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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

Next week is SAT's week ......................

43 replies

mumof2fabkids · 06/05/2008 22:37

My DS is in Y6 and sits his SAT's next week, any tips on how I can support him during the final countdown, revise v's relax, maths v's mates, you get the drift. Trying to be a level headed, cool mum, will it work?

OP posts:

RustyBear · 08/05/2008 19:32

The school I work at is serving breakfast for year 6 next week to get them in nice & early & give them time to settle down - and also to make sure they've all had some....

seeker · 08/05/2008 23:25

Sorry essjayo, I was thinking about ks1 and 2 sats, not ks3.

meysey · 09/05/2008 00:02

My DS is only in Year 2 and horribly worried about SATS. I thought they were supposed to be low stress tests at that age.

Did anyone else see the advert for a Panorama programme next Monday about SATS?

mumoftwo37 · 09/05/2008 00:15

my ds2 has been practicing his SATs for weeks now. He has done really well but is stressing as DS1 got all level 5's in his. Unfortunately the secondary school he starts in Sept repeat them, in their own way, to get a greater knowledge of the child!
DS1 brought home some yr9 maths papers last week, he is yr8, for his homework and they really weren't that bad. I don't think they should do any SATS at amy age- far too much pressure on the children.

mimismummy · 09/05/2008 07:03

Totally agree with you, mumoftwo37. Hate the idea of SATS. Our school is letting at year 6's come to breakfast club for free next week, but I won't be sending ds as I think he will have had enough of school as it is, hence the breakfast idea at home. Wil be glad when its all over and he can hopefully get back to enjoying school again instead of feeling like it's constant pressure.

cory · 09/05/2008 07:53

Really saddening to read about how many schools are stressing children out over this. Dd seems very lucky in being with teachers who use it in a positive way, as a shared experience and a chance to look at the subject from a new angle. It mainly seems to have a bonding effect on her class, lots of joking and laughing going on. Her class teacher have told them they are NOT to spend the weekend in revision. Speaking as somebody who has done two BAs, and consequently sat a fair few exams, this seems good advice to me.
Can't use the breakfast idea as dd always feels sick in the mornings at the best of times. So I think we'll just carry on as normal.

Piffle · 09/05/2008 08:29

Ds1s school is grammar but all the teachers play down the yr9 SATS infact the English dept actively loathe them!
ds1 has had no pressure and said they've been ok.
two science papers today! Then finished!

LaineyW · 09/05/2008 15:09

My DD2 is in Y8 and her school have decided to try some of them a year early with their English SATs, which is a bit scary! She's done all three now though, and said they were okay although she didn't actually finish the Writing one, ran out of time...

hls · 10/05/2008 08:03

Just RELAX!! SATs are not really that important- and I speak as a teacher! They are for the schools and league tables. Don't say all of that to your kids, but in the grand scheme of things they are not really important.

I am currently writing a book for parents on all these issues -

basically, treat the days as normal, but make sure they have breakfast- should anyway- and don't go arranging loads of social stuff for the weekend before etc- let them relax.

As a mum whose 2kids are doing master of science degrees now, let me just advise that you save your energy for things that matter further down the line. !st year uni exams ( don't pass, get kicked out) decent degree ( 2:1 or employers don't want to know) - it gets harder, I tell you!

Enid · 10/05/2008 10:42

SATS dont actually mean anything do they?

Enid · 10/05/2008 10:43

I mean they are just for the league tables. Absolutely no point getting stressed over them. If the school has done its job well, then the sats results should be good.

hls · 10/05/2008 11:58

SOME schools might use the results as a basis for setting/streaming in Yr 7 but it very much depends- and they always look at the whole picture anyway- not just SATs results.

lumpsdumps · 10/05/2008 12:20

My DD is sitting her SATS next week as well. The advice from the school was no revision, just normal homework, all revision was done in school. In this week's newsletter we got the following advice:

Ensure they get lots of praise and encouragement
Arrive in school on time
Get lots of rest over the weekend
Have early nights next week so they are refreshed and sparkly.

They made their own mascots in school yesterday and will have an end of SATS party. She is expected to get level 5's all the way through and she's throughly looking forward to sitting them.

mimismummy · 11/05/2008 16:03

totally agree that SATS aren't worth stressing over but the fact is, with all the revision, practice tests, homework etc etc ds is feeling the pressure from school, despite our constant reassurances. His headmaster told him the other day that he expected ds to get 100% in his maths SATS as he was more than capable of it .He may have been trying to be encouraging but it just added to the stress ds is feeling. Will be glad for him when its all over

Ladylapin · 11/05/2008 21:28

yes i think best to keep calm, support them, don't stress! I also like to offer special breakfasts to start the day & put a 'Bon Point' token in her lucnh box with a little message!

ttriflenorks · 12/05/2008 10:52

I have just had to tip toe into school carrying my 9yr old ds (he had physio and is very light) becuase yr 6 sats were going on.

RosaLuxembourg · 12/05/2008 12:24

Got up early and made scones for breakfast as a special SATs treat! We will be OK from today on, I think, she was not looking forward to the Science today (she loves Science but finds the primary curriculum incredibly tedious, and she's not wrong) but will be fine with the rest of the week.
And on Sunday they are off on a week's residential to Italy - how grown up is that!

mumeeee · 13/05/2008 10:15

There isn't any SATs in Wales now. so there are not any stressed out children and parents.
DD3 has her first GCSE written exam on Friday. She has alresdy done Art and the pracical Drama exams.

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