Sats

[Beau]

I am feeling a little cross at the moment!

 

My daughter is in Year 6 and has SATs this week. At the end of last week she started to come down with a bad cold, had a headache, sore throat and feeling a little dizzy. So on Friday I kept her off and she has spent the weekend recuperating. This morning she said she felt well enough to go in - she is actually quite relaxed about doing the tests and was looking forward to them in a peculiar way! Anyway, an hour ago the school rang to ask me to pick her up as she was feeling sick. I think this is probably just because she has a lot of phlegm at the back of her throat, rather than it being any sort of sickness bug. When I was signing her out the secretary said she thought she'd better warn me that regardless of how she was feeling tomorrow, and regardless of whether she had been throwing up all night, the head teacher would want her to go in and sit the next test.

 

I am feeling so cross about this that I am almost tempted to keep her off regardless of whether she is feeling better or not!

[sunnyday]

I'm not surprised that you are cross, I would be fuming - how very rude and uncalled for.......

 

Funnily enough I have just had my head well and truly bitten off by my grandson's teacher (he is year 6 too) - I was wandering along corridor on my way to see reception class teacher...........bumped into grandson's teacher and I said "Oh how did the first day of SATS go" - I was just making polite conversation..........her answer "Fine absolutely fine, SATs are not the problem everyone thinks they are" - I can't convey tone obviously - how to describe? hmmmm - aggressive would be about right.......

 

If they make school teachers and staff speak like this - then they certainly are a problem........

 

Hope your daughter is well enough for tomorrow and if she's not - well she's not!

[louby loo]

I'm not surprised your cross either!

 

My friends daugher has just been sent home straight after test with the comment - I do hope she's well enough to come in tomorrow even if it's just for the test but please do not stress about it ..........maybe it was meant as 'she'd better be in' but at least it was said nicely.

 

xxxx

[Guest]

Isn't that strange. My youngest has Year 6 SATs and also has a cold! Could it possibly be anything to do with all the pressure that they are all ill at this moment.

Mind you I also have a cold and also have no choice but to keep going either.

[Guest]

My children's school also has a policy about them being in for the tests even if they are ill! I found out last year when my eldest was in year six and to be honest I felt like you - that I might keep her off anyway! I didn't but I will not send either of my others in if they are ill that week (year 6 and 4) and school can say what they like. I think it is totally out of order.

[Guest]

My son had his sats today and he told me that his friend was poorly but came in in home clothes then went straight home afterwards surely this cant be right if a child is ill then they are ILL!!!

[Marion]

I can understand why schools feel that they must act in such an unfeeling manner with league table 1 child's absence can have a very negative effect on results although a child who is obviously ill isn't going to be at their best either.

 

We've boycotted SATs much to the disappointment of staff and children

[Cait]

Goodness me! It's seriously past the time that SAT's were re-thought. I can remember a little over a decade ago the then headteacher at our Primary school flatly refusing to do booster classes for the tests as she thought that they were grossly unfair on children and staff. It was her firm belief that a good school shouldn't need to 'teach for the SATs' as she called it, as their curriculum would have encompassed all a child needed to know at that stage in their school life. I was a member of the governors at that time and we all backed her 100%. Sadly, a few years later she was 'forced to conform' by the Improvement Officer and even though she still felt that it was wrong, she had to knuckle under. It caused all of us a great deal of stress at the time and SATs went from being seen as a 'little test' to the experience that they are today. It's hugely sad.

[finleysmaid]

so what happened to the 48 hour sickness rule then!!! they can't have it both ways. Although i realise there is a huge pressure on schools do they consider "what is it like for a child to be here" question?

My daughter has dyslexia and felt she was a complete failure after the SATS, it has taken me three years to get her over this. We all need to go the same way as Wales and get rid of sats (sorry raw nerve touched )

[Beau]

so what happened to the 48 hour sickness rule then!!! they can't have it both ways.

 

Apparently they would find a place for her to take it sat apart from everybody else, so not to worry about that! I'm not sure what sort of mother they think I am, that I would even entertain the idea of sending an ill child into school to take a test.

 

Its a sad reflection on our schooling system if this is the level that heads feel they need to go to, all in the name of an assessment test on an 11 year old child.

[dublinbay]

When my daughter was in yr 6, three years ago, she too was ill when the SATS came around.

 

I was told to bring her in for the tests and collect her afterward. I was so shocked at the time that I complied........I've become a lot more bolshi since and I'm sure I would stand up for myself much better now.

 

It's dreadful that this is still going on.

 

Seems like children's rights, children's interests and their well-being don't exist outside the Foundation Stage.

[SueFinanceManager]

Interesting conversation......yesterday my friend decided to take her daughter out of school for the day as it was her birthday (that is a whole other topic!!! ) as the school had boycotted the SATs and she was told they would just be doing some assessments of ordinary school work. However when Penny actually went to take her daughter out she was told she had to be there as they were going to get the children to sit the tests as it was good practice.....Penny made the point that either the school felt they were important enough to sit and sit properly or they weren't where as they ended up saying they weren't important and then still making the children sit them

 

Do you think some schools got cold feet and made children take them in case???

 

I am glad mine are past this stage....just GCSE's in a few weeks I have to worry about now

[Beau]

The whole thing is a mess as far as I am concerned. Scotland has ongoing teacher assessments and it works absolutely fine. There is no need for ridiculous tables which tell you nothing about the quality of the teaching across the whole spectrum of the curriculum. I want my children to grow up to be well rounded individuals with a variety of skills and interests. I understand that a good basis in literacy and numeracy is important but some children are never going to be fantastic in these subjects.

 

Anyway, she got up this morning much the same as yesterday. We had a talk about the importance of blowing her nose, instead of just sniffing (turns out she was worried she would disturb the others if she kept blowing her nose when the class was quiet). Hopefully today she won't end up feeling sick from all that swallowed phlegm!

 

Sue, good luck with the GCSE's!

[SueFinanceManager]

Sue, good luck with the GCSE's!

 

Just to confirm it is the 16 stroppy teenage son doing the GCSE's....did I make it sound like I was doing them

 

Mind you, I wish I was as I would listen to myself and actually do some revision

[Beau]

Yes, but you'll still need good luck. Either that or several rather large glasses of your favourite alcoholic beverage!

[SueFinanceManager]

Yes, but you'll still need good luck. Either that or several rather large glasses of your favourite alcoholic beverage!

 

You are so right.....it was actually less stressful when I took my own than trying to get Tom ready for his

 

Thanks for the good luck wishes x x

[lynned55]

I thought I had heard somewhere that 80% of schools or staff were boycotting them? My GD school sent out a long rambley letter saying how they weren't a true measure of a schools ability, didn't take SEN into account and so on and so on, then finished up by saying they were doing them anyway, I was amazed! Yesterday m yGD said to me I'm sitting next to **** whilst I do them. So I said is that good then> yes, she said because she has been tutored for them, so have..... & she named a few others. Why? for what reason. Do these parents not realise what SATS are supposed to be all about. Anyway, what I am trying to say is if so many schools are boycotting them then really what is the point in the rest taking them, I wonder what they are going to do with the results?

My eldest girls managed quite well without them, went to a brilliant High School that had parents clamouring at it's doors for years without a league table in sight!!!

[Guest]

Just to confirm it is the 16 stroppy teenage son doing the GCSE's....did I make it sound like I was doing them

 

Mind you, I wish I was as I would listen to myself and actually do some revision

 

 

Sue i am so understanding of you at the moment, i also have a 16 stroppy son who is starting the exams a week today. revision WHAT IS THAT

 

(also found out today he is dyslexic, totally other story will do another thread later about that)

 

also, hate sats, cannot see why we need them they do cats when they start secondary school anyway to assess them!

[Emmawill]

my daughter is also year six and doing sats and has been working at level 5b which both myself and husband are very proud of (duo not know where she gets it from!!!) but she has been pressuried to get 5a!! as apparently "they know she is capable adn will be disappointed if she only gets 5b!!!!!" .

 

My daughter who is normally very confident has nw just gone to bed with a headache and has just said she doent want to go in !!!.

 

And we keep getting told "Oh it doesnt matter sats are no just for league tables!!!! uhmmm!!!!!!!

[Emmawill]

my daughter is also year six and doing sats and has been working at level 5b which both myself and husband are very proud of (duo not know where she gets it from!!!) but she has been pressuried to get 5a!! as apparently "they know she is capable adn will be disappointed if she only gets 5b!!!!!" .

 

My daughter who is normally very confident has nw just gone to bed with a headache and has just said she doent want to go in !!!.

 

And we keep getting told "Oh it doesnt matter sats are no just for league tables!!!! uhmmm!!!!!!!

do apologise for my spelling!!! I did say I do not know where she gets it from!!!!

[SueFinanceManager]

Sue i am so understanding of you at the moment, i also have a 16 stroppy son who is starting the exams a week today. revision WHAT IS THAT

 

(also found out today he is dyslexic, totally other story will do another thread later about that)

 

Glad it's not just me then....I hope your young man does really well in spite of today's revelation

[Beau]

My daughters school put on a 'homework club' after school once a week. They didn't call it a booster class like some schools but the idea was exactly the same. The children basically got to sit more past papers - more of the same since thats all they seem to have been doing this term. My daughter didn't go to it...........

 

I do know that some people go down the route of tutoring. Complete madness! The school has spent a lot of time almost scaring the children by telling them that these results will have a direct impact on their secondary school experience. Many of the parents also swallow this and understandably get panicked that they need to 'improve' their childs grades to make sure they get in the 'right' groups, otherwise their future will be ruined.

[Rea]

In my experience with both my lads, SATs had no bearing on their grouping at secondary level. If I'd realised when I eldest took them that they werent testing him but were testing the school I wouldnt have sent him in that week. The youngest had to do them purely because the eldest had - internal competition from the two of them.

Hopefully thenew Government will do what they said and give more power to teachers to teach and therefore assess rather than relying on a test that in effect takes over from the start of year 6.

[Guest]

Hopefully the new Government will do what they said and give more power to teachers to teach and therefore assess rather than relying on a test that in effect takes over from the start of year 6.

 

 

SECONDED!!!!!!!!

 

I remember telling my daughter in Y2 and Y6 not to worry about SATS as "they were for testing how well her teacher had taught her!"

 

It went down REALLY well in school - NOT!

 

Nona

[HappyMaz]

I remember telling my daughter in Y2 and Y6 not to worry about SATS as "they were for testing how well her teacher had taught her!"

I told my son did exactly the same thing, which he repeated to his teachers "my mum says..." but added something of his own, having listened to the lengthy discussions about testing. "You don't fatten a pig by weighing it".

 

I wish I had been braver and kept my children off school during SATs weeks. Thankfully those days are behind me now.

 

Maz

[Guest]

I've trotted the same thing out to my three too and they have almost said it in school! I'm not popular then anyway so I don't suppose it would make that much difference but all the same I'd rather not find out!

[Guest]

HAte them! Hate them! SATS that is. DD did them last year and got so stressed out weeks before she even sat them! Led to time off "sick" when I knew it was just nerves. Issues to solve there with her getting worked up about going into school.

 

I went to parents eve whistl they were preparing for SATs (about 3 months before!) and asked when was the last time the children had been taught art, history, geog...didnt go down well...especially as next parents eve just after sats i askd were they now going back to teaching the whole of the curricuum and did they now have to spend the next two months not doing maths, english and science just so thy could catch up on the other subjects!

[Guest]

Fingers crossed that our new coalition Government discuss them in their meeting today and decide to scrap them!!!

 

Nona