sats for parents
TRANSCRIPT
S – Statutory A - AssessmentT - TestsEnd of Key Stage measure of attainment
andpupil progress.
KS1 - Year 2, KS2 – Year 6,
English – reading, writing, spelling and grammar and punctuation
Mathematics 2 x written papers and mental arithmetic
The tests cover Levels 3-5. Pupils working
below the level of the tests are teacher
assessed. Expected attainment for a pupil at the end of Year 6
is Level 4. However, some children exceed this and
achieve Level 5 and other children achieve
Level 3. A small minority of children will sit Level 6 tests – a
single level test. School to advise of this. Pupils are expected to make 2 whole levels progress
from Year 2 to Year 6. E.g.1-3, 2-4, 3-5.
SPAG test (Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar)
Teacher Assessed Writing Reading Test
Level 6 writing assessment Level 6 Reading Test
To see examples at home google : level 3-5 SPAG test or level 6 SPAG test.
The reading test was changed in 2014. This year, as last year, the texts in the levels 3-5 English reading booklet will not be linked by a theme. The booklet will contain three or four texts. The least demanding text will come first with the following texts increasing in level of difficulty.
Instead of being given 15 minutes reading time and 45 minutes to answer the questions, children will have a total of one hour to read the texts and complete the questions at their own pace.
The reading answer booklet will comprise approximately 35 to 40 questions (totalling 50 marks). The questions are:
shorter, closed response items (such as multiple choice and matching questions);
shorter, open response items longer, open response items that
require children to explain and comment on the texts in order to demonstrate a full understanding.
Questions are worth 1, 2 or 3 marks.
A new statutory test of English grammar, punctuation and spelling was introduced for children at the end of Key Stage 2 from May 2013.
The level 3-5 test will assess children’s abilities in the following technical aspects of English:
grammar; punctuation; spelling; vocabulary;
Circle all the adverbs in the sentence below:
Open the drawers carefully and quietly when using the filing cabinet.
Add a suffix to this word to make an adjective.
dread ______________
Complete the sentence below with a contraction that makes sense.
If you give me the recipe____________buy the ingredients on the way home.
1. sharp 11. ravenously2. whiskers 12. approached3. surveyed 13. cautiously4. lying 14. bristling5. rigid 15. sensible6. intruder 16. height7. scattered 17. corridor8. enough 18. proud9. females 19. straightened10. doubt 20. voice
20 timed questions – children get a mark out of 20 for this which is added to their total score and contributes to a level being awarded. Good way to raise level.
5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds Lots of experience, parents can support
by calling these out to children at home in preparation
Google : St Joseph’s Pickering for past papers for all subjects including Maths
Paper A – 45 mins
Paper B – 45 mins
Level 6 Paper A and B 30 mins per paper
Google: Level 6 Maths KS2 – choose emaths website
The levels 3-5 mathematics test consists of:
two non-calculator papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, each lasting 45 minutesmental mathematics test, with 20 questions of increasing difficulty
Children’s marks from all three tests are aggregated to calculate their overall mathematics level.
Teachers may read questions in both written papers to pupils if asked.
DATE Level 3-5 Tests Level 6 Tests
Monday 11th May
English – Reading (60 minutes)
English – Reading(10 + 50 mins)
Tuesday 12th May
English – Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling Test
English – Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling Test
Wednesday 13th May
Maths – Mental Maths Test (20 mins)
Maths –Paper 1 (45 mins)
No level 6 test timetabled for today
Thursday 14th May
Maths –Paper 2 (45 mins)
Maths – Paper 1(30 mins – no calculator allowed)
Maths – Paper 2(30 mins – Calculator allowed)
Children are encouraged to visit the toilet and ensure they are well hydrated and comfortable before the test.
Tests will be invigilated by LEH staff members. Children are supported and made to feel secure during the tests.
Tests are kept securely in a locked cupboard until test day.
Children are allowed to ask for questions to be read aloud to them, with the exception of the reading test. Certain children will be allocated a reader who will read the entire test to them for support. Details will follow. Staff may only read the question – children are not allowed any help with spelling or to ask for clarification.
Teachers can encourage, but not guide or say that an answer is correct or incorrect.
Children have the start and end time for each test displayed and are given reminders at timed intervals which they are used to as part of our test preparation sessions.
Once the test has finished, the test scripts are collected in silence then they are packaged up and sealed immediately for collection by Parcel force. Tests are sent all over the country to be marked by trained SATs markers.
During test week, other teaching sessions will be used for children to go over anything they may be anxious about for the following day.
However, primarily children will have opportunity to take part in lessons where other skills are required such as PE, Art, History etc.
Tests come into school on various days throughout July. As they arrive in school the data is collated and analysed and entered onto the school data package.
Where a test has a borderline mark, the paper will be double checked by a member of staff.
Parents will be informed of test results on receipt of their child’s end of year school report.
Children will be told their results at an appropriate time prior to the school report going home. All results are handled sensitively and privately.
Pupil’s test results are then transferred electronically to the appropriate Secondary school.
Throughout the year your child will have accumulated evidence to support a teacher assessment judgement of their ability in all subjects including Writing specifically.
This evidence is equally used Secondary schools to see how your child would perform over time as opposed to in a one off test.
Where a child significantly underperforms in a test we will speak to the Secondary School and advise them of the child’s ability as evidenced over the term.
Your child may wish to do some revision at home and this should be encouraged to enable your child to feel as confident as possible going into their tests.
However, the best idea is little and often. Where possible children should be able to use ICT, games etc to help them revise to make it a little bit more exciting.
Google – Woodlands Junior Y6 SATS revision
- KS2 BBC BiteSize - literacy bootcampSUMDOG – all children have a username
and password for this free maths site. Please ask if your child has forgotten or lost their information.
Please advise school if you find a really good one!
Attendance - ensure your child is in school as much as possible.
Regular and appropriate bedtimes. Revision balanced with breaks and physical activity. Let school know as early as possible if your child is ill
during test week and if any special arrangements need to be made.
Communicate if there has been any upheaval or upset at home that may affect the pupil’s access/performance in the test.
Promote the tests as positive – a chance to show off the hard work they have done in KS2.
Ensure your child has a bottle of water and a healthy snack in test week.
We will be offering a breakfast club Monday – Thursday of SATs week. This will be free of charge and we would encourage that all children attend so that they have time to relax and talk to their friends before the tests as well as have a good breakfast before they start.
TIP 1 Past papers are available online. Look through a practice paper together and talk through the answers, try drawing or acting out answers of difficult concepts such as fractions.
TIP 4 Explain that the number of marks gives your child an idea of how much time to spend on each question.
TIP 5 Make sure your child is aware that getting stuck is not a problem, move on and if they have time come back to the hard ones at the end.
TIP 6 Encourage your child to believe in themselves, "you can do it!"
TIP 7 Remind your child that the tests are important, but that the are not the only way they are to be measured.
TIP 8 Do not put your child under too much pressure. Have fun, they will find things easier to remember if they remember the good times they had learning.
Whilst we do encourage your children to take
these tests seriously and use them to show off
all that they are capable of, it is important to
remember that all the children in Year 6 are
special and unique irrespective of a test. The
value and worth of each child cannot be
quantified by a test level and nor should it.
Thank you for taking the time to find out more.
If there is something you feel we could support
your child with more, please do not hesitate to
contact me.