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

[Greensneeze]

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!

just to be curmudgeonly [gets out drum and banger again]

Apparently the Year 6s at afterschool club were telling everyone who would listen that ds1 got a high 4 in a SATS test - dh was greeted by a whirlwind of them when he picked him up - I can't help still thinking this isn't great for his social integration

and ds2 went to tea at a friend's this evening and an older girl (the friend's sister's guest) said "Your brother is really clever, he gave our class a lesson about electricity"

which I ALSO knew nothing about, and which probably was a bit difficult for ds2 to hear when he was supposed to be having a couple of hours break from ds1....

but then some people are never satisfied

lol, you gotta take the rough with the smooth.

if it's any consolation i often say the same about ds1 ('great, he's a genius, if only he would stop wetting himself...') the fuss will die down and it will just be accepted that he knows a lot about science lol.

we had dd1 in hysterical tears for two hours one day because her little brother knew stuff she didn't, and she was top of her class... stops life being boring anyway.

But greensneeze, social integration is such a difficult thing to gauge. Why some kids are accepted and others not is such a tricky one. Who's to say that being singled out in this way won't be a good thing for him? Sounds like the after-school kids were impressed. Could be worse.

Oh Greeny, I think you have dealt with this brilliantly, and so has your DS1!!!

I thought the Science Paper B was a stinker (I am a TA supporting a Y6 pupil with Aspergers). He and you should be very proud .

I am particularly impressed with him coping with the formality of the paper. I love that he wanted to do the experiment.

My pupil today couldn't plan his Long Writing Test as he may have been able to because there wasn't a 'box' spare on the planning sheet and he wouldn't use the blank paper without a box.....He also didn't want the extra time he was entitled to as he was too worried about missing his lunch despite everything we had told him before hand and during the test. My role for him is really to ensure he doesn't get stressed by the Tests. It sounds like your DS will thrive in those conditions (though it is my view all the SATS should be abolished sooner rather than later.....)

Well done BOTH of you

Think you handled it really well Greensneeze. You were right to feel the need to query it and I am glad the end result was a good one for all concerned, esp with regards to your DS1's enjoying it.

And he sounds like a fab little boy with a great talent

greeny u handled that fab but im a bit concerned that he has sn and was left for some time alone in the staff room.....is there only me that thinks its odd??

congrats to little sneezey x

wow greeny he did very well - congrats to him. I would be a bit about how all the other children came to know his result though - it seems to me that that shouldn't be publicly available information. I suppose that if he's going to end up in class with them sometimes that questions will be asked though, so maybe it's easiest if everyone knows from the start, but generally speaking I think test results should be private and I wonder if everyone elses results are being shared around the school community in the same way?

nickschick that's one of the things I was most annoyed about - but according to his teacher she was in there most of the time as she had a non-contact hour - so he wasn't really alone for much of the time.

I spoke to her again this morning and she said I can see his papers at some point - the Y6 teacher has made lots of comments on them and they are going to collaborate on what to do about him. He might go up to Y5/Y6 for some lessons, but she agreed with me that it's best to try and keep him in his peer group and throw extensions activities at him where possible. He did get a high level 4 apparently

his teacher said he is a "rollercoaster" because he is in some ways typical of an average 3/4yo but in others more like an average 11yo - I was pleased to hear her say that because we do need to remember that he is only a little pickle and has an awful lot to learn from being with children his own age, and playing and having fun.

sorry to bump this again, it's getting a bit self-indulgent now Thanks for everyone's advice and views.

'A 4b is the National Average for Year 6'

bit OT but I don't think this is true.48 % of yr 6 got level 5 nationally in 2008 and a lot more must have got 4A

I think 4B is maybe the minimum expectation

I don't know what letter he got, I haven't seen any papers or marks yet. His teacher this morning said the Y6 science teacher had said his result across the two papers was a high 4, and was "above what you would expect" for an 11yo leaving primary. Clearly though he isn't an 11yo, he's 6 and he's very much a little boy (he often still talks in baby talk and wants to be carried a lot!), as well as having Aspergers - he wouldn't (and shouldn't have to) cope with lots of demands being made on him which take him away from his peers.

It's not uncommon for children with Aspergers to have areas of great strength and weakness - he's got both

but that's not the issue - the issue was that I was shocked and upset that something like this was happening without my prior kowledge or consent. And the teacher and I have had two good conversations and have resolved things to our mutual satisfaction.

greeny - don't know if you are anywhere near canterbury, they ran a yg&t parent's workshop addressing that very issue (specific ability and as) last month. the details and info might still be on the uni website.
did i say that earlier? sorry if i'm repeating myself. it might give you some ideas on how to expect the situation to be managed within the school etc.

no you didn't mention it before, thanks madwoman! I'll have a look at the website. I've never been much for the whole G&T thing (preposterous title too IMO) but it looks as though I am going to have to engage with it to some degree.

no issues with any of that lol. i just believe that each child should be treated appropriately and given the encouragement and support to reach his/her potential as an individual lol. and that takes into account age/additional needs/ whatever. i just thought it was interesting that the focus was heavily on AS in the most recent workshop. (i didn't go btw - it was fully booked before i even knew it was on, so saved a lot of angst about whether i should or not )