So that time of year is upon us once more. SATs. For those of you with children in Year 2 hopefully the children are already half way through their SATs and are also, hopefully, fairly oblivious to them. Certainly at one of my schools we downplayed them to the point that the children were unaware that they were taking them. Unfortunately children in Year 6 don't have this luxury.
SATs, which stand for Standardised Assessment Tasks/Tests, were introduced at the beginning of the 1990s, so are nothing new. There have, however, been many changes since then. Year 2 SATs are now Teacher Assessed so you don't actually have to do any of the tests provided. The children instead have to prove their ability consistently across all their school work. A much more accurate and less stressful way of assessing them. For the children, at least! Do have some thought to the teachers who have to provide in depth evidence for every objective, for every child.
Year 6 is a whole different ball game. These children do take tests, under exam conditions, on set days and are judged on them. So are their school. The schools are under intense pressure to 'prove' that they have moved every child on and the children do feel this pressure. The writing test has, thankfully, been abolished and the children are now assessed as the Year 2s, by Teacher Assessment. This has helped somewhat, but children still have a week of exams. So how can you help?
Firstly, don't make a big deal of the SATs. They might seem vitally important now, but in the grand scheme of things, they aren't. How many of you who have applied for a job have been asked what your KS2 SATs results were? That's not to say that you should tell children that they don't matter at all. Just reassure them that it's their chance to show off everything they've learnt and all they can do is their best, which is good enough for you.
Ensure that they eat and sleep well this week. Most schools stop homework this week and make sure that your children make the most of this. Exercise will make them feel good and will help them to relax. If you do want to revise, do it earlier in the afternoon and leave the last hour or two before bed as a time to relax. Trying to cram them with information now is counter productive.
So, as the saying goes, Keep Calm and Carry On. This week will be over very soon and then the children can continue with another half term of school before they leave Primary School forever. Doesn't time just fly?
SATs, which stand for Standardised Assessment Tasks/Tests, were introduced at the beginning of the 1990s, so are nothing new. There have, however, been many changes since then. Year 2 SATs are now Teacher Assessed so you don't actually have to do any of the tests provided. The children instead have to prove their ability consistently across all their school work. A much more accurate and less stressful way of assessing them. For the children, at least! Do have some thought to the teachers who have to provide in depth evidence for every objective, for every child.
Year 6 is a whole different ball game. These children do take tests, under exam conditions, on set days and are judged on them. So are their school. The schools are under intense pressure to 'prove' that they have moved every child on and the children do feel this pressure. The writing test has, thankfully, been abolished and the children are now assessed as the Year 2s, by Teacher Assessment. This has helped somewhat, but children still have a week of exams. So how can you help?
Firstly, don't make a big deal of the SATs. They might seem vitally important now, but in the grand scheme of things, they aren't. How many of you who have applied for a job have been asked what your KS2 SATs results were? That's not to say that you should tell children that they don't matter at all. Just reassure them that it's their chance to show off everything they've learnt and all they can do is their best, which is good enough for you.
Ensure that they eat and sleep well this week. Most schools stop homework this week and make sure that your children make the most of this. Exercise will make them feel good and will help them to relax. If you do want to revise, do it earlier in the afternoon and leave the last hour or two before bed as a time to relax. Trying to cram them with information now is counter productive.
So, as the saying goes, Keep Calm and Carry On. This week will be over very soon and then the children can continue with another half term of school before they leave Primary School forever. Doesn't time just fly?