End of Year Assesments - short notice

[BackInTime]

DS was told this week that they would be end of year assessments in 2 subjects next week. The assessments will cover all topics for the entire school year. Just wondering how much notice other schools give as this seems pretty short notice to me to cover so much work?

[BackforGood]

In the past they have given at least 3-4 weeks notice.

So, what you are telling us, is that you did know thay have end of year tests / assessments / exams. You have repeated several times what they use them for, and how important you feel they are, so, surely, as you are aware of all this, then they haven't just got a week's notice - you've known for a long time .

[MrsScrubbingbrush]

Absolutely.

Test them on the core subjects and use their coursework and termly tests to assess their progress in the other subjects.

[TeenTimesTwo]

I think for my DD it is better to have fewer exams as it means we can focus on the core subjects, which ultimately will do her more good. I am glad her school has the system it has (and still ultimately gets good results).

[MrsScrubbingbrush]

I agree Floot - it certainly makes SATS look like a doddle!

[MrsScrubbingbrush]

Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic school & DD is very happy there (or at least she was until exam week)

We revised Maths,English & French over the half term. Thankfully her Geography & History knowledge was good so didn't need much revision. Drama, music & games she did little revision for as there wasn't much she could do. We practised the food tech recipes for the practical over the weekend. Science & Latin she really enjoys so we're just doing some more last minute revision tonight for the exams tomorrow.

TBH she probably hasn't done enough revision but it was a fine line between encouraging her and pushing too hard so that she had a meltdown.

She's coped brilliantly but it's been hard to see her so tired.

We now have a week off until DD2 starts her exams

[Floottoot]

My year 7 DS will have had English, maths, 3x Spanish, Latin, history, geography, science, RS, music, art and computer science exams this week.
Thankfully, he's quite bright with a good memory, so it hasn't been too stressful, but it still seems like a lot for children who left primary school less than a year ago.

[TeenTimesTwo]

Wow!

I can see a logic in it, but I would have thought this would be too much for a number of DCs, some of whom will be only age 11.

How much revision do you reckon she has done for them?

DD has had 2 for English, then 1 for each of Maths, Science, History, Geography, RE, French, Drama.

We have done targeted revision, with core subjects getting most time, then most of the rest. But French has been more or less written off due to a variety of factors. (The phrase flogging a dead horse comes to mind.)

[MrsScrubbingbrush]

Her exams have included drama (2), DT theory & practical, music, art (2) and PE as well as the core subjects.

[MrsScrubbingbrush]

Teen its not a selective school just an state secondary. It's always oversubscribed and is very highly thought of.

[TeenTimesTwo]

23 ? TWENTY-THREE ?? Year 7?

That's ridiculous!

Is that a selective school? My DD wouldn't manage that. She has 7 this week and 2 next week and that is bad enough!

[MrsScrubbingbrush]

We're just getting to the end of DD1's Yr 7 exams - she's will have had 23 separate exams over a 2 week period. She's totally exhausted and finding it hard to maintain the momentum of revising/sitting the exam.

I think its ridiculous, she's in state secondary school albeit an 'outstanding' one.

Her twin sister is at a different school (still OFSTED outstanding) but will only have 11 exams over 7 days based on the core subjects of maths, English, science,history, geography, technology and MFL.

To me, this makes much more sense!

[TeenTimesTwo]

Well, I've sent DD in today with a pocketful of revision cards as she has 3 tests - History, Science AND Maths.

I have also sent in 2 bottles of Coca-Cola (other brands available) in the hope that the caffeine and sugar will help her keep going . She struggles with school at the best of times and gets extra time for tests, so it is going to be a very heavy day. She actually knows the maths quite well, but I'm not holding out much hope as I think by 2pm when it starts she'll be shattered.

But it has been good practice in doing focussed work and revision at home.

Best wishes to any other y7s/y8s with tests this week or next.

[BackInTime]

I agree. DS is feeling very overwhelmed and panicked by having such a lot to do at once. Lots of talk of ‘I’m just going to fail’. A week of cramming is not really a good exercise in how to plan and structure revision.

[TeenTimesTwo]

but it would have been a better and more motivating learning experience for him with more notice

Precisely.

[aracena]

We’re going through this in Year 8. Last week we got an email to say that this week and next week there will be 2 exams which will decide whether students do double or triple science for GCSE (it’s a 3 year KS4 school). I think this is rather unfair. I am a teacher myself and am sympathetic about schools doing things at the last minute but then why make the stakes so high?

DS may very well not end up doing triple science which doesn’t bother him or me but this assessment will also decide which set he gets in for GCSE and that does bother me because I know what behaviour can be like in lower sets.

A little more notice would have been appreciated. We knew he had assessments in June. We assumed they’d be at the end like last year so had started some revision at half term but are now trying to cram a whole year’s work into 10 days...also today we got notice of more assessments with it seems a week’s notice in French and Maths, although those dates are less clear...and DS as usual is a vague as ever...I suppose it’s all good practice for exams later on but it would have been a better and more motivating learning experience for him with more notice.

[BackInTime]

Thanks for all of your comments. I think from reading these all schools approach these tests in different ways and the importance of the results vary. FWIW at DS school the test is a proper exam paper on all the topics this year and it is sat by all students in the school year. Setting for next year is based on the results and this could also have a bearing on whether they sit foundation or higher maths for example depending on how they do. So the tests are pretty important and more notice would have been better but hey ho that’s schools for you.

[pieceofpurplesky]

I am sure that the pupils will have some form of revision and preparation in class. Schools I have taught in always do.

[blackeyes72]

Both my children's schools give notice from the beginning of the calendar year, so everyone knows that the week after half term is assessment week for the whole school.

My dd1 has been revising for a month and still hasn't made it through all subjects thoroughly, but I think the idea is to learn revision styles/skills so when it comes to gcse's it won't be a shock.

I must admit all her friends revise in this way, from the super able to the least able, so I don't think not revising is an option for her, and it's really frowned upon if you say you haven't revised!!!!

[Ggirl27]

I obviously don't think that GCSEs should be done without revision because they are standardised tests that give results you take with you through the rest of your life.

In my experience end of year assessments can vary between a full on test, to a worksheet, to a verbal exam and vary between subject, teacher and school. I would expect a good teacher to determine a child's ability from the work they have done throughout the year not on one test which is probably only being done to get them used to all the tests they'll have to face in their coming years!

Will happily agree to disagree

[TeenTimesTwo]

Ggirl Totally disagree.

I obviously don't want my DC moving to a set beyond her capability, (but I know the school won't do that). However I also don't want her moving down a set because she had forgotten what a mode is, or the area of a triangle when she is quite capable at those topics usually.

Additionally, I don't think tests are to check 'natural ability'. They are to check whether the DC can understand / do the required work. Presumably you don't advocate doing GCSEs with no revision?

My 'natural ability' at science is pretty high, but if I were doing a test that was going to include reactivity series, or flame tests, or enzymes, too right I would revise for it first!

[Ggirl27]

Probably going to get flamed for this but end of year tests are the one test where you want your DC to show what they can do without huge amounts of revision. They are there to measure your DCs natural ability and usually the results get taken into account along with their classwork and homework performance over the course of the year. If your child finds a subject challenging what is the point of them moving to a higher set so they risk not being able to cope with the work in the coming year?

[Floottoot]

I'm with you, OP and teen.
Although both my children knew that they had end of year exams coming up in all subjects, they were only given full details of all the topics in the week before half term, and the exams are next week.
DS is in year 7. He is bright and able, so apart from some brushing up on maths ( his least confident subject), he really hasn't needed to do more than scan through his books and end-of- topic test papers.
DD, on the other hand, is in year 9 and has SpLD, specifically related to poor working memory and concentration. I have spent hours and hours just trying to sort out a million loose papers stuffed in her books, and patching up unfinished work. There is NO way she can remember stuff from even last term, let alone last September, and she has had to re-learn a year's worth of work in 10 subjects...in a fortnight. Needless to say, it's been stressful and soul destroying.

[AChickenCalledKorma]

We had similar in year 7 - including the fact that we were all away on a totally exhausting Scout family camp for the weekend immediately before the exams. As it turned out, it really didn't matter - nothing actually hinged on the exams and the school was just trying to get them into the swing of having exams in the big hall. But I do think it would have been better to have more time and give them a chance to learn how to revise.

Since then they have given increasing amounts of notice for end of year exams, so I think staff have noticed that it's actually a good idea to take them more seriously.

[user1471530109]

I'm about to give notice to year 8 parents that the students will have an end of key stage 3 the first week in July. I had meant to do it today but completely forgot.

It WONT be the only thing we rely on to set them. They don't have other end of year assessments as far as I remember, so hoping all will go calmly.

cant believe I didn't sort the letter out

[Heifer]

When DD was in Yr 7 & 8 there was a weeks notice (dates changed so can't assume).
Now in Yr9 we had a months notice and parents were sent a letter to ensure we knew about I and to encourage revision etc.