Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

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

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Yr 6 SATs and although I know I shouldn't care..

61 replies

OrmIrian · 29/04/2008 11:59

and it won't affect his school place for next year, and we're playing it very low key and not making a fuss but I find that I do care. I am nervous for him and worrying that he's worried and ....basically I want it all over.

Next week is test SATS all week. Week after the real thing. We've already had the 'make sure your child is in school come hell or highwater letter'.

I hate exams. Hated them when I was at school and hate them by proxy for my DCs now

Anyone else feeling like this?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

unknownrebelbang · 30/04/2008 09:13

Not worried at all about DS1 taking yr9 SATS, and wasn't anxious about his yr6 SATS.

Am a little bit anxious about DS2 taking yr6 SATS.

mrspnut · 30/04/2008 09:19

DD1 has done about 3 lots of practice tests so far, the last were last week.

They're going through all the things they were weak on in the tests this week and last week but she's quietly confident that she'll do well.

She's mostly looking forward to all the treats after SATs, they're going to Doncaster swimming and ice skating, Caythorpe Hall in july and we're going on holiday at the end of june for a week. They're also performing Oliver and have loads of parties and stuff going on.

bellavita · 30/04/2008 09:37

DS1 is doing his practice tests this week - they did 3 papers yesterday.

He has a broken right arm at the moment, but he told me he is managing to write with it albeit on a scruffy scale, but he seems to be managing.

I think I worry more than him only because I know he is a sensitive boy and easily upset if things don't go according to plan - very unlike DS2 who could not give a flying ...

mumoftwo37 · 30/04/2008 09:47

Bellavita DS2 went to Caythorpe Court last year with his school. He had a brilliant time - was knackered when he got back as they were up at 7ish out by 8 and not in until 6ish for dinner then most nights had something on after.
With reagrds to SATS my DS2 is stressing - they have been practicing for weeks now, even bringing them home for homework. He has also seen DS1 go through them to. I think too much emphasis is put on them as they are testing the school/teachers really not the kids. Should be done away with IMO.

bellavita · 30/04/2008 09:59

mumof - did you send DS2 with waterproofs etc?

mumoftwo37 · 30/04/2008 10:03

Yeah you need waterproofs, my DS went in July last year when we had torrential rain and thuderstorms etc.. They do a lot of watersports too. I went to SoccerSports and got waterproof trousers for less than £5 a pair and send black socks- you will never get them clean. I sent DS1's old clothes with him and chucked them out after. He needs a sleeping bag and pillow. The school gave us a kit list which I stuck to as did the other parents but the teachers spent half the week drying the clothes out as the weather was so bad! If you have room pack a couple of spre outfits.

bellavita · 30/04/2008 10:08

Got the sleeping bag - managed to get one half price in a sale at Blacks.

This is the thing - they go on the 23rd June and I know we had all the floods here around that time last year. But it could be nice warm sunny weather so do I pack shorts as well as jogger trousers?

mumoftwo37 · 30/04/2008 10:15

Yeah I packed shorts too - they have discos and indoor things at night too. My DS also wore them under his waterproofs. My DS's school made a big thing of how the kids were responsible for their bags so I got him one on wheels.

ajandjjmum · 30/04/2008 10:17

Ds loves exams as it means that don't have lessons that day!!!

bellavita · 30/04/2008 10:27

Mumof - That's the very thing they are bigging up on - being able to carry their own stuff. Luckily the boys have their own small suitcases on wheels so he can use one of them.

We have a meeting next Thursday at school so hopefully we can get some more info. You just don't want your child to be the odd one out though.

You have been very helpful - thanks.

clam · 30/04/2008 11:09

KS2 SATs aren't next week, but the week after (12th - 16th May).

roisin · 30/04/2008 16:50

ds1 only did their first proper, marked practice papers last week. He's a lot more chilled now because he's had some marks back and has done very well.

clam · 30/04/2008 17:55

So foofi/treelover etc...... just for the benefit of the school, so no sweat. That'll be the same school (and teachers) who have sweated blood giving their best to get the best for your child. You've taken what you want from them (including an 11+ result??) so now they can shove it. Great.

stitch · 30/04/2008 18:09

clam, i truly dont believe the school have sweated blood or tears, or even been particularly bothered about ds in fact. i do know that he has been bullied and beaten up and the head has refused to do anything constructive about it. i know the head and his side kick have made him feel as if he is to blame on many occasions when it was the system, their system that failed him.

He has had a wonderful wonderful senco, a wonderful year 6 teacher, and a wonderful year 2 teacher. the rest, well, he has survived the experience, that is all that can be said.

clam · 30/04/2008 18:29

In general terms, in most schools, there are extremely dedicated staff who work their socks off to raise standards across the board for all children to benefit from - notjust in tests, but in extra-curricular areas. Parents then, not surprisingly, fight to get their children into these "good" schools. But when it comes to SATs, which is PART of how a school can demonstrate one area of its worth, we hear of parents saying, "sod it, my kid's leaving, so what?" That attitude annoys me, that's all. And I wouldn't have thought it was instilling a particularly good attitude towards work in the kids, either.

frankiesbestfriend · 30/04/2008 20:40

Clam, my 7yo dd is under intense pressure from her school to perform to level 3 standard in her key stage 1 sats- 2 practice papers, 4 reading books, spellings, maths and a written piece to complete every week at home.

Of course I am in favour of raising standards but not at the expense of my daughters happiness.
Tonight she was sat in the bath crying because we have not managed to complete her homework.

Schools should not expect good results as some kind of 'payback' for providing education.

If the school has indeed 'worked it's socks off' and provided the pupils with a good standard of education, the children should be acheiving well regardless of parental attitude.

islandofsodor · 30/04/2008 20:43

A letter like that would piddle me right off. In fact I would purposely decide my dc was not well enough on one day to go to school just to be crossomical. How dare they subject 10 year olds to this level of stress and pressure for no useful purpose. In fact I tryuly believe that SATS are detrimental to a good education.

clam · 01/05/2008 08:25

So, write to your MP about it. It's the government's idea to supposedly prove that they're doing a good job by inflicting SATs on a generation of kids. Take a straw poll of teachers and whether they're in favour of dumping the whole thing and I can tell you now how it would go. They're under intolerab;e pressure themselves to perform to a certain standard and most try extremely hard not to pass that stress on to the kids. Practice like Frankie's DC at 7 is unnecessary. A little bit at 11, maybe, but at 7 they should be out on their bikes playing after school, not revising.
And no school "expects" payback. They continue striving for excellence in spite of some parents' attitudes.

Original poster

OrmIrian · 01/05/2008 09:52

frankie - "Tonight she was sat in the bath crying because we have not managed to complete her homework." My DD does this regardless of pressure from school . She's in Yr4 now - SATS are going to be a nightmare.

clam - I am very grateful to my DC's school. I don't think that any of them are going to be high-fliers and I know the school has problems but by and large it has been a wonderful nurturing enviroment and they've been happy. And if my DS does well and it reflects well on the staff I will be delighted. But it's still not much fun. For anyone. Maybe a memory of exams when I was a child but the whole thing fills me with terror.

OP posts:

claricebeansmum · 01/05/2008 09:55

I am a slightly dippy mother who can be a bit vague so I would like to know why do the SATs matter - especially in Yr 6? Isn't it essentially the school being tested? If your child has place at next schoo why the stress? My DD has SATs soon but I have been oblivious to them up until now...

stitch · 01/05/2008 09:57

clam, i wont let ds off the hook from his sats, neither have i let him know of this attitude, at least not knowingly, however, he is a smart kid, and can no doubt compare the stress he was under from us for his eleven plus, with the total lack of stress he is getting from us now.
i do expect him to get a level five. i have told him this, and it is not an unreasonable expectation from him, and he knows this too.
however, i wont put him through the awful stress he was under four to six months ago.

GodzillasPimplyBumcheek · 01/05/2008 10:01

In most schools the teachers work their socks off? That, while being debateable anyway, doesn't give them the right to pressure 10 year olds into depression and fear. That is bullying, whether from a teacher or not.

frankiesbestfriend · 01/05/2008 10:02

May well do that, Clam.

I am not blaming dc school for the situation.

I was perfectly happy with dcs school until blardy Ofsted placed the school in special measures, in the main due to the lack of key stage 1 pupils achieving level 3s.

Placing pupils and teachers under so much pressure to perform is not condusive to good school morale.
I worry that this situation is turning my dd off learning for good. We used to enjoy reading for pleasure, and now this has become a chore for my dd.

Also the children not expected to achieve the higher levels are not receiving the same level of 'support' as my dd.

seeker · 01/05/2008 10:06

frankiesbestfriend - the simple answer is just not to do the extra work. My ds is expected to get 3s as well, but he has had absolutely no homework at all. He and a couple of others have been taken out of class for 30 minutes or so a day to do a bit of extra work but that's it.

I would rather he got unstressed 2s than cried in the bath about getting 3s.

frankiesbestfriend · 01/05/2008 10:17

Seeker- my dd is such a worrier and so eager to please her teacher that the idea of not doing the extra work fills her with horror.

My dd is also being taken out of class to do extra work with the headteacher.

Level 2s would be absolutely fine for me, but dd really does want to achieve the higher levels.

I also worry about her self esteem if she does get level 2s. She does not deal with dissapointment well.

Flip

1 2 3