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In the summer term, 1.8 million children aged seven and 11 (and 14) will sit their SATs. Schools will be preparing for the date long before it takes place in the middle of May. If you have a child of the relevant age you should receive information about the tests well in advance so you can help your child be ready and confident
A BBC survey carried out in 2004 showed that six out of every ten teachers believe that SATs stress children. Both parents and children worry about them too. And despite all the information received from your child's teacher SATs can still appear a little baffling. Here are a few points that can help you sail through the experience.
What are SATs for?
SATs help teachers learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of your child in relation to a subject. The school needs to know how well your child is doing and where they need to work harder. Teachers use the tests to compare how well each child is doing with their peers, both in their school and across the country. They can also measure how well each child has improved from one Key Stage to another and compare this with the most and least able children to see where they need help. If you know what your child's strengths and weaknesses are you will have a clear picture of where they need more help.
In addition, headteachers, local authorities and the DfES use the results to help schools that are struggling and, where a school is doing really well, share what it's doing right with other schools.
Does my child have to take the tests?
In England the tests are compulsory for all seven, 11 and 14 year olds - those children in school years 2, 6 and 9.
What are they suppose to show?
The tests are taken in the following subjects:
Year 2 (aged 7) English and Maths
Year 6 (aged 11) English, Maths and Science
And the expected grades for SATs are
Year 2 (aged 7) level two
Year 6 (aged 11) level four
How will my child be helped to prepare for the tests?
Teachers use past papers so children can practise on the kind of questions they may need to answer and in the kind of environment in which they will complete the test. This will help your child feel more comfortable with the tests and teach him or her a valuable lesson for life.
So why do the tests seem so stressful?
Some children do become stressed over the tests, and some parents also find them worrying. But the tests aren't pass or fail - they just reflect how well the child has understood what they're learning at school. The more relaxed you are, the better able your child will be to tackle the test, so parents can help to make the experience less stressful by not making a big thing of it at home. Being tested is a skill for life so teachers try to make sure that the children enjoy the experience, so that they're able to do their best.
What do the tests involve?
Children are tested only on what they have been learning at school. The tests are set on days in the middle of May and all the tests added together last between five and five-and-a-half hours.
At Key Stage 1 (age seven)
Your child will first be assessed by his or her teacher (known as the Teacher Assessment) on speaking and listening, reading and writing; maths; and science. They will then sit quietly (in exam conditions) to take written tests in reading, writing (including handwriting and spelling) and maths.
