Children are worrying about SATs tests

Our granddaughter has just finished SATs week. The school handled it in an (outwardly!) relaxed way, she was relaxed. When asked how she felt the response was 'it's not about me, it's about the school, it's fine'. Impressive I thought. She was much more anxious about a swimming gala where the coaches put her under huge pressure to succeed.

I told GD to relax and not worry about the tests but she had already seen her teacher go into meltdown last week and throw an exercise book at one child. This teacher was not suited to teaching year 6 pupils and I think the SATS results will prove this.

I do remember the principal at Art School looking at my O level results and saying "Seven passes, good heavens did you take them all at once?" I've found out recently that he was famous for taking on students with no qualifications at all.

DD has found that the most important thing when interviewing post grads is not their exam results, but whether there are any mystery gaps in their CV as these usually turn out to be "Oh that's when I had my nervous breakdown"

In the past, primary schools were certainly judged by how many children they got through the 11+ and into grammar school.

There was little or no coaching for the 11+ and education oriented parents were very keen that their children went to schools with a good record of getting children through it. Schools, similarly wanted these children, they were easier to teach, less likely to be disruptive and gave the school prestige in the local educational pecking order.

As I have said before! - it is because the SCHOOL is being judged on the results; and getting a good OfSted is paramount in these times.

Many years ago (more than 50 ! help) we sat the 11+ exam to get into Grammar School. We studied for it for weeks and knew it was really important - but I don't remember anybody getting "stressed" about it. We just knew it was something we had to do. What has changed now? Are the school putting more pressure on the children, or the parents, or are children being brought up to be so much less resilient than we were and almost being expected to be stressed?

Yeaaah! SATs are over for Year 6's. Poor little Year 2's sit them shortly-luckily for the last time. DGS and his Yr6 class have walked down to the village pub with their teacher to have a celebratory lunch, today.

Children pick up on the anxiety even if teachers and parents are laid back about it. The covering up of the pupils' work on the boards is just plain crazy and says to the children that this is something very different from what they are used to.

It is all bonkers - we have year groups that consist of 2 children (in a mixed age class) - so, one has an off day for some reason, and the other has special needs - that is 100% of the year group in the failure category. In fact they might be progressing very well - and be happy, imaginative, kind, artistic, musical, and working to their own ability. Just madness!

I the primary school hall where out choir rehearse all the big work display boards were covered in big black "no crib" fabric It looked horribly intimidating.
Poor children.

The SATs are for assessing the school and not the child; that is why the staff are stressed by it all.

Assessments of children's ability, in order to tailor their work to their needs, is ongoing and part of education. SATs are not - they benefit the child not one jot.

Actually,Deedaa for the first ten years after I left school, almost every application form I completed asked about my O and A level exam grades, even though I was a graduate.

In starting out in a career exam grades are really important. For graduates, when I graduated all they asked for was your degree class, now employers want transcripts of all your final exam marks as well.

So exam grades matter.

To be fair, quite a few times, when completing application forms, but nobody will ever ask about SATs. They don't matter and the things children have to be taught to achieve high grades are ridiculous.

When they were first introduced, teachers were told that they were to be diagnostic ie help to identify very low and very high achieving pupils, but now they're just a way of assessing teachers and giving heads a reason to boast about their school's position in league tables.

How many times since you left school has anyone asked you what grades you got in anything? Thought so

I agree with you MOnica. Children pick up on their parents' anxiety. It's so sad, because secondary schools take them all with a pinch of salt anyway.

GS1 who is in year 5 is going into meltdown now because year6 are doing SATS. DD doesn't think she'll get him to school at all when it's his turn.

Children worry because their parents, and to a certain extent teachers worry about SATS. My memory of primary school is constant tests and end of year exams, with marks and places in class on a board for all to see. I cannot say I ever was bothered about it, nor to the best of my knowledge was anyone else.

DS & DDiL have a similar relaxed attitude to SATS and even DGD, who is a worrier takes them in her stride because nobody has suggested to her that there is anything to worry about

I'm a supply teacher and just did two weeks cover in a Yr 6 class. Talk about feeling under pressure!! I was having to revise myself the night before SPAG lessons. I had managed to reach the age of 63 without knowing what a fronted adverbial was. To be honest I taught it to them and promptly forgot!!
I feel very sorry for the teachers who are under huge pressure to fit everything in. The amount of marking and paper work they have to do is overwhelming. No wonder schools are having such problems recruiting staff and keeping them. So glad I don't have to work all the time.

Bloody sats, my daughter was there when they were introduced and she got in a right spin every time, I get the need and the exam experience but they were heralded as a real make or break exam at a very tender age, I never made much of them and never reacted to their results but the build up at school was very stressful for the children

Yes Grannynise you are right. the secondary school places were given out weeks ago and the year 6 children are doing their SATS right now. My DGD was really worried about hers as she is a very conscientious, hard working child. She has become a little calmer as the week has worn on.

She is dreading secondary school and is insisting that she won't go (which is very worrying).

It's rubbish - if only because the places for secondary school are allocated well before the SAT tests take place.

'All this testing just gets in the way of teaching' - and that's according to my DGD in year 6.

GS1 has got SATS next year and someone has already told him that if he does badly he won't get into a good school and his future will be ruined. (I know it wasn't his teacher because I know exactly what her opinion of SATS is!} His mother and I have told him it's all bollocks - but this may not be what the powers that be were aiming for.

I am a retired teacher and I can confirm that the problem with these tests are children not getting a rounded education. 'Teaching to tests' and 'playing the game' was the focus of my headteacher.
I qualified as a HT but decided to leave as I couldn't bear to be part of this education system anymore. No one seems interested in developing children's creativity - if anything it gets destroyed by the time they are 7.
My stomach turns when I think my grandchild will be reaching school age soon and entering into the current system.

And it should have been deleted HOURS ago ?

Quite right MawB.
There should be a ban on the resurrection of very old threads in order to advertise a product.

Duh!
Bullseye!!