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Primary education

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

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Original poster

Are Yr6 pupils really supposed to live, breathe and eat just 3 subjects all year?

28 replies

OrmIrian · 08/05/2008 20:33

Or is our school just getting into serious SATs panic mode?

Because in a burst of pre-SATs resentment on Monday DS#1 tells me that the has done no history or geography since last year. And science is just more tests and no real science. No RE either but that doesn't seem to bother him. And one hr lesson of PE. Ditto music.

Is that normal? And if so isn't it spectacularly appalling? Having been a sort of 'oh dear, I know SATs are a pita dear but just get your head down and get it over with' sort of parent, I am now quite annoyed. In what way is only learning about numbers, letter and (by a very narrow definition) science an 'education'? And so much of it is revision.

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kittywise · 08/05/2008 22:28

Our school never mention 'sats' the kids aren't much aware of them either and as far as I know they continue to have a really good, broad curriculum.
I do know that some schools go loopy over them, even with infants.

The mind boggles!!

SlartyBartFast · 08/05/2008 22:29

my dd seems to think she has been doing sats since january... seriously... they must be mocks.

QueenMeabhOfConnaught · 08/05/2008 22:31

OrmIrian, my son's school is the same - I can't wait for it all to be over!

SNoraWotzThat · 08/05/2008 22:36

Year 6 is a complete waste of time because of SATS and when they are over, they don't do much till they leave Primary school. You might as well take them out of school and travel for 6 months around the UK or anywhere, or just keep them at home in fact . Far more fun, productive and educational.

OrmIrian - I see you have been on the other thread did you sign?

Berries · 08/05/2008 22:44

DD1 (State) had Sats revision only from Jan. Was completely burned out by the time they came round, but some of the children who were definitely L3 managed to achieve L4 - great for their morale but dread to think what happens when they get to high schol (BTW one of the 'top' performing schools in a high performing county)
DD2 (ind from y4) has started Sats revision last week, but is concentrating on the school play. Non-selective school, wide range of abilities but I suspect the results are going to be very similar. Number of children in class in both schools very similar for most of the key subjects (dd1s school able to split classes for English & maths so went down to approx 17-18 children per class for these subjects)
Do I think Sats add anything for School or Pupil - no

Troutpout · 08/05/2008 22:46

Yes they are...No History,RE, Geography,French,Art or music and only 1 lesson of PE per week atm for my son too.
He absolutely hates school atm...all they are doing is either mock sats or sats lessons all day.
The teachers spend a lot of time telling them that they will 'have fun once the sats are over'...and keep behaviour in check (it's gone right off in his class) by threatening no PGL trip in June if they can't behave.
It's miserable

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/05/2008 07:53

It goes a long way to explaining why he has been so anti-school all this year. Inspite of having one of the best teachers he's ever had (IMO).

berries - I have to say that if the test results are anything to go by he has definitely improved. He has gone up to a lever 5c for most subjects a lot of the time. Still don't think it's worth it though.

snorawotzthat - not yet. I was finding the site hard to find my way around and I was in the office yesterday. I will do so today.

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Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/05/2008 09:13

snora - have just signed.

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SorenLorensen · 09/05/2008 09:19

Yup, I hate it - and, for the first time, I have refused to toe the "support school" line and when when ds1 said the other day "but Mrs J says they are really really important - for our futures" I'm afraid I said "no, they're not - they're important for the school, that's all." I don't think the promised "fun" and PGL trip (my children are at the same school as Troutpout's) can possibly make up for the grinding emphasis on the SATs for pretty much all of this academic year.

cory · 09/05/2008 09:25

We must be really lucky; dd's school is choosing to treat it as a positive experience, a chance to have a new and exciting look at the subject, not something to get stressed about. It helps that the maths teacher (dd's weakest subject) is very, very good and interested in the subject. Literacy teacher also very good, though tbh it would take a lot to spoil literacy for dd.

SATS seem to have a bonding effect on her class; lots of giggling and jokes, and the teachers are treating them more as grown-ups, which dd relishes.

Noone has told them any lies about these exams being important for their futures.

cory · 09/05/2008 09:26

Oh and I don't think the fun and trips that follow after SATS are a waste of time either. What could be more educational than having fun with your friends?

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/05/2008 09:27

But are yours studying any other subjects cory? That was what bothered me.

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joggingalong · 09/05/2008 11:27

What a load of tosh!
Children at state schools have to be taught a broad and balanced curriculum. They will have covered at least one history, one geography and one technology project during the year. They will have also been doing weekly RE, music, PE, art, PSHE etc.

OrmIrian - your ds may feel he's doing loads of SATs stuff, especially this week as the tests are next and most schools like to prepare the children. He will however have been doing other subjects as well. Have you not visited the school since last year/ been to a parents evening/ looked at his work? Maybe you should talk to his teacher.

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/05/2008 11:34

Thanks for the measured response joggingalong .

Yes of course I've been to parents' evenings. But the emphasis on both occasions was on literacy (especially improving reading levels throughout the school), maths and science. Lots of numbers bandied about. I can honestly say that we were not shown any work for other subjects. And we didn't ask. Didn't really see it as an issue until DS started to complain.

I could indeed speak to his teacher but as they are doing SATS next week it seems a bit pointless. And who decides what is 'a broad and balanced curriculum'. If it's the same person who decided that one hour of PE is enough I don't hold out much hope.

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joggingalong · 09/05/2008 11:54

To see what schools have to teach look at this page and this page.

I agree one hour PE a week is not enough.

Blandmum · 09/05/2008 11:55

My dd (year 6) is on a history trip this week. Thank god.

Sats matter for the school, not for the child. Most, if not all secondary schools will dotheir own testing in year 7. No employer is going to ask them how they did in their SATs

BrassicaNapusNapobrassica · 09/05/2008 13:29

OrmIrian - It is spectacularly appalling. SATs are the enemy of education.

PrimulaVeris · 09/05/2008 13:29

Had Y6 sats last year -pressure definitely on but they still did hist, geog, D&T, RE etc, though possibly less of it in the term immediately prior to SATS.

Post-sats lots of project work, art week, trips - things like that.

The teacher DID tell them she wanted them to do well and that SATS were important. But the greatest pressure actually came from some of the parents - several children were tutored outside school 'so they can be top of the class at secondary' or 'well I want 3 5's guaranteed'. Which was all bollocks.

WowOoo · 09/05/2008 13:47

I thought 2 hours of P.E. was compulsory.
Just think it's so sad that their wider education loses out to SATs. I so enjoyed my last year at Primary. Oh, the good old days...

Original poster

OrmIrian · 09/05/2008 13:53

We're letting him get away with more stuff at home just so that he can let off steam. Like spending all evening (until about 7) out with his mates and his skateboard. When he comes in he is being allowed to watch a bit of crap on TV and then he and I read The Subtle Knife together. It will all be over soon. No hw to do (hurray!).

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roisin · 09/05/2008 17:30

DS1 is in yr6. His school hardly mentioned SATs until after Easter. They've done masses of stuff this year - art, drama, dance, PE, IT, music, Egytians, Space, Tudors, etc.

The last 5 weeks have been mostly SATs-related, but they've still done plenty of other activities too.

He's looking forward to doing the tests next week: he wants to do his best, but he's not the least bit stressed about it.

Berries · 09/05/2008 22:21

At dd1s school DT, ICT, music and art were all cut down in the Spring term (Jan - Apr) and canned completely in summer term until after Sats. they get away with it because the total time in the year adds up, they save the DT, ICT etc until after the sats. They did keep up with history & geography, but the emphasis was on the literacy skills displayed, not fostering a knowledge of the subject. Not tosh - just fact

leosdad · 11/05/2008 15:30

have spent most of DD's year 6 doing things other than sats at home with her such as music, looking at other countries and some history.

The sats type homework has been largely ignored be me as it is stuff that she already knows (got to level 5 maths and english in year 5 and has done nothing extra)

Quite frankly no longer give a sh** what mark she gets as it is the schools interest for her to do well not hers (secondary will reassess in september anyway) and I no longer care about the school (even though younger DC is still there but that is another problem still in infant school which is good junior part leaves lot to be desired)

mrz · 11/05/2008 16:43

The primary curriculum is so overloaded and set to get more so that to fit everything in 1hour PE can be a struggle.
The government has plans that all children's test results will be recorded electronically and go with then throughout their lifetime

stitch · 11/05/2008 16:45

depending on th eliteracy, you can learn a great deal about the world in english

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