Year 6 National Curriculum Tests: SATs 11 th 14 th May 2015

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1 Year 6 National Curriculum Tests: SATs 11 th 14 th May 2015 Information for Parents Contents: Introduction to Tests and Levels SATs Timetable About the Tests Tips on how you can help your child prepare Useful websites Handy hints How else you can help

2 Year 6 Key Stage Two Tests National Curriculum Tests, also known as SATs are statutory end of Key Stage tests, in the two core subjects: English and Mathematics. The English tests consist of a Reading Comprehension test and a Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling test. From the 11 th to the 14 th of May, Year 6 children across the country will sit these tests. Here at Sevenoaks Primary School, the tests will take place in the school hall, with the Year 6 staff administering and invigilating. At the end of the week, the children s test papers will be sent away for marking by independent, external markers. The results are sent back to school electronically, at the beginning of July, and staff are able to check papers online, for accuracy of marking and tallying of marks (as mistakes have been found in the past). The results of the tests are given in your child s End of Year Report, published in July. They will accompany a Teacher Assessment Level the level that your child s class teacher has awarded - which reflects a pupil s attainment in both classwork and tests, throughout the year. National Curriculum Levels are awarded as follows: Below Level Two Level 2 = well below the expected level of Year 6 pupils Level 3 = below the expected level of Year 6 pupils Level 4 = the expected level for Year 6 pupils Level 5 = above the expected level for Year 6 pupils Level 6 = well above the expected level for Year 6 pupils (Year 10 expected standard.) In the tests, a score of just over half the available marks will usually achieve a Level 4. On leaving Sevenoaks Primary School, our children will move onto secondary school and the Key Stage 3 Curriculum. Children who have achieved Level 4 at Key Stage 2 will have built a good foundation on which to continue to learn. Using both the Teacher Assessment and SAT information, the secondary schools will be able to provide for continuity in each child s education in Year 7.

3 Test Timetable The Year 6 SATs will take place during the week of 11 th 14 th May Most children will sit the Level 3-5 paper in the morning. Some children may sit the optional Level 6 paper in the afternoon of the same day. MONDAY 11 th TUESDAY 12 th WEDNESDAY 13 th THURSDAY 14 th Level 3-5 Papers Reading Paper (60 minutes) English Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary Paper (45 minutes) Maths Paper 1 (calculator not allowed) (45 minutes) Maths Paper 2 (calculator not allowed) (45 minutes) Spelling test (about 15 minutes) Mental Maths (20 minutes) Level 6 Papers Reading Paper (50 minutes) + 10 minutes Reading time English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Papers (30 minutes and 20 minutes) No Level 6 papers Maths Paper 1 (calculator not allowed) (30 minutes) Spelling test (about 10 minutes) Maths Paper 2 (calculator allowed) (30 minutes) Level 6 Only some children will be selected to sit Level 6 Mathematics, Reading and Grammar tests. This depends on a variety of skills that a child has displayed during the year so far in Mathematics, Reading and Grammar, which are assessed by your child s teacher. These children will have been working at, or above, Level 5, for the majority of Year 6. Your child will be informed if they are going to sit any of the Level 6 tests.

4 English Reading Comprehension The children have an hour to read three or four different texts and answer questions on each text before progressing to the next one. The least demanding text will come first and the following texts will gradually increase in difficulty. Answers can be in phrases and usually do not have to be in full sentences. Spelling is not taken into consideration in this test, as long as words are legible. The questions range from the literal (who does what, when) to the deductive (where, for example, they have to work out how someone is feeling from what is written). Your child will be encouraged to say which parts of the text contained the answer and will need to include examples. On all test papers, children are shown how many marks each question is worth: one, two or three. This should help them know how much effort to put into answering each one. For example a one mark answer in a Reading paper often only requires one word, while a three marker may need up to a paragraph. The Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Test (SPAG) Children will complete two tests: The Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary test, which lasts 45 minutes. The Spelling Test, which lasts about 15 minutes. The children have been taught all the skills and knowledge needed for the SPAG test. It is important to note that throughout the test, children will be expected to follow the correct rules in order to be awarded marks. As an example, if a child is asked to write a question, a question mark must be placed at the end of the written question, in order to gain the mark. Similarly, if asked to write a sentence which includes the connective since, the children will be expected to have started the sentence with a capital letter and ended the sentence with a full-stop, or other appropriate punctuation mark. If a child creates an appropriate sentence, but omits the capital letter or full-stop, they will not be awarded the mark. Using capital letters inappropriately within words or sentences are also penalised. (Unfortunately, some children habitually use capital letters incorrectly, despite being taught not to do so.) Writing There are no tests in Writing. Writing, including handwriting, is assessed by your child s teacher and colleagues. Attainment is based on the children's Writing skills throughout the year. Samples of Writing are taken to County Moderation, where consistency of Levelling across the district s schools is ensured.

5 Maths There are three Maths SATs papers for Levels 3-5. The papers include calculating (number) skills, understanding of shapes, symmetry and reading charts and graphs. The children are not allowed to use calculators in these tests. Each paper has a range of problems from straight forward calculations to more complex problem-solving tasks. Questions range from Levels 3 to 5 and are mixed throughout the test (the test does not get progressively harder). In both of these papers, children are encouraged to show how they arrived at an answer. Marks are awarded for showing working out, even if the answer is wrong. Children will also be expected to show an understanding of how to use and apply their mathematical knowledge in a variety of ways or to think like a mathematician applying reasoning skills. The third paper is on mental skills. Children are played a CD of 20 questions and given either 5, 10 or 15 seconds to answer them on a prepared sheet. Tips: How You Can Help Your Child Prepare The biggest single influence on your child s SAT marks will be their Reading ability. Good readers can read questions quickly and understand what they need to do. Continue to encourage your child to read every day, looking at both fiction and non-fiction texts. Practice Papers We have been undertaking a range of mock SAT tests throughout the year, in order to help the children familiarise themselves with the format, question types and test technique. Your child has also brought home some practice questions, as part of their homework. You can find past SAT test papers online to familiarise yourself with their format. To help your child prepare for SATs, you could use the CGP books and websites (see below). (interactive revision activities) or books may be purchased from bookshops, such as WHSmith. The BBC s Bite Size Key Stage Two Website is also a fun way of revising for the tests. (Literacy and Numeracy)

6 Handy Hints Look through a practice paper together and talk about how you would answer the questions. Agree on what the question is actually asking you to do. Understanding the language of the question is key to correctly answering the question many children find this tricky. The number of marks each question is worth is printed at the side: 1 mark answers can be brief, one word or number. 2 mark answers will require at least two bits of information, like two different phrases, or an answer complete with method. 3 mark answers need to be thorough. Some questions are multiple-choice. If they do not know the answer, your child can guess and may still get a mark. Children are not used to doing this! If they get stuck on a question, tell them to move on rather than waste time on it. (They can asterisk the page and come back to the question later on, if they have time.) Practise spending five minutes checking a paper to make sure all the questions are answered as fully as necessary. How Else Can You Help? SATs can be a worrying time for your child and can lead to nervousness as the tests approach. Good coping strategies include: Reassure them that they just have to try their best on the day. Encourage them to spend minutes a day on revision or practising. Remind them that, in most parts of the SAT papers, they do not have to write in sentences: often, phrases or even single words will be enough (read the question carefully). Keep an early and regular bedtime routine in the days leading up to and including the test week. Feeling refreshed will help provide a positive start to the day. Ensure your child has breakfast every day, especially during the week of the tests. Research shows that children who miss breakfast perform worse in late morning. Check your child can tell the time accurately so they will know how long there is to go in the test. Encourage your child to drink water to help keep their brains in optimum condition. Everything will be done at school to help your child feel at ease and to allow them to demonstrate their potential.