can I request the school SAT test my son every year?

building_with_lego

My children's schools have assessed the children regularly but not necessarily used SATs papers to do this. The teachers, and once at KS2 the children themselves, know exactly what they need to do to progress up the levels, and can feed this back to you regularly.

You can find the criteria for the levels online and tick off what your son can do, and you can print off SATs papers and get him doing them at home. He doesn't *need* to be officially tested in order that you get the information you want. Don't forget though that the levels are being phased out within three years, to be replaced with...... something else!

DigForVictory

A SAT every year is a big ask & likely not needed as the teachers have to know exactly where their pupils are on the spectrum & have evidence thereof for observed classes, Ofsted etc. Rather than worry, talk to the teachers, ask at what sublevel your son is & what needs to improve & what you can do to help?

"a child that fidgets (he never sits still), has very poor writing and communication skills, never seems to be listing and concentrating" - this is what teachers are paid to work with - so work with them! Writing & communication are always better worked jointly - that way the message & the requirements to the child are consistent.
Fidgeting is (disconcertingly) a normal healthy young male behaviour. Sit him on an exercise ball if you want (relative) stillness!

Two other ideas would be to run tests such as can be bought at WHSmiths over your son yourself, to get a feel for where he is against a questionably-dated national average, and/or to consider becoming a Parent Governor so you get to see the educational process from the other side of the classroom wall.

All the best!

ellesbellesxxx

There are optional sats papers you can use for years 3,4,5 - they are fairly dated so won't exactly fit in with current levelling, but are a good snapshot of where a child is at. http://www.satspapers.org/optionalsats.htm


However the school will be assessing both informally and formally consistently, and all data will be used to track your child's progress.

Mojisola

iammumtoone wrote: »

They told us they didn't, maybe they do and just don't give out the results. Is it a requirement they have to? I hope so.

I find it hard to believe that a school isn't assessing pupils regularly!

tom9980

A decent teacher knows where each child is so ask them. Find out where he is weak and ask them what you can do to help him improve. You know it's writing at the moment so help him by sitting and practicing as much as you can. Maybe a reward chart with the top reward being the Christmas present he desperately wants as an incentive for regularly practicing and improving.

iammumtoone

DigForVictory wrote: »

A SAT every year is a big ask & likely not needed as the teachers have to know exactly where their pupils are on the spectrum & have evidence thereof for observed classes, Ofsted etc. Rather than worry, talk to the teachers, ask at what sublevel your son is & what needs to improve & what you can do to help?

Thats the problem the teacher didn't know, by her assessment he was at the bottom level the SAT test result revealed he was actually at the top level.

I understand your other points he is just a normal child his behavior is nothing for major concern then I wonder why she didn't spot his correct academic level and seemingly base it in relation to his behaviour and writing, now it has happened I am worried that future teachers will do the same.

I do take the point I need to help him this year and always intended to, I still stick by my decision not to give him extra work at home last year as he was too young. I love that idea of getting him to sit on an exercise ball, I have one somewhere I might drag it out!

iammumtoone

Mojisola wrote: »

I find it hard to believe that a school isn't assessing pupils regularly!

I can only relay what I was told when he first started. You do raise a good point though and thinking about it they will probably assess more in KS2 therefore I have probably jumped the gun a bit with worrying. I will wait and see on what basis they change this years sets and how they organise them for next year.

liney

iammumtoone wrote: »

Thats the problem the teacher didn't know, by her assessment he was at the bottom level the SAT test result revealed he was actually at the top level.

I understand your other points he is just a normal child his behavior is nothing for major concern then I wonder why she didn't spot his correct academic level and seemingly base it in relation to his behaviour and writing, now it has happened I am worried that future teachers will do the same.

I'd be more worried he just had a very lucky day on test day! I'd also be concerned that she has jumped sublevels on the basis of one test. The teacher's daily assessment is more likely to be accurate than a screenshot of where he was at on one particular day.

iammumtoone

liney wrote: »

I'd be more worried he just had a very lucky day on test day! I'd also be concerned that she has jumped sublevels on the basis of one test. The teacher's daily assessment is more likely to be accurate than a screenshot of where he was at on one particular day.

I have to be honest and admit that is something I did not think of :eek:

I do tend to agree with the test more, ok I would say that, but I was bit surprised when she said he was below level as I always thought he was bright. He has been tested when he was 4 (not with school) and came out above average for his age then. Maybe he is just good at tests, time will tell. I am assuming it will stick out a lot clearer if he is in a wrong higher set, then a wrong lower one.

springdreams

liney wrote: »

I'd be more worried he just had a very lucky day on test day! I'd also be concerned that she has jumped sublevels on the basis of one test. The teacher's daily assessment is more likely to be accurate than a screenshot of where he was at on one particular day.

Or the children on the bottom set may have received additional coaching before the tests to help them do better as these tests are also a reflection on the school, so this extra help may be what had an impact on your son's results ...