Can you refuse SATS

[Zizi444]

Can you refuse to allow your child to sit SATS? What would happen if they were off on that day?

In my opinion they are a pointless waste of time are purley for the schools benefit. They serve no purpose for the kids other than to stress them out. My eldest never did them due to covid and I'd prefer my youngest not to do them but I'm not sure if this is an option.
Thanks

Year 2 or 6?

They have a 2 week period they can sit them (Y6). Y2 ones are not statutory now

I mean you can keep them off but a) it’ll be unauthorised unless your kid is sick and b) they might find themselves doing the tests later in the week when they return to school…

Why are they stressed out? Are you putting your stress on them? I told my kids they meant nothing and to just enjoy the special breakfast mornings and to do their best. Let the school worry about it.

Year 6

Yes you absolutely can.

My year 6 was struggling with anxiety so he didn't sit them at my request.

They are for the school's benefit not the child's .

🍿

No I'm not stressed about them but my daughter is. The school seem to generate anxiety by talking about them constantly .

They use them to set the kids in Year 7 l believe.

I totally agree.

Was this recently?

What do people think it means when they say "purely for the school's benefit?"

No it was several years ago but the rules haven't changed on it.

The school might object but if the child is stressed you may be able to get medical support.

FWIW my son is now at a top university. He had undiagnosed SEN which made him anxious at school.

The school will be very unlikely to allow your child to sit out unless they are well below the level expected. If you keep them off they will likely arrange for them to be done when they return. You would have to keep them off for a long time to ensure they don't have the chance to sit them. They are only stressful if you allow them to be. You tell your kids to just do their best and don't give them anymore attention than that.

It is a bit of a rite of passage in y6. They have been working towards them for the past year and most kids accept them as part of the svhool year. The school usually make a fuss of them that week. The following weeks involve some fun stuff as a reward etc.

Not the same but my son won't be doing the Year 4 timetable test. He's missed a lot of school and it's just going to stress him out.

I don't care if it goes down as unauthorised absence, he isn't doing it.

Just tell them to try their best. That’s all they can do. It’s not a big deal 🤷‍♀️

Teachers and schools are measured against SAT results, it's in their interests for the child to do well and sit them.

Have you ever heard of children being prevented by schools from sitting sats ? Because that absolutely happens in some schools, they don't want the poor results either.

In terms of secondary streaming there are often separate tests for streaming purposes in secondary schools anyway.

Private school kids don't take sats either.

If your child is behind and that's why they're stressed, then fair enough.

If they're doing OK and expected to get decent results, why wouldn't you want them to learn exam technique/ stress management strategies/ feeling hood about themselves/ a feeling of accomplishment?

You know they'll be doing exams as they get older, right?

Practice makes perfect.

Being resilient and dealing with the stresses life throws at you are bloody inportant skills to have.

Unless you want kids who will bail if things are challenging.

If you look at
https://letthekidsbekids.wordpress.com/

you’ll find a template letter to withdraw your child from the pointless test. The school won’t like it but you’ll just have to hold firm. Ignore the posters saying ReSILiENCE! they won’t understand what the pressure is like in year 6 classrooms today. Your child. Your choice.

Boo to you @picturethispatsy

I'm sorry there isn't a dv button for your post!

You can keep your child off but if they are in school, they are expected to take them, unless they have been previously disapplied. I’ve only ever known children to be disapplied due to working well below the y6 level (e.g still working on the key stage one curriculum so not able to score on a SATS paper.)

SATs can be taken for a period of time after the initial testing date (I can’t remember exactly how long) and children are not permitted to mix with peers during this time if they have not yet say the papers.

I would speak to the school to share your concerns and see what support they can offer.

Whilst tests can be stressful, they also can’t be completely avoided. It is likely your child will face many tests once they get to secondary school, and you won’t always have the option to opt out. Managing stress and nerves is a skill which you will need to support your child with.

Can you tell school to mute it as they are making her anxious and therefore her performance will be worse than if they chilled out.

What does that even mean?

You do know that if children are disapplied by school that their results still count in league tables? So if a child is told not to take SATS (because for example they are working well below key stage level) that will go down as not passing, and impact the overall scores of the year group accordingly. If a school doesn’t want a child to do the test, it will be because that’s because it’s in the best interest of that child, not the school. If a child who was going to pass doesn’t sit the SATS then they go down as not passing, and impact the results accordingly.

Yes so that proves my point.

it is in the schools interest for the capable child to sit the sats.

Mine was capable but anxious.

He got over the anxiety once his special needs were accommodated and is now at UCL having achieved top A Levels.

it didn't affect his resilience one iota.

@Zizi444

Many things to say....

A LOT of primary school is setting the kids up for later school (and life) experiences (I know this because I work in 2 v different schools).
So, yes, you might withdraw you kid from some part of that experience.
But you are ACTUALLY depriving them of part of the "journey"
Yes, on one level, SATS are rubbish, and a horrible experience for many children
BUT....
a) did you choose your child's school based, even in part, on an ofsted report? If so, a part of that would have been their ofsted results.
Maybe just me, but to me there's something a bit horrible about climbing a ladder and then pulling up the ladder after you've climbed it to stop other people following you.
I accept its because I work in schools, but to me if a school had worked ok for your kid, it's mean and selfish to be part of preventing those coming after you to benefit in the same way.
I accept this argument will leave you cold.
b) you kid WILL have to sit exams and tests before they get to gcse and A level. The more practice and "normal" it is for them the better they'll be able to cope when it's "proper" exams and A levels and beyond.
You swooping in now, in the short term might be lovely in the short term.
But you're actually doing them no favours in the medium to long term.
I accept that's hard to compute when your kid is 10/11
c) secondaries, although they do their own tests, projects forwards from SATS. Before your kid walks through their door, they have a projection of how they'll perform in gcses, including subjects they've never done before. AND a plan of how to support them so they achieve well.

But... yay. Pull your kid out if you think that's a good parenting choice.

Go you

Fist bump 👊