Year 6 SATs 2015

1. Year 6 SATs 2015 11th May – 15th May 2015

2. SATs Tests • Reading • Maths (including mental maths) • SPaG • Writing (Teacher assessment) • Additional Level 6 tests

3. Approximate Timetable Friday 16th May Levels 3-5 writing paper short and long Level 6 short and long writing paper

4. Support • Adults can read questions to the children in all tests but not the reading paper. • We can also provide additional extra time for individuals who may require it. We will talk to you individually if this affects you. • The children will be sat in 2 classrooms and additional small group rooms. • The whole school is supportive during this week regarding timetable changes and noise levels.

5. Reading Test • The children will have a booklet to read containing several short texts. • They will then have a range of questions to answer covering skills such as fact retrieval; inference and deduction; structure and layout; and the author’s use of language. • There will be a mixture of multiple choice, short answer and longer answer questions. • Level 6: Children will sit an additional paper; they will have 10 minutes to read their booklet and 50 minutes to answer the questions.

6. Maths Tests • Mental Maths: a CD with a recorded test is played. The children have 5, 10 or 15 seconds to answer the questions testing a range of mental calculation strategies and rapid recall of number facts. • Written Tests: Paper 1 and Paper 2, each 45minutes long. A booklet containing questions covering all aspects of maths (shape, space and measures; data handling; number and calculation; problem solving). Some questions will require short answers; some will require explanation of reasoning. There is no calculator paper this year. • Level 6: A additional 2 papers, each of 30minutes; calculator allowed on Paper 2.

7. SPaG • Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar • The spelling test will be 20 sentences, each with a missing word. The teacher will read the missing word aloud, then within a sentence, then repeat the word again. Finally the whole 20 sentences will be read aloud again. • The written test will contain a range of questions covering all aspects of SPaG. Some questions will be multiple choice; some will be identifying features in the text; some will require a written answer. • Level 6: Additional 3 papers; one spelling, one SPaG based and one extended writing task.

8. Writing Assessment • The children will complete 2 pieces of assessed writing on the Friday of SATs week. • These will be carried out in test conditions and assessed internally. • These pieces will be added to the collection of writing the children have completed throughout the year to give a final teacher assessment level. • The writing will then be moderated to ensure the levels are accurate; this may be externally.

9. Revision • Revision is not compulsory- the following are ideas if you would like to help your child prepare for their SATs tests. • We use a range of assessment techniques throughout the year to assess your child’s understanding and progress – the SATs are one aspect of this. • Revision is most useful in making the children feel well prepared for their tests so that they do not panic.

10. Revision Guides • We have a range of revision guides from CGP for you to look at. These are very cheap and have quick delivery. • Be aware that some of the methods taught in the revision guides are different to the methods the children have learned in school. • Also be aware that we use these books for class work and homework so we encourage sticking to the “Study Books” for home practice.

11. Helping at Home • Any revision your child can do will help them. Simple things like having notes stuck around the house (eg times tables up the stairs or on the back of the toilet door!) can really help as well. Practising recall of mental maths facts (eg simple addition and subtraction facts), regular reading practise including discussing the text and discussions about content when writing will all help children. • Eat, drink, sleep – it is crucial that the children are well rested and refreshed for SATs, as well as having plenty of energy to get them through! Please ensure that your child has a good breakfast every day, a snack for breaktime and plenty of water every day during SATs. Also please ensure they are on time every day – if they are late it can make them feel very unsettled when they arrive and they could also miss the start of tests.

12. STRESS!!!!! • We really want to ensure that the we keep the stress levels to a minimum during the SATs week! Feeling worried and stressed will not help their performance! • Encourage your child to try their best but also try to keep them as calm as possible regarding the tests. • Good luck mascots are allowed during the week, however these must be small enough to fit on their table and not be too distracting for them or those around them. • We will provide ‘sugar’ during the tests to keep them going! • The afternoons will be kept light to ensure all children are calm and happy!

13. Booster Groups • If your child is invited to a booster group, please ensure they attend – we carefully select the children invited to attend based on large amounts of data which we have collected and analysed.

14. Practice SATs • Throughout the year we will be carrying out practice SATs papers (usually past papers or samples). • These help the children know what to expect in the real thing. • They also help us to identify gaps in the children’s learning and which children might need some support.

15. Any Questions?