Smurfsammy

My son is in year 2 and is just about to take his SATS. I don't know if we should tell him they are a big deal or not? I hear the other parents talking about how well their child is going to do etc but to be honest I am not sure my son is going to do that well, I think he is about average. He struggled for a long time with his reading and writing and is only just catching up to the level that he 'should' be at.

He doesn't seem at all bothered about the SATS and so I don't think I should be either. Obviously the SATS are important for making sure he is in the right classes but why is there so much pressure about it all? He is happy and social at school and gets on OK but hasn't really shown any great interest in any subject. He prefers sport really.

I just know that the kids who do really well are going to brag about it and I don't want my son's ego to take a bash if he doesn't do quite so well!

Does anyone else have a smilar issue or advice?

cheeky_carrie

dont mean to sound stupid (like i norm do) but what are SATS ?

jocatolo

My son is in year 6 and has just done his this week, i just told him it's important as they need to make sure he is the right classes once he moves to secondary school in september. I also stressed to him it's NOT a competition and he can only do his best and that is all that matters, whatever his results that I'll be proud of him and he seemed more than happy with that x

I totally understand where your coming from with the whole bragging thing tho...it's totally uncalled for...just shows the type of parents raising these kids!!

nikky0907

Well,you shouldn't pressure him.I remember my parents pressuring me like crazy.I was so stressed...

Caroline

Only just seen this so probably too late.
My eldest did his last weeks, & like your lo has only just caught up.

We said to him he needed to concentrate and do his best.

That mummy & daddy are proud of him regardless of how well he does so long as he tries his hardest.

I was more worried than him, he seem to enjoy it.

Smurfsammy

Thanks everyone, I pretty much was thinking along the same lines as you all. I just want my son to be happy and not stressed out! He seems fine, it is me I think that is more concerned.

SATS stands for standard assessment tests and are supposed to show your childs progress compared to other children of the same age. I have a friend whose sister is a teacher and apparantly she thinks the SATS show if the teachers and the school are doing a good job! If fact she thinks it puts too much pressure on the younger children and wants the pressure taken off!

My problem is that my son's school is a very high achieving school with a really good reputation so of course they want to keep that up by making the kids do as well as possible, so it is the school putting the pressure on my son really. All for league tables!

cheeky_carrie

oh right i dont think we get them in Scotland thank god they would worry me

Little Monkey

My 9 year old has just done his SATS this week (last one today). He's had problems with his Speech since he was about 4 years old and still sees a speech therapist at the hospital.

He didnt seem to be bothered by the SATS until it came to English and he didnt want to go to school because he struggles with English especially reading.

When I explained it was important that he did the English SAT too, he said he still wasnt going to school. So I told him that the SATS were so that the education board could check that the teachers were teaching all the children correctly as it was the only way they could tell if all the children were learning anything. He seemed very happy at that explaination and decided he was going to school.

After school that day he came running up to me and said he managed to do the English SAT although he did struggle a little with it. I was so worried the whole day for nothing and am so proud of him for even attempting to do it.

I never said anything about the SATS until he brought it up, as I felt if I said anything it would have made him worry about them.