Disapplying for KS1 SATS

[Everydayaschoolday]

DD is in Yr1. She has CP and is supported in mainstream school with an EHCP and 1:1 support.

School have asked us to consider if we want DD2 to sit her KS1 Sats next year. If we want them to Disapply for her, we need to let them know around Nov 17. Current scores are 'Working Within' for all criteria except writing which is "Working Towards". I'm trying to gauge pro's and con's for Disapplying so we can make an informed choice.

Can anyone share their experience of this? Our SENCOs and HT are lovely, so I'm happy to go back to them and ask the appropriate questions.

Nice that they're consulting you, but unless you feel strongly maybe just let school decide? They have best awareness of how she is doing with schoolwork and whether she would be unable to tackle the paper or find it stressful.

In your place I'd want to find out more about how she'd be supported if she did take them. For example can the Ta scribe for her if writing is an issue? We were told they're allowed to read questions for them, except on the reading paper, and some kids at DS school did them on their own with TA or in smaller groups if school thought they'd be more comfortable with that. It was all very relaxed, DS said it was the most fun thing they did all term.

Thank you Catkind. Glad your DS had a good experience with his SATS.

I guess I'm just at a loss as to why she wouldn't do the SATS. We think we want her to do them as we want her to be the same as her peers and for us to fully understand how she is really coping in mainstream and with the National Curriculum.

If she's 'working within' then surely they would expect her to pass the test.

I agree, Catkind, I think I'll ask the school what support they could provide. If it's due to her ability to access the tests then there are lots of ways support can be provided to help her do this, according to the gov site: www.gov.uk/guidance/key-stage-1-tests-how-to-use-access-arrangements

Any other ideas?

Shineyshoes thank you, that aligns with my thinking. Thank you for the link.

Hi. My Ds is a year above, so year 2. Also with CP and from memory slightly more affected, we had Sdr, and he's level II/III gmfcs. He is going to take his sats. He is within on everything apart from writing, and we will be looking at typing, scribing.

We wondered about withdrawing from the phonics screen. (DS is not phonetic in his reading which correlates very heavily with the MRI damage/cp according to his neuro physiologist) but did it anyway as he wanted to join in he got the real words but none of the alien ones. We did that because he wanted to be like his friends. We will do the same with sats and the school have no doubt he should do them as he is in mainstream and mainstream children do sats.

Hi where long time no see

Yes, your memory serves you well! Your DS sounds like my DD - wants to do the same as all their friends. I, too, was looking to ask for a scribe for her, and for her to be able to take breaks as she tires quickly. So, I'm glad I've asked on this forum as I feel more confident having had some feedback from the MN crowd.

Your school is wrong though, not all mainstream children do SATS, that's why there is a formal system to Disapply. And I don't think mainstream independent schools do them unless they specifically opt-in.

Sorry I didn't mean all mainstream schoolchildren do sats, but it is the norm for mainstream children and as far as Ds is concerned he is "normal" and "not disabled" and "doesn't have cerebral palsy".

We hit the first thing he could not do this weekend a climbing wall where he couldn't be accompanied. I guess there will be more as he gets older.

Go with a scribe, or typing if she us getting a computer. Ds can demonstrate what he knows, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling etc so long as the scribe is religious in writing what is dictated!

Now I am trying to work out spelling when Ds cannot write to repeat the spellings.

Yes you are right, it is the norm. My post sounds pedantic, sorry.

Your DS sounds fab. My DD is very aware of her CP but she always wants to have a go at anything! She says she wants to try the tests. I asked her if she would be sad if she didn't pass. She said no, she'd be proud she'd tried. Aww she's only 5!!

I asked SENCO today if she could attempt the tests, with support, and we talked positively about scribes etc.

At school she uses a software called Clicker 7 that the local Special School recommended, and it works really well for her to get her sentences constructed in a timely manner. I don't know if she can use that in the test, but it looks like they'll let her take the tests with whatever support she needs.

We're in year 2 and no one but me has mentioned disapplying for sats. My dd has asd and ADHD and has a ft 1:1. Academically she does struggle due to the asd (comprehension, sequence etc). School haven't mentioned disapplying but I'm tempted to because of her anxiety. She gets very stressed doing spelling tests and to be honest I don't believe the sats have much value but I'll be guided by her LSA.