KS2 SATs Archives - Oxford Owl for 51ºÚÁÏÍø Help your child to learn: reading and maths tips for parents Thu, 20 Apr 2023 15:17:54 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cropped-Group-200-32x32.png KS2 SATs Archives - Oxford Owl for 51ºÚÁÏÍø 32 32 Countdown to the KS2 SATs: week two /countdown-to-the-ks2-sats-week-two/ Mon, 17 Apr 2023 15:00:00 +0000 /countdown-to-the-ks2-sats-week-two/ Advice for parents on how your child can best prepare for KS2 SATs, including lots of revision tips and ideas.

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Five tried and tested revision techniques

“The first step is to talk to them about where they feel their strengths lie and where they might need to develop.â€

Hello, I’m James Clements. For ten years, I worked as a teacher and deputy head at a successful primary school in West London. For seven of those years I taught Year 6. As well as making sure the children I taught achieved their very best, a big part of my job was working with parents so that they could help their children in the final year of primary school. I’m also the parent of two small children.

All children have areas of the curriculum that they find easier than others. As time is limited, it makes sense for children to focus their revision on the aspects of English and mathematics where they’re not feeling so confident. The first step is to talk to them about where they feel their strengths lie and where they might need to develop. If you haven’t already, you might also want to talk to their teacher about areas where they think your child could do with some extra work. It makes sense for the child, parent and school to be working together.

Areas of the curriculum

The key areas covered by the KS2 national tests are:

Mathematics

The national curriculum puts great emphasis on children being able to add, subtract, multiply and divide with confidence, so this is a good place to start revision. Even if children can do each of these things, the quicker and more efficient they are, the better. If there are lots of questions to answer in a timed test it can be easy to make mistakes because you’re working quickly.

Practising these four operations, both in their head and using a pencil and paper, is one of the most useful things Year 6 children can do in the run up to the tests. The curriculum expects children to use standard written methods for these (yes, that includes long division) so if you’re a bit rusty, you might want to refresh your knowledge of these by searching online and watching one of the many films that explain the different processes step-by-step.

Fluency in times tables (up to 12 x 12) and number bonds (knowing the numbers that add together to make 100, 1000 or 1 [such as 0.23 + 0.77]) is also likely to be really helpful.

Helping your child prepare for the KS2 SATs maths test

Reading

We want our children to be fluent readers and have strong comprehension skills so that they can understand and enjoy the books they read. The best way to improve as a reader is to read lots. As a teacher, I spent a lot of my time encouraging the children in my class to read as widely as possible. This means quantity (reading everyday), but also quality (books that are going to introduce them to new ideas and new language) and range (different types of books – fiction and non-fiction, including books they might not normally choose to read). Taking a reading test is slightly different as being a strong reader isn’t enough to do well; it’s also a test of writing. It can be really helpful for children to have some practice responding to questions about a text in writing.

Preparing for the KS2 SATs reading test

Grammar, punctuation and spelling

A lot of the content of this test is knowing the names for different parts of language and being able to identify them, rather than being able to use them in writing. As with some of the mathematics content, you might find yourself wanting to brush up on the subjunctive and fronted adverbials…


Preparing for the KS2 SATs grammar, punctuation, and spelling test

Writing

Not a test as such, but teachers will make a judgment about the quality of a child’s writing based on several recent pieces of work. The criteria used to judge Year 6 writing this year leans heavily towards accurate use of punctuation and grammar, with ‘most’ of the Year 5 & 6 word lists spelled correctly.

Models for revision

Different approaches work for different children, but here is some tried and tested advice that’s worked with classes in the past:

1. Don’t just read

The best revision doesn’t involve sitting and passively reading a revision guide. It involves writing or doing something. This might be making notes, answering questions or explaining an idea to someone else. For most children re-reading notes isn’t the best way of revising.

2. Concentrate on the tricky bits

When revising, it can be very tempting for children to spend time on the topics they enjoy and are already good at. Instead, we want them to spend time on the bits of the curriculum that don’t come so easily. Most children will benefit from some support with this.

3. Space out your revision

Try practising the same thing more than once, leaving increasingly long spaces in between revision. For example, a child might do ten division questions one evening. Then they could try and do five the next day. Then wait a couple of days and do another five. Then wait three days and do three more. Then… well, you get the idea.

4. Mix up the revision

Little and often is a better model than a block of learning about something and then not thinking about it again for a week. Ten minutes of spelling practice every day will be more useful than an hour once per week. I used to tell my classes to practice a different multiplication table each night while they cleaned their teeth. Good for their maths fluency (and for making sure they brushed for long enough). However, I did used to get lots of complaints from parents about toothpaste all over the bathroom.

5. Sitting practice tests

Using these is fine: they can be good for helping children get used to working with a time limit and making sure children have covered all of the key knowledge they need. But on its own, a test doesn’t help you to learn anything new. The real value lies in what you do afterwards – children need to look at the questions they didn’t get right and then work out how to answer them correctly next time. That’s where the learning happens.

 

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]]> Countdown to the KS2 SATs: week one /countdown-to-the-ks2-sats-week-one/ Tue, 11 Apr 2023 22:00:00 +0000 /countdown-to-the-ks2-sats-week-one/ Advice about how you can help your child to do their very best in the KS2 national tests, and how the assessments can be approached so that they’re a positive experience for everyone involved.

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Week one: Staying positive

“We should talk about learning new things in mathematics or developing confidence in reading, rather than the scores children are getting. If we focus our energy on children’s learning, the tests scores will take care of themselves.â€

Hello, I’m James Clements. For ten years, I worked as a teacher and deputy head at a successful primary school in West London. For seven of those years I taught Year 6. As well as making sure the children I taught achieved their very best, a big part of my job was working with parents so that they could help their children in the final year of primary school. I’m also the parent of two small children.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to share some advice about how you can help your child to do their very best in the KS2 national tests and how these assessments can be approached so that they’re a positive experience for everyone involved.

 

A positive way to approach the tests

However we might feel about tests in primary school, it makes sense to approach them in a positive way with the children who are going to sit them. As a Year 6 teacher, these were the key messages I would try to share with the children and parents each year:

1. We should concentrate on skills and knowledge, rather than the tests themselves.

For one week in May, Year 6 children will be tested on their reading, mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling. They’ll also have the standard of their writing assessed by teachers. This doesn’t give us a definitive answer about how good a child is at a particular subject or how good they’ll continue to be at it. It doesn’t tell us how accomplished they are in other important areas of the curriculum such as art, sport or music. What it gives is a snapshot of where the children are in these core areas of the curriculum on that particular day.

While we want children to do their best in the SATs, what is more important is whether they can do all of the things the tests are there to assess: do they have the skills and knowledge of English or maths that underpin the tests? As teachers and parents we should focus our efforts on improving children’s learning rather than simply the scores in the tests. We should talk about learning new things in mathematics or developing confidence in reading, rather than the scores children are getting. If we focus our energy on children’s learning, the tests scores will take care of themselves.

2. Children are not in competition with each other, but are trying to make progress from their own past performance.

One of the best things about being a Year 6 teacher is watching children become aware of the progress they are making in their learning. As children learn to do things they couldn’t do before or become faster or more efficient at something, it gives them a real sense of achievement. This sense of moving forward is a great feeling for children to have, especially as they set off for secondary school. I’ve found that it’s helpful to remind children that they’re not in competition with each other – all children have different aptitudes and begin the year from different starting points. Instead we want them to improve on their own performance, trying to learn new things and get better all the time.

3. SATs can provide an opportunity to prepare for secondary school.

As well as a chance to make sure all of the key knowledge is in place ready for secondary school, if approached positively, the national tests can help children to feel the sense of accomplishment that comes from working hard at something. Revising gives them the chance to return to any areas of the curriculum they might not have understood at the time. Working towards a target can also help to establish good study habits that will be useful to them at secondary school as they become increasingly independent.

In my Year 6 classroom we didn’t talk about ‘passing the SATs’ or ‘doing well in the tests’; we talked about learning new things and being ready for secondary school, a much more important focus.

 

Supporting the process as a parent

Anything we can do to help our children to make progress in their learning and see themselves as successful learners is going to hold them in good stead, both in the tests themselves and later at secondary school. The first steps in helping them might be:

1. Learning about the KS2 national tests and assessments.

You can find out more about the content of the tests on Oxford Owl, including support withÌýgrammar, punctuation and spellingÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýmathematics. The Department for Education has produced someÌýÌýthat explain the national tests.

2. Find out the areas of the curriculum in which your child feels confident and where they feel they might need some extra support.

If you haven’t already, you might also want to talk to their class teacher about your child’s progress and how they think you could best support them. It makes sense for the child, parent and school to be working together towards the same aims.

 

More tips from Oxford Owl

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]]> What do the KS2 SATs scores mean? /what-do-the-ks2-sats-scores-mean/ Mon, 08 Jul 2019 22:00:00 +0000 /what-do-the-ks2-sats-scores-mean/ Education expert James Clements explains what the KS2 SATs are, how scaled scores work, and what you can expect to hear from your child's school.

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Key Stage 2 National Test scores explained

Post first published on 14th June 2017. Last updated on 9th July 2019.

In May, 11-year-olds across England took national tests in reading; grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS or sometimes, SPaG); and maths. These tests (often referred to as SATs) are marked externally and the results are sent to schools to be shared with parents and carers. They will also have had their writing assessed by teachers against a national framework.

In 2019, 65% of pupils reached the expected standard in all three topics.Ìý

Parents with older children who took SATs in previous years might remember the old national curriculum levels – an assessment system that awarded children a number from 1–6 as they moved through primary school. In 2016, the system of levels stopped and a new assessment system was introduced. Instead of a level, every child has the raw score they achieve in the test changed into a scaled score, which is then shared with parents and carers.

So, what do the scaled scores mean?

Each child’s raw score in the test (32/50 in the reading test, for example) is turned into a scaled score, based on making comparisons with the other children across the country who took the same test. The scaled scores are centred around 100. That means that:

  • A score of 100 means the child is working ‘at the expected standard’ for a Year 6 child. 80 is the lowest possible score and 120 is the highest.
  • AÌýscaled score of 99 or less means they haven’t reached the government’s ‘expected standard’.
  • In 2019, pupils needed 28 marks out of 50 to reach the expected standard in reading, 58 out of 110 in maths, and 36 out of 70 for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
  • The Standards and Testing Agency have published a , showing the raw score required to reach the expected standard in reading, maths and SPaG.

If you’re very interested in scaled scores and how they work, you can find out more about them from the .

What information will parents receive from school?

This depends on the school and how they choose to share the results of the tests. The school may share your child’s scaled score or they may tell you if, according to the tests, your child was judged to be working below the expected standard, at the expected standard, or above the expected standard.

In writing, which is based on teacher assessment against a strict set of criteria, a Year 6 child will be judged to be:

  • Working towards the expected standard (this means they haven’t met the expected standard yet).
  • Working at the expected standard (they have shown they can do everything expected of them in their writing across the year).
  • Working at greater depth within the expected standard (this means they have produced writing that is above the level expected of a Year 6 child).

You might receive this information at a parent-teacher meeting or you might be given it in writing.

What should I do if my child hasn’t reached ‘the expected standard’?

In their document, the Department for Education says:

‘There is no reason to worry. The government wants to make sure every child has mastered the basics, so they can do well in life. It is important to understand how well your child is doing in these basic skills as early as possible. The results of the tests and teacher assessments help teachers identify where children might need extra help so they can work with secondary schools to put extra support in place.’

The Key Stage 2 national tests are challenging, and in 2019 just 65% of all Year 6 children in the country met the government’s expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

The first thing to do is to talk to your child’s teacher and find out more about your child’s progress and where they are in their learning at the moment. It may be that the national assessment scores do not reflect where your child is as a reader, writer and mathematician. The school will also have made teacher assessments in reading and maths alongside the tests, so ask how these compare to the test scores.

The next thing to find out is where your child could do with additional support. While the SATs scores might tell which subject they need support with, the teacher will be able to tell you the specific area.

Reading

In reading, is it their reading fluency? Would they benefit from more practice reading books aloud or further support decoding the words on the page? Is it comprehension, understanding the text, that they find tricky? Or is their reading at the expected level, but they struggle to express what they know in writing? In each case, to get ready for secondary school, depending on where they need support.

Writing

In writing, is it a particular aspect of writing? Is their or handwriting getting in the way of them expressing themselves clearly? Do they find difficult? Is it that there were that they didn’t use enough in their writing, meaning there wasn’t enough evidence for the teacher to assess? Your child’s teacher will be able to tell you how you can help your child get ready for Year 7.

Maths

In mathematics, is it a particular area of the subject that they haven’t got the hang of yet? Do they know their well enough? Do they find problem solving tricky? Are they weaker at than ? There are lots of ways you can help boost their maths skills so they feel confident and ready to start Year 7.

Education is a long road

However your child has done in the Key Stage 2 national tests, it is worth reminding them that these tests are only a snapshot taken of one week in May. The tests don’t assess the richness of the wider curriculum – music, art, sports, historical or geographical knowledge; nor do they assess the many other attributes that are so important to success at school and in later life – empathy, hard work, resilience, kindness.

Education is a long road and everybody reaches their destination at different speeds and by slightly different routes. And of course, at different times children will need some extra support on that journey. No child’s education should be defined by a test score at primary school. What’s missing from the statement ‘not working at the expected standard’ is one small word.

When the results come in, some children are not working at the expected standard yet.

You may also be interested in:

Books

ÌýPlease note: all book links lead to more information on Amazon.co.uk

Katherine Hamlyn

Bond is the number 1 provider of 11+ practice, helping millions of children improve their literacy and numeracy skills.ÌýBond Get Ready for Secondary School EnglishÌýprovides essential support to help your child adapt to secondary school education, ensuring they have the core skills expected and the confidence to succeed.

Andrew Baines

Bond is the number 1 provider of 11+ practice, helping millions of children improve their literacy and numeracy skills.ÌýBond Get Ready for Secondary School MathsÌýprovides essential support to help your child adapt to secondary school education, ensuring they have the core skills expected and the confidence to succeed.

Age 10 – 11

Bond SATs Skills Spelling and Vocabulary Workbook: 10-11 yearsÌýhas been developed to build core English language skills. With renewed focus on spelling and vocabulary throughout the National Curriculum, this book will help children establish the knowledge needed in key assessments.

Age 10 – 11

Bond SATs Skills: Grammar and Punctuation Workbook: 10-11 yearsÌýbuilds and extends grammar knowledge in preparation for the Key Stage 2 SATs English grammar, punctuation and spelling test. Comes with essential information on grammar and punctuation to support children and parents, as well as quick quizzes at key points to recap on what has been learned in previous units.

Age 10 – 11

Bond SATs Skills: Arithmetic Workbook: 10-11 yearsÌýhelps to develop confident mathematicians who are comfortable with the rapid recall of key mathematical knowledge, required for key assessments such as the Key Stage 2 SATs. Practice maths in bite-sized chunks: the workbook is separated into 10 units, with the final unit providing children with the opportunity to apply their learning in a complete test of all arithmetic skills covered in this book.

 

Age 10 – 11

Bond SATs Skills: Times Tables Workbook for Key Stage 2Ìýfocuses on developing confidence and rapid recall of all core times tables and developing an understanding of square and cube numbers, meeting the expectations of multiplication knowledge in the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2. Included times tables lists provide a quick reference that can be used as prompts for the questions in each unit of the book.

 

Age 9 – 11

This test paper pack includes two full sets of Key Stage 2 SATs-style maths test papers to enable children to practise for National Curriculum SATs assessments. These tests develop children’s exam skills of time management and performing in exam conditions and provide invaluable insight into the approach to testing that children will face when taking their SATs at the end of Year 6.

 

Age 9 – 11

This test paper pack has been created by Bond to prepare children for National Curriculum Key Stage 2 SATs assessments at the end of Year 6 in primary school. It includes two full sets of English tests, including all of the papers children will sit as part of their English assessment. Covers the reading comprehension test and grammar, punctuation and spelling papers, and includes accompanying audio spelling tests to reflect the delivery of the SATs spelling assessment.

 

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