SATs test appeal

[Clearinguptheclutter]

Hi, wondering if anyone in the know can help. My son is disappointed with his reading sats scores. He got excellent scores in Spag and Maths but only 108 in reading despite getting 113 in his mock and the teacher apparently expecting 115+.
I've told him he's done really well etc and am playing it all down. But it turns out that the teacher has already appealed as she has 'found some extra marks in his paper'.
Just wondering if you can reassure me that a. it really doesn't matter (I think it does to the school though, hence the appeal) and b. what the chances of getting the score revised are?

Secondary schools are set targets for GCSE grades from SAT results. It’s a progress measure that they are obligated to meet.

The targets would be updated automatically in the case of any marking review.

I'd say it doesn't matter - our secondary did their own assessments once the kids had settled. Then assessed at end of topics. Kids moved around settings based on end of topics assessments. Focus on reinforcing the learning once in Secondary. Enjoy summer.

Yep, kids are actually far worse off over-achieving on SATs because of the stupid rigidity of the targets in many schools.

The rigidity of the targets is down to the DfE! How they respond to them is down to the school. But they cannot ignore them.

Why would they be 'far worse off over-achieving on SATs'?

Some secondary schools use SATs marks as target grades for GCSE and these are immovable. So if you are very taught to the test for SATs, and do very well (some schools spend the whole of year 6 on just SATS prep, some don't apparently) then you are set unachievable targets and will end up throughout secondary school being told you are 'failing'. The fact that SATs tests don't include an assessment of writing means its a particular a problem for some Dyslexic children or those who are outstanding at maths and average at English. SPAG is mostly multiple choice so the structure of the test can mask poor spelling and grammar. It's absolutely mad that SATs results should determine your GCSE target grade in Art but yes many schools are that stupid.

So personally I think a child is better off doing worse than expected on SATs and being upset for maybe at most a few weeks, rather than being told at regular intervals throughout secondary school that they are failing.

Yes but they don't have to use and present them in a way that tells children they are constantly failing when the target set is unrealistic. My son achieved every well in SATs and CATs but started secondary school 2 years behind age expected in English writing. His target grade for ALL subjects is 7/8/9 and they won't change these even though a 4 is what he really should get in English, a 5 would be amazing. Interestingly his target in art is also a 7/8/9 despite the fact he is Dyspraxic with very poor fine motor skills and the curriculum is largely based on drawing so inevitably he will always fail that one as well. At least he can drop art. He will continue to 'fail' English.

Agreed. Oh, don’t get me started on targets. Parents don’t realise that whatever GCSE subjects their children take, the school’s targets they have to meet (note the school, not the students) are all based on what the child got in an hour or less in Reading or Maths when they were 10 or 11 in May. Doesn’t matter what - Geography, Drama, DT, whatever. And most ridiculous thing is that their Science target is also based on that - instead of the Science TA Y6 teachers have to submit in Y6 as statutory. Totally nonsensical.

The SATs are more a measure of the school rather than the child, that’s why they want a higher score. Don’t worry about it.

Agree. I have 3 children on 109 and it makes 12% difference to our performance. But that’s on me and out school, not them. I have one I’m applying for a review for, but not one of those children either know about our review or know that I am not 100% proud of any of them. They did the best on the day and are still greater depth readers. An hour’s test where they fell short once doesn’t disprove this. My teacher assessment of many hours of evidence is a sound judgement!

That came out wrong. I AM 100% proud of all of them!!

What the?! I just don't see the point? Unless an extra point or 2 is the difference between getting into a grammar or not?

Even if he didn't score as expected, everyone has off days. Nerves etc. I'd be talking about managing that...

Are the scores related to everyone else's performance too? In which case, it's not even really about him. It's about where he sits in comparison to others. Not sure about this but that's the impression I had...

One thing is handwriting skill and the other is the ability to write: a story creation. My dyspraxic son EXC because they allow him typing. And he types fast. I am surprised they have not allowed that to your son

All exams in life are based on test. A lengthy preparation to take them is nothing strange. SATs, GCSE are more or less reflecting the knowledge and ability to take the test.
My son has 118 SPAG, 117 Math, 108 Reading and by all means I hope they will from Sept expect from him a lot in secondary school

My high school did a test in the first month in reading, spelling, and maths. They didnt trust the sats scores. What im saying is it doesnt matter and the high school will probably have their own system of working out the students abilities. Also you can move up and down in the sets so sets arent final. The sats are only important to the schools

They can do tests and not trust SATs all they like, but they are still held to account over the scores 5 years later.

It is the ongoing mobility up and down between sets that keeps them at a right level

To go from 108 to 110 would be quite a few marks. When appealling in the past we may find one or two marks but probably not enough to go up 2 standardised points. So probably won’t make much difference.
Also 108 is a perfectly decent score and will have no impact on their future results.

@bubbles3258 that sounds really unfair. My dc got 120 in SPAG, 116 in maths and 114 in reading. She works really hard and her school did prep them rather well, although I think she was the only one with a 120 score in any of the topics.

SPAG was very easy this year. My son got 118 and he is not an avid reader.
Reading was most difficult because the last page involved quite a bit of writing responses rather than multiple choice. So the issue was in limited time