CATS Tests - what should I do

inkie

On Monday, the children in my daughters class (yr6) are going to the local high school to sit their CATS tests (baseline assessment for when they go to seniors). As my daughter is the only one not going to the local high school (she is going to a catholic high school whom I contacted and they informed me that they will be doing CATS test when the new tern starts in Sept on all the new starters)I at the begining of this week I asked her current school what will happen to her whilst all the others were at the high school. The options she was given was to go for the test with the others (for the experience), or to stay at her present school and help with the younger children which she chose to do.

When I have been to pick her up this afternoon from school I am now told that she 'has' to go to the high school with the others as they will be expecting her, with the intention being that the results will be forwarded to her new school. I said that there was no point in this as she will be doing the tests with her new school. Her form teacher said that she will check with high school first thing on Monday morning if she is expected to go. I can't see the point in this, as it is testing for testings sake, as she will have to do it again at her new school in Sept.

I am contemplating not sending her to do the tests with the rest of the class on monday, if they say that she 'has ' to go, and keeping her with me. What would you do?

crazy_chick_573

Cats tests aren't that important they just help (not determine) teachers decide which set to put children in. i would let her go though to see what it's like for her if you're just gonna let her stay at home and do nothing. if you did that she may see the chance of her being able to skip school later on. personally i would let her go to the school it won't do any harm will it?

inkie

What my objection is that the school now seem to be backpeddling - they were happy for her to stay in her current school and help out, but I feel that they (the head) is now saying that the high school are expecting her - which I personally doubt that they are.
I have no aversion to her sitting the tests - in fact ealier this year she sat the competative entrance exam for a selective independant school and got one of the highest marks, but feel that we are being messed about. I and she would prefer to go to her present school as was originally agreed.
We are very strict about schooo attendance, even to the point that we do not have holidays in term time. It is her present school that seems to have a problem with dealing with the situations where kids don't fit into the usual boxes - she is the only one for years that has not gone to the feeder high school.

candygirl

As a teacher i can assure you that a high school that your daughter isn't going to will not be expecting her for the test.what a load of rubbish.what the issue will be is they can't be bothered looking after her while the others are gone.
Don't worry about the CATS test anyway, as they are only a very rough guide to what sets she will be in in year 7.Any good school still shifts the kids about right up to xmas according to how they're coping in the current set.Let her do the test in September.
I'd ring the head and say that is your intention, and they should still be able to accommodate her at school.If not i'd be asking serious questions:o

janeawej

just a thought, does she want to go with the others to sit the test? my dd2 loves doing this sort of thing! she wouldnt want to miss it, however dd1 hates it, although I am not a great believer in letting children decide on important matters it actualy dosent realy matter if she takes the test or not so i think i would let her decide!! probably a bit controversial but if she likes tests let her do it also she may just feel she wants to be with her friends and not want to be the odd one out!

inkie

The thing is she doesn't want to go, and has set her heart on staying in school - she does like doing tests and is very competative, but can't see the point in doing it - if she will have to do it again in Sept.

silvercar

I wouldn't let her go to a school she won't be at. This will be just a further reminder that her classmates are all going off to secondary school together, without her.

Plan a shopping trip together instead.

bylromarha

Bit unfair that they tell you on a friday afternoon that the plans have changed for the monday morning. No-one to speak to in the meantime.

If I were you, and you feel strongly about keeping her in school in term time (bar illness), I would turn up at your primary school office on Monday and politely ask what class your child is expected in. If they tell you that she's expected at the high school, be honest and say that the plans were changed at too short notice and you disagree with sending your child to a place where she will feel uncomfortable and remind her that she'll be losing her friendship group. And why put your daughter through that as the option of staying at school shouldn't have been offered if it couldn't be catered for?

At the end of the day, the school have a duty of care to your child. It isn't hard to find a class she can be a "helper" in. We used to do it quite a lot when we had a few kids that didn't go on the school residential. The head has no reason at all to refuse your child entry to school. She is enrolled, she has to be there each day. The head would be stupid and completely unreasonable if they refused entry and would be a matter for the council IMO...hopefully it won't get that far.

let us know what happens.

inkie

Thanks for your replies - I intend sending DD to school on Monday as usual, and will let her teacher know of this intention when she rings me early on Monday morning to tell me what the situation is. I have another daughter at the school and so will just take her in when I take my younger daugther. The class teacher had already given her the choice of which class to help in, going for swimming in the afternoon with a younger year group- before the head intervened! I'll keep y'all posted!

ruthyjo

My son was in a similar position last year when he was leaving first school to go to a different school to all his peers and the school thought it might be more convenient to send him to the orientation day at the school they fed along with all his peers.

I fel the experience would be upsetting for him as well as utterly pointless and did not give the school permission to transport him to the Middle School. I told them that if they were advising me that they could not accomodate him in school that day I would be forced to keep him at home but I did not believe they could legally do that.

He spent the day helping out in a younger class. (Unlike your DD he did not enjoy the experience of helping with littlies much but I'm sure it was character forming!)

inkie

Well, I have taken DD to school as normal today - no phone along the lines of 'why is she not at the high school' calls yet, and so hope all is well! Will report back after school!