Is anyone else shocked by KS1 SATs?

[soimpressed]

I have been busy reassuring parents that the KS1 SATs shouldn't be stressful for the children as they only inform teacher assessment. I've explained how we do various assessments in class so the children should just think it is another one of those. The reality has now hit though, as the head says I must prepare the children to take the tests in strict exam conditions.

He has been in today for a practice as he says there will be 2 invigilators in the room during the tests. Throughout the test he repeatedly told children off for not sitting still, turning their head and reading quietly to themselves. They weren't trying to cheat: they were just being 6 year olds! Some of my poor children were so put out by the whole thing that they scored nothing on the paper so it did nothing to help me with my assessment of their reading. I tried explaining that the children just weren't used to working like this and he just replied that they would have to learn to improve how they took tests.

Is no one else appalled that we are putting such young children through this? It seems like madness, especially when it is suppose to be teacher assessment

It's dreadful but I think your HT is interpreting things too strictly. I should etll him it's far too late to train your children in this way and if he wants decent results he'll back off. Who is he using as invigilators and what exactly is their role? I would go online and look up guidance for this year's tests. Hopefully it will help you.

I've just been through all the official guidance and nowhere does it suggest the draconian kind of supervision described by you.

In the sample reading paper it says it would be helpful to have a second administrator in the room for supervision and support e.g. taking a pupil out to the loo.Pupils are meant to be under test conditions and not chat to each other but that's all.

Your HT is bonkers!

We don't do SATs in that style and don't plan on doing it like that this year either. We split the classes in half - so 15 sit the papers each morning. The other half go and do some enrichment activities with the TAs - computing, sports, craft, outdoor activities, etc and a little bit of additional support if required on a 1:1 basis.

A teacher and, where possible, another TA is in the SATs room - their normal classroom, but things like 100 squares, etc covered or removed. The children sit apart so they can't see each others work, and they aren't allowed to talk to each other and move around the room during the "quiz." We try to have a calming environment without too much distractions - there may be some quiet classical music playing, blinds are positioned so not too much glare, etc. We understand some children may need to read out loud to themselves - we have some who are not yet at the stage of being able to read in their head.