How do independent schools use SAT results?

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My son is joining St Albans for y7 next year from a state primary. The prep for SATs is on, but when I asked his teacher how indies use the results, she didn't know. Can anyone give me some info on how important they are (and specifically St Albans, if possible...)?

Ours completely ignore them. Didn't even ask what they were.

Some independent schools think SATs (especially the teacher assessment levels) are a load of tosh and won't pay attention to them.

Others will use them as part of an overall picture (inc. the entrance test results) to help streaming allocation in the first year.

I don't know about St Albans, but I'm surprised the teacher didn't elaborate on what information they use for assessment at the start of Y7.

Not at all interested - the entrance exam (presuming there is one) is much more important. And if you already have a place, then I can't imagine they would even ask for Sats results - DS moved from state to independent for yr7, and it was never even mentioned. They arranged initial sets for maths based on performance in the entrance exams, but I think there was quite a lot of adjustment in the first couple of terms.

Lots of private junior schools don't even sit them. They spend year 6 learning interesting things, rather than revising for SATS - just like state schools used to do, once upon a time.

Perhaps SATS are part of the hippy teaching methods that OFSTED is so critical about?

DD2 never sat them in prep school because independent senior schools not interested and there was no need. They did their own tests or relied on CE. They also assess when the pupil turns up. State ones do their own assessments in the first few weeks too. dD1 did do SATs but again senior school probably never received the results!

My experience is they ignore them, too.

Ds's school (which takes 50% from local state primaries and 50% from its own feeder prep which does do SATs) used a mix of SATs and CATs to set from day 1 in year 7. They move kids around if necessary after the first and subsequent half terms.

But as far as I know, they use CATs and ongoing attainment to set targets, rather than SATs, like state secondaries are obliged to do.

Didnt do SATs in DS's Prep and didnt ask for them in the private senior he moved to.

I knew someone who worked in the office of a private secondary. She received the files from primary or prep schools and created new files for the Year7 intake. She said they binned most of the stuff which was sent on, including g SATS results. Was after years ago though.

I think all secondaries do some kind of baseline IQ type testing early in year 7. Privates use that and entrance exams. state schools us the baseline test and SATs as far as I can tell.

They wont use the results from previous schools as there will be boys from state and private, private schools dont do SATS.

The school will set the boys in year 8 so all the boys are on the same playing field in year 7.

Our school pays no attention to SATS. IQ testing and CATS assessing.
We have opposite problem moving DS from Prep to State secondary and they are asking for SATS scores.