We got a letter from the head today confirming that SATS for Yr 6 will not be happening in our school

[OrmRenewed]

And he sounded quite militant about it. Which surprised me a bit. The governors are in agreement. Unless the boycott is declared illegal.

DD chuffed to bits. And she was one of the ones heading for top levels across the board.

The teachers will grade the pupils from their own tests and assessment.

Hoo-bloody-ray!

I think if Ed Balls was able to challenge the boycott on legal grounds, then he would have done so. The traditionally moderate NAHT haven't been on strike or boycotted anything for 130 odd years, so they have prepared the legal ground very very carefully for their first time.

It's a measure of how strongly they feel about SATs and league tables, and how they affect schools and children so badly, that they have taken part in a boycott at all, let alone joined forces with a union seen as...ahem....slightly more militant.

We are doing them...especially as Ofsted are in tomorrow

I'd be a little p-ed off at the late notice TBH. They've already done all the dull, uninspiring work for it.

Why? The op's school are sitting tests anyway - so are we. In fact, we asked the children, and that's what they chose to do.

The late notice is due to legality - action can only take place within 4 weeks of a ballot, no later.

True. But they've also been doing some fairly interesting projects too.

By deaddei Wed 05-May-10 21:24:57
We are doing them...especially as Ofsted are in tomorrow hmm

I'm not sure what Ofsted has got to do with tests due to take place next week after they will have been and gone...

Yay!

That's really good news.

I'm fairly sure DS1s are going ahead. I wouldn't be disappointed if they were scrapped, just p-ed off that he's been made to do so much dull stuff. He claims they have a long running fun project to do in the afternoons when the tests are done though. Personally, I would have preferred him to have been doing fun and interesting projects instead of tests, "practice SATS week", after school SATS English club... [sigh]

Our school gave out the same letter yesterday .

Exactly! Another reason to get rid of them - some schools insist on cramming, or cancelling other subjects. Ridiculous.

DD's are going ahead, much to her (and my) dismay.

I have only heard of 2 schools in our borough that are boycotting them

Let's hope it F's up the whole league tables crap, and they are abandoned before the schools spend months preparing the next lot of Y6's for them next year.

Weren't heads warned this week that boycotting tests could mean an unfavourable Ofsted?
Maybe I interpreted it incorrectly.
I will be interested to see if my ds will take part in "interesting projects" over the next 2 days, instead of the relentless practice papers they've been doing.

The figure is at least 50% in our LEA, - and not all schools have responded yet.

I know many schools in a neighbouring borough are not doing them.

Ofsted will have left before the tests are due to take place

Christine Gilbert of HMCI which regulates Ofsted, has apparently said of the boycott that 'Ofsted need to satisfy themselves that teacher assessments are robust and that schools are working well with others in their moderation partnership.?

Won't they ask if SATS are taking place?

Lol - as if Heads work a number of set hours, it's a nonsense!

Our LEA have told governors to warn senior teachers (including me) that their pay may be docked, too, which is just a load of cobblers.

Tis all bollocks Feenie.

I fear Ed Balls will live to regret spending all his time throwing his weight around and sending threatening letters to (volunteer) governors, instead of running round trying to get re-elected in Morley.

Well as far as I can see at this particular school, the parents are happy, the children are happy and so are the teachers. So Ed Balls can get stuffed.

My DD is in year 6. I don't agree with SATS BUT I was furious to receive an email at 9pm last night saying the school would not be participating at all. This is after the class teacher led us to believe they would still be doing them. My daughter was very upset as she was looked forward to the challenge and the class are psyched up to do them.
The kids have been doing practice papers every day for weeks and were even given some for homework. If the HTs want to boycott - fine - but they could have let us know as soon as the schools started after Easter, not wait til the last minute. The school is also closed today for polling and parents without email will be unaware until Friday.
I am also incensed at the utter hypocrisy, the school came high up in the tables in a recent year and the Head and LEA were falling over themselves to congratutlate each other. Now they suddenly don't believe in league tables.

at his late stage they should have let the children decide.

of course children 10, 11 years old shouldn't make these decisions - it's for the senior management of the school to decide.