SAT's

Island Girl

Island Girl

Carol, sending lots of luck and good wishes from the other side of the world for your boys starting their SATS today. 

dorothyd

and from this side, too!

Carol

Thanks for the good wishes. It's Science today, not their favourite subject.
They have had revision every afternoon almost for the last 2-3 weeks, and I've been firm in ensuring that at home they have been able to forget about the advancing tests.
Last night two of them found it difficult to relax and go to sleep because the tests were playing on their mind. And this morning my other son was getting worried.
So I said to them, the tests are not a matter of life and death. You are not going to be put against a wall and shot if you don't do well. You do the best you can. And if you blank- shut your eyes, take a deep breath and tell yourself 'I know the answers.'
By the time we got to school they seemed to be okay.
But I can tell you, Dane would like to inflict verbal damage on whoever invented the tests. I blamed the Government!

Neph

My eldest is doing them this week too and I have given him absolutely no pressure after school for ages, as the school he is at is in special measures (long story) they have really really been coming down heavily on them so any homework hasnt been done.  I dont see why they should have to work so hard at school when tehy are only 11. 

Hope the science went ok Carol, Liam said it was ok.  Hes not looking forward to English tomorrow.

Carol

Two of mine are okay about the English, the third not happy.
Hope Liam gets on okay tomorrow Neph.
I wish it was possible to withdraw the children from these statutory tests, as I do not see the need for it.
The children are continually assessed as they go through school, so there is no need for the SAT'S.
I think ours have been pushed hard this year because last year's year 6 results dropped them a long way down the league tables.

Kangaroo

I hope the boys do well Carol!

Carol

Thanks Kangeroo.
What happens in Australia, Kangeroo, Island Girl and Nenastew? Do they have these stautory tastes at set ages?

Carol

That should be 'tests.'

Island Girl

Not in my neck of the woods, Carol. I'm not sure how your system works. We can choose to send our children to Kindergarten at ages 3 - 4 and Primary school begins with the Prep year through to Grade 6. Secondary school is Year 7 -12.

Primary school is pretty easy going with only homework and projects to hand in. The serious exams really start in Year 11 and finish up in Year 12. It varies from state to state, though and the tests are named differently depending on where you live. In Victoria we have what's known as the VCE (Victorian Cert. of Education) This is conducted across Yrs 11 & 12 with tests conducted throughout the year and the big nerve-wracking exams right at the end of Year 12. The results of these tests provide your individual national score so that you can get into Uni. Or not.

BTW, good luck to ALL the children undertaking SAT's. Whew! How long-winded was THAT? Sorry. Note to self: learn to become more succinct.

Amanda

good luck to everyone's little ones taking these exams. its an example of how the government are attacking the wrong side of the fence - again.  the teachers are hopeless and dont really bother to ensure each and every child can read and write and do maths to a decent standard for their ages, so instead of targeting the sloppy teaching standards and lowering the needless paperwork for these much abused people they target the kids. the whole thing is a total disgrace.  we moved to france 2 years ago and now my child is up to standard in her work just like the other kids and in a foreign language tooboot! they should take a leaf out of france and usa and others who hold down kids until they are ready to graduate up a year - it puts the thumb screws on those who slack due to lazyness - they dont want to loose their friends allowing those who cant manage to stick out more to the teachers for extra help.  the teachers here are disiplined for every child who doesnt reach standard so they work hard!

Carol

That is very interesting IG.
Here in the UK, the assesments start in nursery with targets/milestones children are expected to reach- even childminders are expected to meet certain educational targets.
School nurseries take children in between 3 and 3+ until they join the Reception class in the term before their fifth birthday.
Their first Statutory Attainment Test is at age 7, and it is hoped each child will attain the prescribed average level.
The levels go from 1 up to 5, with levels E-A.
They are constantly assessed each year so their progress is charted.
At Year 6 they have another set of SAT's (average is level 4) in Maths, English and Science. They go up to senior school in the Autumn (Year 7).
The next lot of SAT's is at age 14.
At end of Year 9 they make their choices for GCSE's which they do in Years 10-11.
After this they can go onto Sixth Form for higher level qualifications, or college,or out to work.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I've got any of that wrong.

Carol

My autistic son hasn't been very happy when he's come out of school, and apart from when he went out with a friend (who's also autistic) he's been very worked up, and consequently it's been a very stressful evening.
I got a tension headache, pain across the back of my neck, and had to resort to pain killers.
At this moment if I could get hold of the person who invented SAT's I would happily torture them!!!!

Island Girl

Well I think it's just terrible that little tackers are put under pressure from a very early age like that, Carol. Good heavens! As if there won't be enough stress thrust upon them later in life - although maybe with all that experience, they'll have the resources to be able to handle it better. In the very least, they should be allowed to enjoy their childhood while they can - learning should be an enjoyable process.

Neph

The whole point of the SATS I think is to test how the school is doing, how the teachers are doing not to test the children's ability.  Liam was ok with his on monday but last night he came downstairs about half-eleven saying they were keeping him awake.  They have been pushing them so hard its untrue, SATS in the morning, revising all afternoon.  Its soo wrong.

Carol

Yes Neph, it was the English tests that caused the problem with Jordan yesterday.
It is very true, the tests are not about the children, they are assessed all through the year on their work, it is about the schools doing well so the teachers can get their merit pay. (APOLOGIES TO ANY TEACHERS IN THE UK HERE, BUT THAT IS HOW IT SEEMS)
Today it is only reading comprehension. 15 minutes to read something, then 45 minutes to answer questions.
Nenastew, unlike the 11+ that I sat as a child, these SAT's make no difference to the school your child goes to (the 11+ decided who was eligible for Grammar School.)As allocation of school places has been confirmed March 1st.

Carol

I don't know about it just being the kids that get stressed. I've realised that it's been getting me worked up too.
Any teachers here who want to give an opinion from the other side of the desk, feel welcome.

Tessa Tangent

Mine are now 17 and 21 but I do remember the pressure of the SATs and it appears to be worse now.  What on earth is happening?  Sometimes, I long for them to just bring back the old 11+ and have done with it.  At least we could enjoy what we didn't realise was learning at the time, without feeling heaps of expectation from all around us.

It is as though life is one non-stop exam from birth to the grave now.  I even heard one baby in the supermarket being drilled to count up to 17 whilst sitting pudgily in it's trolley.  Mother desperate to make something out of her shopping trip.  And yet half of it appeared to be a need to show off.  I forget what mine did and at what ages but Anna was top in school for GCSEs and Ru got As at A level.  Now soon to be in first year at Uni.  Anna doing that baccalaureate.  But, who's doing the pushing here?  The school, themselves, society, or me?  If it's all that lot, God help them.

Life is bl**dy difficult and a constant test.  I know that from the recent job application.  I just wish it didn't have to start so early, so that they could genuinely have time to find out what they love to do and enjoy it before the tests start.

A poor test result must must must be explained to the child as no reflection on them or their personality.  Or even their ability to get on in life later on.  I have seen it work the other way round. 

Carol

I think they lose the enjoyment, what can be gained from looking beyond the main text at the periphery of the subject, broadening their knowledge and realising there is so much more to the subject than what they HAVE to learn to pass a test.

Tessa Tangent

Exactly!  It's all about rote learning in India (which, yes, we had many years back but the times-tables did me no harm in the arithmetic department) - and I was pleased to see the comment about that by the Indian bloke in WN/WM latest issue.  It does have an effect on creativity. 

Meant to say my son is now going into 3rd year at Uni, having changed to a course that suited HIM more, rather than what he'd been told would do him good in the outside world.  He'll do well anyway, now, having made that decision.  He has a show on at both the Brighton and Edinburgh Festivals.  If he's a blinking camp, creative dustman, yet happy - then I'm going to be one happy and proud mum!

Anyanka

I too was very cross about the amount of time my daughters spent rehashing old stuff so that they could make their school look good, instead of learning something new. - At their middle school, one teacher actually told his class that the year 6 SATS were going to be the most important week of their lives! Fortunately for him, my daughters weren't in his class, or I would have had a major row with him.

Still, the school system here is way way better than the German one I grew up with, where you got graded on most subjects from 2nd year onward, and which still divides children into three tiers after primary school. Looking on the bright side, my daughters have experienced far more enjoyable and enlightened schooling than either I or their English dad knew.

Jay Mandal

Fingers crossed all goes well for them all.

Anyanka

P.S. Don't blame the teachers. They didn't invent the SATS; 'twas the government, so that they could control the education system better.  As far as I understand, teachers have less and less freedom in how they teach.  And most of them are mightily frustrated.  One teacher at my younger daughter's comprehensive spends most of his lessons telling his class what he doesn't care about because it's not remunerated  - e.g. re skiving and truancy: "I don't get paid for how many people are in the room" or "I don't get paid depending on what grades you get".

Carol

Finished at last!
No more worry and stress until they are 14- hurrah!
Actually there is a serious point here. On Radio 4, Any Questions programme, there was someone who mentioned the exams, and told the panel about a child- can't remember if it was his daughter or not- who had had  two days sick from school due to stress over the exams.
Not good.
The morning after Dom's trip to A&E, I popped into school to tell them that neither he or his twin (who had been up in the night, ill) would  be in until Friday.
I got in the door at home, and the class teacher was ringing up to see if I could bring them in later, and they could do the two papers- obviously they would be kept isolated from the other children.
I wasn't sure, but agreed- although I know I wouldn't have had the energy to get them there on the bus and then a ten minute walk, let alone the boys being up to it.
So I said assume they would be there unless I rang .
Twenty minutes later there was another call and the member of staff who would be sitting with them, offered to collect them, and bring them home afterwards.
So off they went. They didn't want to miss the tests because 'I've spent the last year working for this test.'
Says it all- working for the test, not learning.

Butterfly

Sorry Carol I've only just picked this one up. Sorry to hear about Dom's trip to A & E, I'm glad he is now back to normal. At least you'll know what it is from now on. Hopefully he won't have too many attacks.
The children at our school have been doing SATs and like your's have now finished. They do get so stressed. We had tears, tantums and flouncing! nothing different from last years year 6's hopefully they'll enjoy the last week and have a nice half term.
I hope you all survived and can now relax.  Lets hope the sun stays out and they can run off any remaining tension.