SAT's a step too far

[wenzitmyturn]

Hi,

Not posted here before, but needed to vent!!!
DD1 (11 yrs next week) is supposed to be sitting her SAT's this week. Has been studying really hard all school year for them, to the detriment of all other education!! Only, Friday DD3 (3 yrs) brought sickness bug home with her from nursery. By Tues night, DD2 (9) had caught it, then by bedtime, DD1. She was distraught. I said, Oh well, you'll get to stay home and skive with Mammy tomorrow then won't you? She screamed and shouted... "I can't, I have to do it, or i'll be put in Dunces class at JLV (our name for secondary school she starts in Sep. Eventually, got her to cslm down and try and get some sleep.

This morning, she'd had a complete turnaround. She's a very slim girl, been seen by GP for being underweight (not eating disorder, just a skinny minny) and hadn't eaten for ALMOST 24 hours due to bug. just setting scene - it doesn't take much to make her REALLY weak. Said she didn't want to go and felt dizzy even just sitting up, never mind standing.

Phoned into school (both DD1 and 2)school have policy (like most schools) of 48 hour absence. within 10 mins got call back asking if she wouold just be able to "pop" in to sit test and then coud go back home. Said not possible as she can't sit upright etc and I had a seizure out of blue last week (never before) and have been told not to drive until been seen by specialist and told i'm safe and it was a 1 off. So would have to Walk her home (normally not a problem, but when your puking?)not to mention having to bring other 2 children out to get her. Said she could have use of deputy head's office and wouldn't even need to put her uniform on!! I said No.
10 minutes later, Deputy head himsef called - who happens to also be DD2's form teacher. He tried alsorts to persuade me to get her to "rally". Said first test is only 20 mins then they get 40 min break time, so she could go outside??????!!!!! I asked what he might expect her to do out there He said well I suppose she could have a chair and just sit in fresh air - Oh mums, if only we had known of this as being a cure. All of kids could have been "put out" into back gardens. no more school absence. offered to bring her home himself. All of his conversation deigned to make me feel crap so I would make an effort to get her there. Still told him no.
Then, Maths teacher called. Now have to be fair to her. She was only one to be concerned for DD1, rather than herself or school. told me not to worry and to tell DD not to either. The threat of Dunces class is just something we use to get them to focus, she said. on previous call with deputy, told him how disappointed DD2 was as she has to stay off 48 hours. half of her year gone on residential. Those who don't go get to do "Art week" and she is gutted she's missing it. didn't offer to relax rules for her.
I asked if she couldn't just take the tests another time and the school told me no, she won't get scored unless she does them in the right order. Then in a later call, told me they can infact apply for an extension and if I can assure them she'll be fit in the morning, she can do todays and tomorrows together. so they lied to make the story suit them AGAIN.

I am truly disgusted with them. I'm dead against the KS2 Sats and the pressure they create, BUT feel for DD who has worked so hard and just wants to get a level 5. so for her, she's doing it all tomorrow so that Year 6 won't have been a TOTAL waste. Thoughts anyone? should I put in official complaint to Education dept?
thanks
karen

When I read OP I was convined that your DD was on course for a level 5 or there wouldn't be this fuss.

Hi hun
I posted a similar topic re; day of sats missed due to illness, and I also had the school phone 'requesting' my ds still go in, just for an hour. He had been vomiting all night, had a fever and was very ill. I heard the headmaster in the background say 'no-ones that ill'. A trip to the dr's got me their backing and yet the school still asked that I take him in. My ds still isn't well and is not allowed to take the sats next week. (which I'm not bothered about because I disagree with them) The week previous he had been ill and the minute he vomited they were on the phone ordering me to collect him and then when it's sats week they were ordering me to take him in. On Thursday evening I emailed them to report he'd be absent again the following day, quoting the Health Protection Agencys Guidance for Infection Control in Schools re; recommended exclusion of 48 hours after last bout of vomiting!! I'm sure there were a few swear words directed at me once they read it!! I am waiting to see what is said upon ds's return, and if I am not happy, I intend to go to both the LEA and OFSTED. I hope both dd's are better, and feel free to contact me if you want to 'compare notes'! xx

Almost all secondary schools retest pupils before setting them (all do soon afterwards) as SATs results are't that reliable an indication of performance in September. So the school is LYING to the children. Do remember secondary schools will also be getting pupils who haven't sat the test (because they were in private schools, were overseas or ill on the day).
Second there are two parts to the levels at the end of year 6, there is the grade from the test and the teacher assessment grade. Most secondaries pay at least equal value to the teacher assessment as the officially marked bit, as it is more indicative of overall performance.
The of course there are lots of schools who are this year boycotting the tests. Some are doing no tests. Some like my DCs school are sitting past years and having them marked by partner schools (which gives both external moderation of results and an assurance the results arrive on time, while saving money).

"Almost all secondary schools retest pupils before setting them"

I'm not sure that's accurate. or how you think you could possibly know this, mummytime.

For example, of the 5 high schools we regularly send our children to, 3 set in Maths using the SAT result, one doesn't set at all till year 8 and the other uses teacher assessment in both Maths and English (very sensible too). But not indicative of your sweeping statement!

My dd's teacher said they sent a teacher assessment o with the child anyway so for example dd will more than likely be high level 4 but I think SATs will just show 4 (is that right?) if she doesn't hit level 5 (which she did in unofficial SATs in yr 5) - I wish our head had gone on strike. She said she would only not support SATs if LEA told her not to do.
It's a high achieving church primary in s village and people move here to get kids in school - because of the SATs results.........

As she was home-ed my dd had no SATs results or teacher assessment when she started secondary school so was put into the bottom sets as a starting point. We had warned her this could happen so she was completely unfazed by it. By the end of the first term she was moved to top sets after CATs and assessment by her subject teachers.

As far as I am aware none of the state secondaries round here use the SATS for setting. Most have a banding test, which is used for the initial setting, but at least one tests the kids as soon as they arrive at the school.
In the school my child is going to, they use the banding test and do CATS type tests later in the autumn term. I have heard it is very difficult for kids initially in the bottom sets to move up though even if they are able.