No SATs! So, is the pressure off?

At this time of year, we’re normally talking all things SATs. There are generally two schools of thought about SATs. On the one hand, that SATs are just there to measure the school’s performance and are therefore not that important from your child’s point of view. On the other hand, that SATs are a really important review of a child’s progress.

But now that SATs have been cancelled for 2021, does it mean you and your child can relax for the rest of the academic year? Or is there now more pressure than ever before on your child to work hard?

Let’s recap

SATs stands for Standard Assessment Tests. These are formal tests your child would normally have to take in school. The majority of the tests in Year 6 are assessed by the Standards and Testing Agency, an outside agency rather than your child’s teacher.  In Year 2, your child will be tested on reading and maths. In Year 6, they are tested on English reading, grammar, punctuation, spelling, maths and reasoning.  

However, in light of the current lockdown, on 6th January 2021 it was confirmed by the Government that KS2 SATs will not take place in 2021. No alternative method of assessment has been announced with the Government stressing, “we are very much focused on welcoming children back to the classroom at the earliest opportunity” … rather than focusing on performance tests.

When it comes to the debate we mentioned above about the importance of SATs, the truth is, both sides are correct because SATs perform two functions. The first is to evaluate your child's progress and the second is to help measure the school’s performance. To that end, they are important, but their importance is not necessarily that black and white.

Can your child enjoy the rest of the year without the pressure of SATs? 

The answer to this is yes and no.  The fact that there are no formal tests, does mean that there won’t be the usual rounds of revision, cramming, holiday revision and stress that are sometimes associated with this time of year. But…

Finding and plugging the gaps

It doesn’t matter whether your child is very bright, capable and ahead of the curve, or was struggling even before the pandemic, unfortunately, there are not many children that will escape the last 12 months without some damage to their progress and learning. 

Normally, one of the key functions of SATs is to give you an idea as to your child’s performance so that you and the school can identify any gaps. This year, you have the double difficulty that your child is likely to have lost some learning and have some significant gaps and you won’t have the help of the SATs revision and results to help you work out what help is now needed. 

Getting ready for secondary school

Ensuring that your child is well prepared to deal with SATs also helps prepare them for secondary school, building their confidence and getting them used to sitting regular tests and exams. If your child hasn’t been tested since Year 2, sitting their CATs this September could feel very daunting. This in turn can undermine their confidence and self-belief and won’t help them to perform their best, which is not the start to secondary school that you want for them. 

Year 7 tests

Most, but not all, secondary schools will re-test your child when they start in Year 7. These tests are known as CATs (Cognitive Ability Tests) and are used to assess your child’s general intelligence and to stream them either overall or for certain subjects. As the name suggests, these tests are different from SATs and assess three specific areas: verbal skills, quantitative skills and non-verbal skills.

How much reliance your secondary school would normally place on SATs or CATs results will vary. Some secondary schools rely heavily on SATs results and may well stream your child according to the results. We don’t know what approach they will take in the absence of these. Other schools will rely more heavily on the CATs results. Either way, it’s important that your child starts secondary school in a position that is a true reflection of their potential and ability.

All of which means …

Most children would benefit from additional support over the next few months. That may be in the form of keeping up with current schoolwork, working on those areas where help is needed or just preparing for Year 7. With weeks of this term lost already, gaps from last year and a long summer holiday ahead, you simply cannot afford to take your foot off the learning pedal just because SATs have been cancelled.

Need help?

We have a thorough understanding of what your child needs to know as they conclude their primary education and look forward to starting Year 7.  This includes making sure they are fluent in maths and English and can show reasoning and critical analysis. We can help them get ready for CATS in a stress free, confidence building environment with tuition that is tailored to meet their particular needs even when it has to be done online.

We make our tuition fun and interactive and take the pressure off you.  It’s not too late to enrol so why not get in touch with us today to find out more.