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Original poster

Why was my Y1 ds doing "science tests" today in the staff room, without me knowing anything about it?

138 replies

Greensneeze · 11/05/2009 15:45

My ds1 (6) has just told me he did "science tests" today, on his own, in the staff study - he was given 45 minutes. He says he was given just a pencil, and was alone but the teacher popped in and out a few times.

The questions were things like "How does the heart work" and identifying rocks from a list of characteristics, ie chalk "smooth, pale, can be scratched with a coin" etc

Should I be bristling at the fact that they are testing him when a) he's not meant to be doing any 'official' tests until Y2 SATS (and I don't approve of those!) and b) nobody said anything to me!

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thedolly · 11/05/2009 23:23

I am very at the number of people who are prepared to think the worst of this particular teacher, especially you Greensneeze with your previously 'sky high opinion' of her. Alternative scenario:

Y1 class teacher gets hold of what sounds like an excellent (fab questions) SATS paper and decides to put the questions to the class (in her own words). Greensneeze minor is obviously enjoying the experience greatly so teacher asks him if he would like to have a go at the paper since he is 'so good at' answering the questions - no pressure, no agenda, just following his lead. Would you like to sit somewhere quiet to do it? Let me know when you have had enough? Anyway, you get my gist by now. Are you lot really saying that this is unprofessional/out of order behaviour? There is no way in a situation like this that the OP could have been informed beforehand. The reaction of the OP to the situation may be the most likely thing to impact negatively on the whole scenario IMO.

juuule · 12/05/2009 07:51

"There is no way in a situation like this that the OP could have been informed beforehand."

Yes, there was. The test could have been done at a later date after discussion with op.

seeker · 12/05/2009 08:21

This does seem increasingly odd. They aren't planning to submit the OP's son's paper with all the year 6 ones are they? It does seem very odd that he was doing it in exam conditions at the same time as the "proper' test was happening.

kittybrown · 12/05/2009 09:28

I can't believe the amount of people who think it's ok to test a Yr1 on a Yr6 paper regardless of whether or not she asked you first.

My son (Yr5)is also good at science. We've been told (by a head of science at the local high school) that he could easily pass Physics and biology GCSE's. Would you all be so agreeable that it's ok for him to be given the GCSE papers on his own in the staff room age 10 or for us as parents to let him sit them without any prior knowledge?

The papers are not designed for your ds's age. Even with good comprehension some of the questions would be tricky to understand. some of our level 5's struggled to understand what the questions were really asking especially in paper B.
KS2 papers do not cover all the curriculum as with all exams some subjects won't come up so the arguement that it's "to see what he does and doesn't know" wouldn't stand up.

I would go and have a quite word with her and ask what they hope to achieve from it.

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 12:12

OK I spoke to her this morning

I said "good morning" and smiled, then said "I hear ds1 took a science test yesterday?" and she gave a sort of embarrassed grin and said "Ah, yes, erm, I'm not really sure quite how to tell you, you see there was this year 6 SAT paper I happened to glance at, and I saw some of the questions and thought Greencuff would be able to do that..."

to which I smiled and said "Yes, I had a couple of friends confirm that it was the Year 6 paper after ds1 told me about some of the questions" (she looked a bit shocked by that, pmsl )

I then asked in a very non-confrontational way what the purpose of it was - and she said they are considering moving him up to KS2 for some science lessons - apparently at first perusal he easily passed the test yesterday even though there were some inevitable gaps in his knowledge because of his age, eg he didn't know what a 'variable' was. Also he apparently didn't do the ice cubes/stopwatch question because he wanted her to bring him a real stopwatch/ice/bags and DO the experiment, he said "how am I supposed to use this equipment when it's just drawn on the paper"

I expressed (as I always do) the importance to me of keeping him socially in his peer group and continuing to work on integrating him rather than singling him out, as I don't want him to spend him adult life walled up alive in some vault in Oxford like a mad monk

she agreed and said that he will continue to spend as much time as possible doing choosing/play/normal stuff with his peers.

He is going to be sitting the other science paper today and the head of KS2 science is going to mark them, then they are going to decide how best to proceed.

I still think the way this was done was uncharacteristically cack-handed for this teacher, but having spoken to her I can see why she decided to do it. I am still not very happy about him sitting a Y6 test on his own - but she has assured me that he loved it, was fired up and on form, and wanted to do the other one. So I am going to let things unfold [grudging]

OP posts:
morningsun · 12/05/2009 12:29

well,you couldn't have handled it better greensleeves~well done!
You were polite,in control,armed with the facts and listened to her side while leaving her in no doubt you have your eye on the ball!

madwomanintheattic · 12/05/2009 12:34

fabulous. now they will be able to differentiate his work accordingly whilst maintaining his peer group expectations.

as they should be. lol.

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 12:38

thanks! And thanks to everyone who took the time to post their views, including ramona and clam and everyone else who didn't agree with me - it would be pretty pointless my posting if I wasn't prepared for people to say "YABU"

OP posts:
squilly · 12/05/2009 13:19

You were brilliant at dealing with this Greensneeze. Greensneeze Junior is a very lucky little boy (as well as talented!).

KingCanuteIAm · 12/05/2009 14:13

Glad you got a reasonable response GS

katiestar · 12/05/2009 14:27

Really don't get your problem
kids are assessed all the time at school .I help in a R/Yr1 class and have to assess informally ,usually, everything I do with them.They are formally tested often too.

If your DS was so bubbly about it he'd obviously enjoyed it and felt important.The school may well have given him this test more as a way of boosting his confidence if he struggles with other areas ,than as a form of assessment.
Why are you so mad at them for making your DS feel that his interests and abilities were being noticed ?

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 15:53

read the thread if you can be arsed katiestar, I've explained my position many times

OP posts:
foxinsocks · 12/05/2009 15:58

well done you and hooray for the teacher explaining it

BernardsCat · 12/05/2009 15:59

my ds did one for fun one year once
in the infants I think.
he is still alive

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 16:03

oh phew, thank god for that

OP posts:
piscesmoon · 12/05/2009 16:35

I think you handled it very well-it is always better to be friendly IMO.
I can see that you don't want him singled out and I agree that it is of utmost importance to integrate him with his year group, but it is good that they are paying attention to his ability. It may be that opportunities come up for special workshops in one of the secondary schools. In our area they run them and it is never just one DC singled out, they always take several.

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 17:46

My MIL helps run the special sessions for Yr 6 whizzes at her grammar school, they sound really hands-on and exciting. I doubt they would take a 6yo though, he is very little and immature. He's still in pullups at night, my little pickle

I think they are thinking of just putting him with a KS2 class for some lessons. DH is unsure about this, he thinks ds1 will end up having done the KS2 science syllabus by the end of Y2 (he already knows most of it because he reads non-fiction books obsessively and retains everything he reads) and there won't be anything sciency for him to do for the rest of the time. But I suppose that's the school's problem...

OP posts:
KingCanuteIAm · 12/05/2009 17:50

In some ways it may be good to let him do the science cirriculum now as it is being downgraded next year so he will have less access to the subject that really interests him IYSWIM.

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 18:09

He's just come in with dh, he really really enjoyed the second science paper and all the fuss/attention from the Y6 kids

I said I was proud of him for being brave enough to take such difficult tests, and he said "I didn't need to be brave, I enjoyed it"

so it seems I am outvoted and will have to put up with it

Just to make myself look like a total sell-out - what's a "high 4" as a SATS score? That's what he got, apparently.

OP posts:
DoNotAnnoy · 12/05/2009 18:16

I think that Level 4 is what "the majority of Yr6 pupils" acheive.

Sounds like he did really well.

KingCanuteIAm · 12/05/2009 18:43

Dd is in the top end of her class and is looking at a low to middle 5 so a high 4 is fantastic

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 18:49

lol, how surreal

now all we have to do is teach him to get up and go for a piddle...

OP posts:
clam · 12/05/2009 18:50

A high 4 will be a 4A which is above average for Year 6. And he's year 1. Wow! He's done really well. Good for him. Glad he enjoyed it, too.
And he wanted to actually 'do' the experiment? None of my world-weary Y6s expressed that opinion!

Hassled · 12/05/2009 18:51

A 4b is the National Average for Year 6 . Blimey, that's one smart boy.

Original poster
Greensneeze · 12/05/2009 18:51

clam I think that may have been a bit of AS literal-minded stubbornness creeping in

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