What Cumbrian heads have been saying about KS2 SATs
Issues with Accessibility
One of the key issues with this year’s KS2 SATs is the way the tests restrict teachers from using professional judgement – all pupils had to face the same test papers, regardless of their stage of learning progress. In addition to remarks about the expectations (equivalent to Year 7/8/9, secondary school content) presenting difficulties for many pupils, several headteachers commented on the style, subject matter and vocabulary of the content, which may have proven challenging for some pupils. It is likely that those designing the tests may (inadvertently or deliberately) project their own cultural background and life experiences into test materials, which has the potential to unfairly disadvantage children with different cultural background and experience. My favourite comment of the week appertained to a specific test question:
Are they buying the strawberries from Fortnum and Masons?
To what extent SATs test speed/accuracy…
On the subject of access arrangements, for which schools can apply in cases of specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, one headteacher made the following observation:
For the first time we had to choose between use of a reader and extra time. Previously use of a reader and extra time could both be used and in my opinion it is appropriate when a reader is used for 25% extra time to also be allowed since it often takes longer to get through the test when a reader is used than when a good reader is reading for his/herself. I had to choose which would be fairer to the pupil – reader or 25% extra time so we chose a reader where this was possible – but he didn’t complete the papers and probably could have done with a few more minutes.
Test design and administration rules dictate the extent to which the test measures speed or accuracy/fulness of understanding, or both. A concern of many headteachers is that poor test design (including administration rules) puts pupils who need a little longer to process and understand the questions under duress. Several headteachers reported stories of pupils who had made significant progress during their time at primary schools branding themselves failures, despite headteachers and teachers encouraging them at every turn and not over-playing the importance of the tests. Many headteachers reported pupils struggling to get through the test papers in the given time, and therefore a great many may not have been able to demonstrate accurate understanding and good learning.
One headteacher reported an incident in which a pupil commented that she was ‘rubbish’ when the test was concluded (albeit unfinished).
How demoralising for that child and for the TA who has worked with her every day. When I looked around at some of the other children, they had also left big gaps. Such a shame! The easier text was at the back, but some didn’t even get there.
The extent to which the SATs tested speed seems to have been out of proportion with the extent to which they tested accuracy. Some industries require quick thinking, fast work, it is true. However, great minds often require time to consider, ponder, explore in order to produce great ideas. Not only are we being made to value only the easily measurable, we are restricted in how much time we afford pupils to show us what they know within that narrow portion of the curriculum.
To Conclude…
In the worst cases, there were several reports of physical manifestations of anxiety (tears and vomiting) during tests. This headteacher sums up how many feel about this year’s SATs:
Ultimately, I think that the New curriculum has raised standards, but at what costs?
None of our children have burst into tears, but I have had concerned parents coming into school, saying that their child is stressed and worried and not been sleeping!
Our message to our children is that you just do your best!
What children are expected to know is ridiculous, and we are robbing them of childhood. As HT we just need to ensure that the curriculum remains balanced and broad and we ensure that we keep all of those exciting experiences going for the children that we educate.
NAHT Cumbria 