Why can’t we just let kids be kids?
That was my first thought when BB came home from school with a ‘very important’ letter last week.
It was about SATs, except apparently they don’t call them that anymore: they’re called ‘End of Key Stage Tests and Assessments’. Personally I think SATs has more of a ring to it, but what do I know? Anyway, I digress.
Why can’t we just let kids be kids?
This is what the letter said:
“In order to give your child the maximum opportunity to achieve as best they can in the mathematics KS1 assessments this year we would like to run booster groups once a week to focus on deepening pupils’ mathematical reasoning skills and so help them achieve a grading of ‘greater depth’ at the end of the year.”
And this is what the letter actually means:
“In order to give your child the maximum opportunity to achieve as best they can in the government-imposed SATs tests this year we would like to run booster groups once a week to focus on deepening pupils’ mathematical reasoning skills and so help the school look better in the league tables.”
It seems to me running ‘booster groups’ is as much for the schools’ benefit as it is the kids’.
Misery Guts reckons anything that improves BB’s maths skills is a good thing (apparently these ‘booster groups’ aren’t being offered to the whole class, meaning she must be one of the cr*p ones) and we’re essentially being offered extra tuition for free, which is true.
But she’s six. Are extra maths lessons really necessary?
I thought SATs were supposed to be let’s-not-make-a-big-deal-of-it sort of tests, the sort of tests the kids don’t actually realise they’re doing. Not tests that involve special lessons outside of normal school hours.
What’s more, these ‘booster groups’ are set to take place at 8 o’clock in the morning, before the school day has officially started. Surely she should be at home at 8 o’clock in the morning, spilling rice krispies on the table while watching breakfast TV and annoying her brother, not doing sums.
Coupled with the after-school club BB also happens to have that day means she’s going to be at school for a full eight and a half hours, the equivalent of the average adult’s working day. Which seems a bit much to me.
Have I said any of this to the school? Of course I haven’t.
I don’t want to do BB a disservice and I don’t want to be seen to be making a fuss about something none of the other parents seem to have taken exception to (our class Facebook group is usually a den of unrest when something is even remotely amiss, and there hasn’t been a whiff of protest about this).
Instead I’ve signed the consent form and sent her on her merry way, and I’m ranting to you instead.
I can’t be the only one who thinks going into school early and swotting up for tests that seem to have no real bearing on a child’s future when they’re just six-years-old is a step too far? It’s going to be another 10 years before she sits any meaningful exam. Why can’t we just let kids be kids?
What do you think? Am I overthinking the whole thing? Are you a teacher and is there something I’m missing here? I’d love to hear your point of view!
My nephew gets homework and his mother has already told the school that he will only be completing an hour each day, maximum, and the rest be damned. He gets home from after school group at 530 and by the time they eat and bathe it is 630. His bedtime is at 8, so an hour of homework only leaves him with 30 minutes to actually sit with his mother and enjoy themselves. It’s just too much for kids when they are young. Whatever happened to family time and outside activities?! #BloggersBest
It seems an awful lot when she is 6 years old I agree! I wouldn’t mind doing a bit extra at home with my eldest but earlier to school and more work? Seems a lot of effort just for these tests xx Thanks for sharing with #bloggersbest x
It’s a shame you didn’t push back. I object to this premature dragging of children into a culture of success at all costs. Family time, emotional maturity, and fun is vastly more important for 6 year olds.
I couldn’t agree more. Why all the tests? We are basically just teaching kids to remember stuff half the time, not to explore, think and learn. Our son is two and I’m going to dread him going to school. No homework and tests please!
My daughter is doing her KS1 SATs this year too and you’re absolutely right – it’s all about making the school look good. I hate it. We shouldn’t be putting so much pressure on them at this stage. I would rather the kids didn’t even know they were doing tests (which is how they did it at my primary school when I was growing up) but instead, it’s being drilled into them. No wonder we have kids having nervous breakdowns by the time they’re in high school! … rant over…! #ablogginggoodtime
We’ve had a letter about Booster lessons but no one mentioned SATs! Makes perfect sense though. My daughter can’t do the Booster sessions anyway as they’re after school on the same day that she does gymnastics. I feel bad that she can’t do them, but also relieved because I really don’t think it’s fair to make a 6-year-old stay for an extra hour of school. Mine’s at school at 7:45 every day for breakfast club so has a long enough day as it is. I have got a few Maths apps and worksheets so we’ll do some extra practice in our own time. #ablogginggoodtime
at 6 years old it does seem extreme, I truly think it is so focussed on making the school seem better. I understand some children need extra support in certain subjects, but to me a child also needs time to just play and have fun, and also time to unwind. I hope it all goes well for her and she doesn’t get too tired, if you start to feel it gets to much just take her out of the group. Thank you so much for joining us #abloggingoodtime