Most schools will just massage the figures and authorise absences at the last minute just to hit a target. Unfortunatly doing this may not just be hiding those kids absent for holidays!

As for sitting the SATs when they return. I don't think that is legal for Key Stage 2 or 3. (OK for KS1) They are taken on the day or not at all (if the results are going to count).

As long as it's not year 6, our school is fine about sitting them later.

My daughter is doing her year 6 Sats now- and I would say do whatever you consider is the right thing for your child. I thought she was coping OK as we haven't put pressure on at home- not the same situation at school!! She's a bright kid and got level 5s across the board in the mocks, but Sunday night I had her in floods of tears, shaking and in pain with stomach ache and headache. How can that be right at 10 years old?

The teachers can't be considering the child, by putting so much pressure on them, it's for their figures alone I am sure and I feel certainly, in year 6 the sats should be informal internal tests only. Not that it makes the decision to take them out any easier, but had I known the sort of state my daughter would be in I would be sorely tempted

Pam

Sorry that this is off topic but for those of you who still think SATs are important take a look at

http://mrread.blogspot.com/2007/05/heart-of-darkness-this-week-is-journey.html

Anyone remember the Richmond tests?
You know, the ones where you had a question and then you had to colour in a,b,c or d! But there was always a stupid answer like;
What is the capital of England?
a. Birmingham
b. London
c. Newcastle
d. Roast Dinner

I remember starting the tests well then getting very bored and just colouring in random letters! I'm guessing there were many questions where I'd answered the stupid answer!

Anyway my daughter is doing the Year 6 sats now and we've just told her to not worry at all and just do her best! She said the tests on Monday and tuesday were easy so she should be ok!

Hi Di Hi, I don't think anyone on this thread has expressed the view that SAT's are great and wonderful and the future of education. However, we have them and therefore we have to work with them for the time being.

We also have a stated government policy that is basically outlawing by the backdoor, time off for holidays in term time. Nobody has to like it, nobody has to agree with it. Those issues are for debate and campaigning elsewhere. The point is though that as a responsible parent one should work within the law, however much we may disagree with it. Failure to show a healthy respect for law does not teach a child the right way ahead for the future.

It is a personal decision whether or not to take a child out of school per se and not just during SAT's. However an awareness of the law and a child's personal wishes should be taken into account and not just our own individual likes and dislikes. One should remember too that this has nothing whatsoever to do with pricing policy fairness. Try talking about the fairness of the situation with someone who cannot afford any holiday, term time or not.

but for those of you who still think SATs are important take a look at

And the point is? If I set up an anonymous blog that said that they were the best thing since sliced bread would you believe that instead? :-)

If you think SATS are a bad idea (and I do - they're the old 11-plus under another name and just as bad for kids as far as I'm concerned) then the only way to do something about it is to lobby your MP about getting rid of them, to fight for a decent education for every kid, put pressure on your local councillors etc. Schools are doing what they are doing because of the pressure they are put under from the Government and the Government does what it thinks will play well with voters and what voters have shown on so many ways is that they like league tables because they want to know which schools deliver the goods so they can send their kids to them and avoid those that don't perform well, which means those schools that don't score well in SATs tests etc.

We don't have SATs here in Scotland because the Government was made to realise that it wouldn't play well with the electorate. The same needs to happen in England if parents don't want them.

Rant over :-)

SM

And on that note I will lock this topic as it has gone from holiday related discussion to political view points which are better discussed elswhere on the internet.

MarkJ HT Mod