SATs - Love Them or Hate Them?

SATs whether we love them or hate them, with the right preparation, they offer our children an opportunity to learn how to deal with stress.

"Last year primary school teachers in a National Education Union (NEU) survey reported children crying, having nightmares and being so stressed they needed extra support to cope with SATs."

Why are our children not celebrating trying their best?

All year they have been trying their best at school, but suddenly, they are caught up worrying about how the SATs results will show everyone what they can't do.

Why are our children so worried about what others might think?

Why are they comparing themselves against others or seeking outside reassurance instead of looking inside of themselves to check if they’ve done a good job?

"The Kellogg’s research discovered that 30% of ten and eleven year olds confessed their biggest fear was of being embarrassed by their results, with 15% worrying their friends would get better marks and a whopping 40% described their biggest worry during their exams as letting their parents down."

These exams are simply a snapshot in time. They are a reflection of what our children have (or have not) been taught, how they have assimilated that information and if they can recall it on the day of the test – which is especially difficult if stress levels are high.

Aren’t our school days meant to be the happiest of our lives?

Shouldn’t our children be allowed to be children? Should they be encouraged to be inquisitive and soak up knowledge like a sponge because the teachers are enthusiastic about their job and because it piques our children’s interest and stimulates their imagination? Or should they be forced to sit nicely at a desk and have the how to pass the SATs stuff drilled into them?

“We have been subject to huge pressures to narrow the curriculum and to replace deep conceptual learning with temporary memorisation of facts and procedures to boost SATs results.”

When did the destination become more important than the journey?

I remember turning up a little bit early to collect my son after school one day and I was surprised to find the headmaster sat on a chair in the playground playing his guitar with all of the children sat on the floor around him mesmerised as they sang along with his tune. When he saw me, he sheepishly said he was supposed to be doing handwriting with them, but that it was such a lovely afternoon …

Do you know what? I was pleased as punch that he’d ditched his planned lesson. That time was golden. The children got so much out of it. There were similar incidents dotted in amongst my son’s time there that I was aware of (e.g. a parent going in to teach the children how to make chutney) and I’m sure there were many more that I’m not aware of. I’m convinced it was times like these that helped to foster a love of school and education amongst the pupils and encouraged both the pupils and the parents to respect the teachers. It has remained in my memory for over 10 years and I believe that our teachers should be encouraged to build in times such as this without worrying about the negative impact it may have on any academic results.

"86% of teachers said that “preparation for SAT’s squeeze out other parts of the curriculum.”

Children who have a strong inner belief in themselves, left to their own devises, will not be overly concerned about SATs. However, the news, the teachers, the children in the playground, their parents and the chatter from the parents at the school gates may eventually begin to work its way through, eroding their self-esteem and may even have the most outwardly confident child quaking in their boots as they endure the agonising wait for their SATs results.

“We've had children crying, making themselves ill and refusing to come to school - even labelling themselves failures - because of these tests.”

So imagine what this can do to those who are not overly confident, or those who are already aware that their skills do not lie in maths and English? Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. Might you decide to retreat into yourself or give up trying? Might you try and find a way to get out of taking the SATs or skip school? How will it affect the rest of your time in education?

“It reinforces to SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) children everything they can't do.”

“It is painful watching these most vulnerable children being made to feel less than the great human beings they are because they are aware that these activities don't help them to shine.”

In this day and age, why are some of our children not eating breakfast?

Is it because there is no food available? Is it because they stay up late so they get up too late for breakfast? Is it because parents rush off to work leaving them to their own devices? Is it because an energy drink is quicker? Is it because they feel stressed and their stomach is upset?

Kellogg’s research also discovered that just under 10% didn’t eat most mornings of SATs week, with girls as likely as boys to abandon breakfast when under pressure. 4% swapped breakfast for energy drinks or coffee and 2% used cigarettes as an alternative way to get exam ready.

Mental health is such a hot topic now (for good reason!). Anything we can do to help smooth our children’s passage through any challenging times has to move up the agenda and take priority. Things will always crop up in our lives but it is so empowering when we recognise that it is up to us if we choose to allow it to stress us out or not. Learning how to relax and how to take things in our stride has to be given the importance that it deserves. My online courses help develop the necessary skills to enable you and your child to glide as smoothly through life as is possible.

What can we, as parents, do to help minimise the distress our children are being subjected to?

Download my Top Tips for Exams to help reduce stress during exam times

With a little bit of help parents can easily learn to be great role models. We simply need to stop stressing out, slow down, stop rushing around all of the time, and learn to take time out with our children to do the simple things in life like stopping to smell the roses or watching a raindrop rolling down a window pane every so often. Try it. I bet any stress you were feeling just melts away as you are caught up in the moment of sharing the beauty of nature with your child.

Jayne Burke Holistic Therapist and Happy Hands PAT (Positive Appropriate Touch) Instructor

Jayne has been a Holistic Therapist helping people to let go of any unnecessary pain and stress for over 20 years. She is now working with schools in the Gloucestershire area to provide lessons which encourage pupils to develop an understanding of when they start to feel stress. She teaches them a range of breathing exercises and a variety of relaxation exercises so that they can start to manage their feelings of stress before it exacerbates so that they can quickly return to a calm, balanced state. She also works with parents and their children (in group workshops or as private clients) and she is also producing online courses.

SATs Do Not Benefit Children’s Learning And Are Bad For Their Well-Being – NEU Survey

https://neu.org.uk/assessment/sats-do-not-benefit-childrens-learning-and-are-bad-their-well-being-neu-survey

Kelloggs Research

https://www.kelloggs.co.uk/content/dam/europe/kelloggs_gb/pdf/SATs-week-FINAL.pdf