Category: SATs

Summer Holidays

22/8/2014

Gosh, it's been way too long since I posted. I can only apologise and promise to do better! I hope you've all been enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having, well, apart from the last few days. It's been so rare over the last few years to actually have glorious weather during the school holidays.

Things have been a bit quieter around here as families go on holidays and children often attend 'camps'. A few new faces and some returning ones have been lovely to see. Getting busier now as people start to think about the new school year. September can be a busy time if you're looking for a private tutor, so I'm looking forward to meeting new children who want to start tuition.

I haven't linked to Kidz First Childcare for a little while. I'm still guest blogging for them and you can visit and read my August post titled 'I'm Bored!' www.kidzfirstchildcare.co.uk/index.php/community/the-blog

Finally I'd like to congratulate one of our Year 6 pupils for achieving Level 5 across the board in her KS2 SATs and one of our Year 1 pupils for getting in to Abbot's Hill School. Well done to both of you! A big 'Well done' to anyone who took their GCSEs and A Levels too. I hope all your hard work paid off. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the holidays!

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SATs. Stressful or Stress-free?

12/5/2014

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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?

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Summer Holidays

SATs. Stressful or Stress-free?

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