Does DS have to do KS2 SATS

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DS has a range of issues that affect his learning. He’s in Year 6. He has TA support. He’s never been part of the booster groups re SATS as he is so far behind that those groups would be well above his current level of attainment. I’ve read that if a child is working below KS2 Level they can be exempt from KS2 SATs. Anyone any experience of this? My thoughts are school is going to want to discourage this as it’s easier to manage a “everyone does this” approach. They also have the view that it helps DS to “have a go”.

DS is already worrying about SATS and he doesn’t get pride for having a go. He focuses on other people could do it and he can’t. He’s set up to fail. Is it reasonable for me to say, if DS could now achieve a pass at KS1 SATS I’m happy for him to be entered into KS2 SATS. Do we have a choice?

In some circumstances pupils can be disapplied. The final decision is the HTs, but they should discuss it with you, DS’s teacher(s), the SENCO and possibly other professionals.

The can be disapplied if:
“-they have not completed the relevant KS2 programme of study
-they are working at the pre-key stage 2 standards or being assessed using the engagement model
-they are working at the standard of the KS2 tests but are unable to participate, even when using suitable access arrangements”

Here is the guidance.

Thank you for posting. I’m sure DS fits the criteria. I can’t see any disadvantage (for DS) of him being disapplied as I’m guessing secondary will use other means of assessing his level or am I missing something.

The only down side to not sitting KS2 SATs is DS won’t have official targets in secondary as they are derived using KS2 SATs data. In a bad school this may mean DS may not be pushed if he is underperforming compared to his ability as he won’t have a negatively effect on the school’s progress 8 score.

Ah thank you, that’s interesting to know.

In the past some primaries have actively sought to try and exclude DC with SEN from sitting SATS to 'massage' their results. There's been a crackdown on this recently so you may find it harder to get the school to agree. Hence the 'let him give it a go' reply, I imagine.

The whole SATS thing is hideous for schools and the DC. So much pressure is put on the DC and in some schools (certainly in my DS’s) all of Yr6 is just spent on endless SATS papers. There’s also a lot of pressure to attend before and after school SATS ‘booster’ sessions.

For anxious DC, it’s just hideous.

I was going to try and get my DS not to sit them but then I changed my mind for several reasons. While it is true that secondary schools get DC to sit their own assessments, as Thatsnotmycar says, the SATS data is used. Paradoxically, it’s in the primary school’s best interests to have a DC produce stellar results, but for a secondary school, if a DC’s SATS results aren’t great then in a good school, there’s more room for them to show improvement, IYSWIM.

Also, I felt that as my DS was going to be sitting many tests/exams throughout his life, he maybe should start gaining experience of what they’re like. However I do appreciate that 10/11 is very young to be sitting such formal tests so it’s a tricky one. In the end, my DS never got to sit them as they were cancelled due to Covid.

If your DS does sit them, he may be able to sit them in a separate room, be given extra time and have a scribe/reader. What has the Senco said? It's in a school's best interests to make as many adjustments as possible for DC.

As a slight aside, do you have a plan in place for when your DS starts secondary? You say he’s ‘so far behind’ and he has ‘TA support’. Does he have an EHCP?

toomanyminifigs schools who think disapplying DC with SEN will make their results look better don’t understand how the system works as they are still included in the figures.