It also makes them slow down and really look at the combination of sounds - although I appreciate this may be her exact issue depending on the dyslexic profile!

You can't opt out unless he can't access the content of the tests.

The administration guidance states that children should not take them if they are not in a fit physical and mental state at the time of the test. A child who becomes repeatedly distressed could be opted out on this basis.

I was shocked at how many papers there were. I’m not sure why we ever got to the place where testing 6/7 year olds in this way was ok. I have a 6yo doing them at the moment. It’s all low key but in my mind she’s far too young to be doing exams. The teachers know where they are developmentally. Small children like the OP’s son shouldn’t be put in the position where they’re stressed out by this sort of thing- it’s just very sad when they’re tiny.

We had a pep talk at parents evening. The children are being given 'quizzes' in special books. We are not to tell them they are exams as they don't want them stressed. Had a parent mail to remind us. DS seems to be taking it in his stride.
Interestingly they make a massive fuss about the Y6 exams.

Probably because the progress score from KS1 to KS2 makes them look good if they score low at KS1 and high at KS2 as they're measured on this.

Ours is doing 2 papers each week. Some children in the class don’t have to do them so you should ask what the criteria is.

Also tell him it doesn’t matter at all how he does on these - he shouldn’t really need to do it at all given they’re getting rid of year 2 sats completely after this year.