A few questions about Year 2 SATS

[sandyballs]

1. What does SAT stand for?

2. I've heard they are more a test of a teachers ability to teach, than a reflection of your child's academic level. True or not?

3. What will they be required to do/know?

4. Do parents find out the results?

5. Does the result have any bearing on their future education?

Thanks. Just curious really, seems odd to be testing a bunch of 6/7 year olds. A friend of mine is really worried as her DD has only just started to read so how will she cope with reading an exam paper, or will they do that for her?

[sandyballs]

Anyone?

[chocfest]

Sorry, unable to answer much except that I gather it is for the school performance tables rather than the childs ability.

I would certainly not stress over them, we actually have gone on holiday deliberately to avoid them. I do know if a child cannot yet read and therefore understand the task, they then do something similar in a practical way ( we were told DS2 would be doing this) We are very much against testing at such a young age, hence the holidays!!)

The result has no bearing on future education, as far as I know, and the parents are informed at the end of term report. (well thats how we have been informed in the past with our others.)

hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along shortly!!

[GodzillasNotAmused1BitBumcheek]

I think the results are used to group your child in the classroom with others of the same ability.

Standard Achievement Test i think it stands for, but that's a guess!

Teachers would probably be miffed if you said it's more of a measure of their ability to teach...but in reality it's a very inaccurate method of seeing how much your child has learned/improved over time

You will probably find out the results on Parent's Evening, but if not, ask, as they aren't a secret!

[catok]

1. Standard Assessment Tasks.

2. Not true really - all pupils are given tasks to do and the teacher adds their assessments from the Key Stage, so child has usually had more than one teacher by then anyway. Tasks are internally and can be externally moderated, so should, ideally, be fair.
3. Maths and English.
4. Yes - results range from W(working towards level 1), then 1C,1B,1A,2C,2B,2A,3.
At the end of KS1 a child cannot be given a result higher than a plain '3', it is not subdivided into C,B,A until Years 3-6.
5. In a primary school, it's easier for the teachers to discuss individual pupils and the levels at which they are working. If the child goes from infant school to a separate junior school, although a teacher's comments go with them, it's really helpful to see the SATs levels to have an idea from the start of which level they are at. Would it be just as useful to use the teacher's comments alone? Yes!
The original idea of SATs was that, wherever in the country a child moved, a new school would be able to pitch work at the right level with a minimum of disruption.
And the disruption SATs cause?! Should be minimal in Year 2. If the school is making a big deal out of SATs, then that suggests that they're scared their teaching is not good enough!!!