Guest guest Posted April 19, 2001 Report Share Posted April 19, 2001 But the government response is that we, the parents, wanted this. We (apparently) wanted to know how our kids were doing and wanted something to judge schools (and by extention, policiticans) performance on. So now we're all on a bandwagon. Personally, I feel I know far better than the school how my kids are doing as I spend more time with them than their teacher does (on a one to one basis). I must just have been lucky in that our school do not go overboard on it, no cramming/pressure etc and tell all the kids that its just a means of the teacher being able to check how she's doing. Emma (yr 4) has weekly tests in spelling and maths anyway so I'm not expecting her to get overstressed by it. As for Kieran, well goodness knows how he will perform next year but I am determined not to rate my kids by their educational achievement in narrowly focussed tests. , if you are reading this, many many countries do not even begin formal schooling until 7 and this school really should not be causing you and your son so much stress. If he is finding it mechanically difficult to write then it might need checking out but if its that he's not inspired then my instinct is to let it be or try to come up with entertaining alternatives, tap into what he enjoys and don't expect a boy to come up with pretty stories, they just don't do it. Hope it gets better soon. Lesley, Antenatal teacher, trainee breasteeding counsellor. Demented mother of 3. Worthing. " We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse " . re SATS > The actual reading/writing sats are done over a 3 day period. The '6 week' > thing is a sort of coursework portfolio. I will just keep Archie off (with a > 'cold' for the 3 day formal period). he will of course still get a 'teacher > assessed level', but there is nothing i can do about it. As far as being > given his grade in a report, I will take a photo of it ripped up, unopened > and send it to Blunkett!!! I think it is appalling that 6 yr olds are > examined, and whatever they say about it being informal is rubbish. The > children have to be quiet and work with a supply teacher while the class > tacher does the SATS with small groups....how is having a supply teacher > going to benefit their education? > > Also, all the children have to take a very hard level 3 paper, meaning they > are certain to 'fail' or get 'stuck' as they go along...is this fair? > > At our school, they practice SATS papers every wednesday. This has > mysteriously co-incided with the wednesday tummy ache for Archie. I know he > gets frustrated and I wish I could do something more constructive about it. > > Emma > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2001 Report Share Posted April 19, 2001 But the government response is that we, the parents, wanted this. We (apparently) wanted to know how our kids were doing and wanted something to judge schools (and by extention, policiticans) performance on. So now we're all on a bandwagon. Personally, I feel I know far better than the school how my kids are doing as I spend more time with them than their teacher does (on a one to one basis). I must just have been lucky in that our school do not go overboard on it, no cramming/pressure etc and tell all the kids that its just a means of the teacher being able to check how she's doing. Emma (yr 4) has weekly tests in spelling and maths anyway so I'm not expecting her to get overstressed by it. As for Kieran, well goodness knows how he will perform next year but I am determined not to rate my kids by their educational achievement in narrowly focussed tests. , if you are reading this, many many countries do not even begin formal schooling until 7 and this school really should not be causing you and your son so much stress. If he is finding it mechanically difficult to write then it might need checking out but if its that he's not inspired then my instinct is to let it be or try to come up with entertaining alternatives, tap into what he enjoys and don't expect a boy to come up with pretty stories, they just don't do it. Hope it gets better soon. Lesley, Antenatal teacher, trainee breasteeding counsellor. Demented mother of 3. Worthing. " We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse " . re SATS > The actual reading/writing sats are done over a 3 day period. The '6 week' > thing is a sort of coursework portfolio. I will just keep Archie off (with a > 'cold' for the 3 day formal period). he will of course still get a 'teacher > assessed level', but there is nothing i can do about it. As far as being > given his grade in a report, I will take a photo of it ripped up, unopened > and send it to Blunkett!!! I think it is appalling that 6 yr olds are > examined, and whatever they say about it being informal is rubbish. The > children have to be quiet and work with a supply teacher while the class > tacher does the SATS with small groups....how is having a supply teacher > going to benefit their education? > > Also, all the children have to take a very hard level 3 paper, meaning they > are certain to 'fail' or get 'stuck' as they go along...is this fair? > > At our school, they practice SATS papers every wednesday. This has > mysteriously co-incided with the wednesday tummy ache for Archie. I know he > gets frustrated and I wish I could do something more constructive about it. > > Emma > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2001 Report Share Posted April 19, 2001 But the government response is that we, the parents, wanted this. We (apparently) wanted to know how our kids were doing and wanted something to judge schools (and by extention, policiticans) performance on. So now we're all on a bandwagon. Personally, I feel I know far better than the school how my kids are doing as I spend more time with them than their teacher does (on a one to one basis). I must just have been lucky in that our school do not go overboard on it, no cramming/pressure etc and tell all the kids that its just a means of the teacher being able to check how she's doing. Emma (yr 4) has weekly tests in spelling and maths anyway so I'm not expecting her to get overstressed by it. As for Kieran, well goodness knows how he will perform next year but I am determined not to rate my kids by their educational achievement in narrowly focussed tests. , if you are reading this, many many countries do not even begin formal schooling until 7 and this school really should not be causing you and your son so much stress. If he is finding it mechanically difficult to write then it might need checking out but if its that he's not inspired then my instinct is to let it be or try to come up with entertaining alternatives, tap into what he enjoys and don't expect a boy to come up with pretty stories, they just don't do it. Hope it gets better soon. Lesley, Antenatal teacher, trainee breasteeding counsellor. Demented mother of 3. Worthing. " We are born naked, wet and hungry. Then things get worse " . re SATS > The actual reading/writing sats are done over a 3 day period. The '6 week' > thing is a sort of coursework portfolio. I will just keep Archie off (with a > 'cold' for the 3 day formal period). he will of course still get a 'teacher > assessed level', but there is nothing i can do about it. As far as being > given his grade in a report, I will take a photo of it ripped up, unopened > and send it to Blunkett!!! I think it is appalling that 6 yr olds are > examined, and whatever they say about it being informal is rubbish. The > children have to be quiet and work with a supply teacher while the class > tacher does the SATS with small groups....how is having a supply teacher > going to benefit their education? > > Also, all the children have to take a very hard level 3 paper, meaning they > are certain to 'fail' or get 'stuck' as they go along...is this fair? > > At our school, they practice SATS papers every wednesday. This has > mysteriously co-incided with the wednesday tummy ache for Archie. I know he > gets frustrated and I wish I could do something more constructive about it. > > Emma > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2001 Report Share Posted April 19, 2001 > , if you are reading this, many many countries do not even begin > formal schooling until 7 and this school really should not be causing > you and your son so much stress. Our friends have been surprised at the difference in schooling between the UK and Australia. Their 7yo twins (noy and girl) were at a state school in the UK and have gone private here. They were only in school for the last four weeks of the last school year before breaking up for a 2 month holiday but apparently it was play city! For a while the parents were quite concerned about how much they were forgetting e.g. one child knew numbers really well in UK but started writing 120 as 10020. Since the children went back in early Jan though, the parents have become more aware of the other opportunities at the school - lots of sport and lots of play. I know theyare feeling more settled as a family anyway. Here in Melbourne the cut-off date for school is 30th April but the school year doesn't end until December so some children are almost 6 before they start full-time school. Steffi's at 4yo pre-school but only goes for 11 hours a week as that is all that is offered (similar UK mornings only school?). It is very free-play - there are 8 or so activities set out on tables - painting, printing, playdoh, threading, lego, sand, water etc and they can do any of those. I don't think they are told to change at any point, just allowe to get up and move on whenever they like but I'm helping out on the first session of next term so will find out more then! I'd be interested to hear of Debbie's experience in Perth with her children as they are more the age you are talking about and Perth is about as far from us as Italy is from the UK! -- Sue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2001 Report Share Posted April 19, 2001 > The actual reading/writing sats are done over a 3 day period. The '6 week' > thing is a sort of coursework portfolio. I will just keep Archie off (with a > 'cold' for the 3 day formal period). he will of course still get a 'teacher > assessed level', but there is nothing i can do about it. << When my eldest 2 kids (now 8 & 10) did their SATS I didn't mention it too them at all. They didn't practise at home and it was them who came home and told me they had actually done the SATS that day. They weren't at all bothered or stressed about it and I think it was because I didn't make a big issue of it either way. Neither of them asked what their result was and they took it all in their stride as just something that was happening at school at that time and everybody in their class was doing it. So I think that is the key at this age - no matter what the school is doing you can be in control at home by how you handle it. If you feel keeping him off is best for him, then that is fine, but be careful that he doesn't feel " different " because of it and also that you aren't drawing his attention to it even more so by doing this. Lorraine Mum to 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2001 Report Share Posted April 19, 2001 > The actual reading/writing sats are done over a 3 day period. The '6 week' > thing is a sort of coursework portfolio. I will just keep Archie off (with a > 'cold' for the 3 day formal period). he will of course still get a 'teacher > assessed level', but there is nothing i can do about it. << When my eldest 2 kids (now 8 & 10) did their SATS I didn't mention it too them at all. They didn't practise at home and it was them who came home and told me they had actually done the SATS that day. They weren't at all bothered or stressed about it and I think it was because I didn't make a big issue of it either way. Neither of them asked what their result was and they took it all in their stride as just something that was happening at school at that time and everybody in their class was doing it. So I think that is the key at this age - no matter what the school is doing you can be in control at home by how you handle it. If you feel keeping him off is best for him, then that is fine, but be careful that he doesn't feel " different " because of it and also that you aren't drawing his attention to it even more so by doing this. Lorraine Mum to 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 19, 2001 Report Share Posted April 19, 2001 > The actual reading/writing sats are done over a 3 day period. The '6 week' > thing is a sort of coursework portfolio. I will just keep Archie off (with a > 'cold' for the 3 day formal period). he will of course still get a 'teacher > assessed level', but there is nothing i can do about it. << When my eldest 2 kids (now 8 & 10) did their SATS I didn't mention it too them at all. They didn't practise at home and it was them who came home and told me they had actually done the SATS that day. They weren't at all bothered or stressed about it and I think it was because I didn't make a big issue of it either way. Neither of them asked what their result was and they took it all in their stride as just something that was happening at school at that time and everybody in their class was doing it. So I think that is the key at this age - no matter what the school is doing you can be in control at home by how you handle it. If you feel keeping him off is best for him, then that is fine, but be careful that he doesn't feel " different " because of it and also that you aren't drawing his attention to it even more so by doing this. Lorraine Mum to 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 20, 2001 Report Share Posted April 20, 2001 HI >>, if you are reading this<< I am, late as usual. He can write but isn't allowed a lined book until he gets neater, but we have found that his writing is neat on lined paper rather than without. It is the fact that when he writes, the others will have finished the page and he just a few lines. The other night he came home and spent nearly 2 hours writing a story that he made up himself, and did nearly a full A4 sheet before I made him go to bed and he got no praise from the teacher in the morning for all of his effort!! He has one more term in this class then moves to the next where the work really starts, but I have been checking on the website (educate.org.uk) and he is doing spellings for year 1, not year two and he is finding them too easy. I need to go back to see his teachers this term and discuss what we are going to do. Thanks all for the support Mc SAHM 6, Olivia 3, 2, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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