KS2 SATs next week. To do weekend homework or not?

[clam]

DD has been exhibiting a bit of stress over these recently (first time in her life she's appeared bothered by anything at school, so I'm not worrying too much about it, as in a way she could do with waking up a bit). However, she has just come home with a sheet which, although it starts off with all the "well done, you've worked so hard, no worrying allowed" stuff, nonetheless goes on to detail 3 quite lengthy and time-consuming (in my opinion as a teacher) revision tasks to do over the next week.
I think she should have a relaxed weekend, but don't want to be arsey about it.
What do you think?

I agree with you. I think if they don't know it by now it's a bit late! SATs are supposed to be an assessment of the last 4 years not the last 4 days
We will be having a relaxing schoolwork-free weekend (like normal - I refuse point blank to get involved in homework at the weekend - we have better things to do) I wouldn't mind getting arsey about it either

I'd leave it up to her. Ds1 has sats next week and it's annoying dh that ds1's getting stressed, but doesn't actually pick up a study book!

Be relaxed. Ds1 has put loads of pressure on himself by saying what he wants to achieve and I don't think he'll get what he wants.

I certainly won't be encouraging dd1 to do anything. This whole SATS thing is an utter waste of their time imo and it makes me very angry that this stupid system has caused my dd's friends and their parents so much anxiety. Dd1 seems ok - she knows that we are proud of her and cherish her achievements - and don't give a flying hoot what she gets. I wish you could opt out tbh - I certainly would though school would be gutted because she is very bright.

I'm with you clam... if they don't know it now, they never will.. also its DS's 11th birthday on saturday, and I think he needs a break, we've (note I said we) had so much homework recently we all need a break.

Well, she's made a start on it - on her own initiative, although there's some definite flouncing going on. DS just got earful when he asked if she had a sharpener!
Roll on next Friday!

SATS - pah, don't swear at me! My totally level-headed 11 year old spent the Saturday evening of the bank holiday weekend in floods of tears over the KS2 SAT exams. We eventually got him to sleep at 11pm - how is this adding to his social and emotional development Ed Balls?? Plastered all over the news is how the NAHT (National Association of head teachers) want to boycott SATS. Boycott now, this year. The government produce data tables which tell schools, for example, that for the last two years, their mental maths results have gone down/gone up, or whatever. Most schools with effective management and assessment systems in place can tell you this. Why should our children be put under such stress so that the DCSF, (department for cushions and soft furnishings) can produce these ridiculous little graphs that the schools know anyway! Point to note - the little graphs that are generated from SATS results - that should be out by October at the latest, have only just been released for last summers KS2 SATS. Schools have a totally independent professional body - OFSTED, to judge the quality of learning and teaching. Why can't the government education department also be inspected by OFSTED? Because I would judge the SATS fiasco from last year as pretty bl**dy inadequate and in dire need of special measures.
Sorry to rant folks, but the effect that this is having on our children is shameful. Who rates the old 11+ as a good thing? Well KS2 SATS involve more exams than the old 11+. There are better ways of assessing if a school is teaching and developing the potential of our children than this anal system.
Most of the final year at primary school is spent preparing for these stressful exams. Who is developing my child's artistic, musical, historic and geographic knowledge? How mucgh time has been spent developing his citizenship and understanding of other religions, cultures, ways of life? ....oh, sorry, can this not be assessed by a tick box or an answer grid?
Mumsnetters, HELP!!! We need to stop this archaic, Tom Brown's Schooldays system now. My child has been put off the entire education system by this narrow testing regime. I believe in educating and developing the whole child - a full years enjoyment of education and the desire to learn is being trampled on.
At the end of the day, why should a little boy be crying himself to sleep in his Mum's arms to fulfil the political manipulations of any govenment.

SATS - pah, don't swear at me! My totally level-headed 11 year old spent the Saturday evening of the bank holiday weekend in floods of tears over the KS2 SAT exams. We eventually got him to sleep at 11pm - how is this adding to his social and emotional development Ed Balls?? Plastered all over the news is how the NAHT (National Association of head teachers) want to boycott SATS. Boycott now, this year. The government produce data tables which tell schools, for example, that for the last two years, their mental maths results have gone down/gone up, or whatever. Most schools with effective management and assessment systems in place can tell you this. Why should our children be put under such stress so that the DCSF, (department for cushions and soft furnishings) can produce these ridiculous little graphs that the schools know anyway! Point to note - the little graphs that are generated from SATS results - that should be out by October at the latest, have only just been released for last summers KS2 SATS. Schools have a totally independent professional body - OFSTED, to judge the quality of learning and teaching. Why can't the government education department also be inspected by OFSTED? Because I would judge the SATS fiasco from last year as pretty bl**dy inadequate and in dire need of special measures.
Sorry to rant folks, but the effect that this is having on our children is shameful. Who rates the old 11+ as a good thing? Well KS2 SATS involve more exams than the old 11+. There are better ways of assessing if a school is teaching and developing the potential of our children than this anal system.
Most of the final year at primary school is spent preparing for these stressful exams. Who is developing my child's artistic, musical, historic and geographic knowledge? How mucgh time has been spent developing his citizenship and understanding of other religions, cultures, ways of life? ....oh, sorry, can this not be assessed by a tick box or an answer grid?
Mumsnetters, HELP!!! We need to stop this archaic, Tom Brown's Schooldays system now. My child has been put off the entire education system by this narrow testing regime. I believe in educating and developing the whole child - a full years enjoyment of education and the desire to learn is being trampled on.
At the end of the day, why should a little boy be crying himself to sleep in his Mum's arms to fulfil the political manipulations of any government.

Sorry for ranting in stereo - don't know how that happened, maybe it's double vision!!

But worth saying twice, I feel!

I'm sick to death of the whole business, but the Gov't seem to think that 75% of us parents want them. Wonder where they got that idea from?

I heard that most parents are in favour, but am yet to meet a parent supporting them.

Ds1 had a fun day today to try and relax them all. I have a suggestion - don't have a countdown on the whiteboard then! Every day ds1 tells me how many days to go.

No, no,no!
Actively tell her NOT to revise this weekend, she needs a break.
My ds1 took his SATs last year after much revision (too much) at school, and he rarely did anything at home.
He got L5 for everything.
To be honest though it didn't count for anything once he went to Secondary school as they ignored all results, both SATs and Primary's own assessments, and made them sit their own exams to set them!
Total waste of time. They could have spent the whole of Y6 learning new things rather than revising the same old stuff over and over again.

No! I'm a year 6 teacher, the only homework my class are getting is relax.

A they do count for something at secondary that is a mumsnet myth that they don't!
My DS's school asked for their raw scores and have used them along with CATs for setting and target setting.
My DS went camping withthe scouts the weekend before sats, so just carry on as normal. My DD is doing them next week and not stressed at all, althouhgh she is getting a lot more homework than dS did 2 years ago.

Well DS1 is 11 and doing his next week. I ahd never heard of SATs until we moved from Scotland down here. (From a v good education system into a bad IMO) Ds1 has also been issued with 4 hours worth of homework to do over the weekend. Thats the amount of homework they get every week. Ds1 has been crying and getting very stressed over the whole thing, DH is away so I'm dealing with it (ontop of everything else) by myself.
Both Dses have slowly gone backwards since starting at this school - I don't know if this is a reflection on the school or the system as a whole!

bruffin, I would love to know which LA you're in!

East Hertfordshire, but every school in our area sets differently. Although they have done revision my DD has been still doing other subjects and even tag rugby

Neither my DC's experience of yr 6 has been anything like yours.

DD is having the time of her life at the moment and thoroughly enjoying school. She is off at a sleepover with a few other girls from her class, so I doubt there is too much worrying about revising going on

DS is dyslexic,but very academic and his yr6 SATS gave him a huge boost in confidence in his abilities.
I have only heard one parent in RL complain about SATS and she was saying her son hadn't done any History in yr6 and was playing up because he was bored, yet my ds had bought home a project on Mott and Baily castles. Unfortunately her son is very bright but a pita, who disrupts even when he hasn't got an excuse for being bored.

The problem with sats is the school and the way they handle them, not the exams themselves.

I'm in East Herts too. With dd1 and dd2 there was no pressure but this year with dd3 the teacher said he expects them all to get level 5! dd3 has been revising and ignoring me when I say to leave it. They have been doing lots of sports tournaments though so it hasn't been all work.

With secondary dd1's school didn't use the SAT scores as there was no setting at all in year 7 but dd2's did. So even within the same area there are no hard and fast rules.

DD1 has SATS next week and they haven't been given any homework at all, and won't be next weekend either apprently.

I am lucky in that dd seems to be taking the whole thing in her stride. I have not once suggested that she do any revision but I know she has been doing some.

Leave the homework and let her have a rest. My DD has SATS KS2 next week and she is doing nothing but slob about this weekend.

She's already worked hard for entrance exams this year. I don't see why I should worry her over such supremely unimportant exams.

Fortunately, her school has told them to do no revision this weekend.

I ignored the homework and took my kids to see monsters v aliens at the pictures, followed by a slap up lunch at Nandos! My Y6 child has been a bit peaky this weekend, but more worryingly, my 7 yr old came home and said that he had sat exams next week!!!!! Aren't they supposed to be teacher assessments now???? I can't tell you how cross I am about all of this. The sooner the sats are replaced by on-going teacher assessment the better.