Well, there goes another Sats week.
For us, the week started off with press coverage. The BBC news came to visit and film our children striking their superhero Power Poses before they sat the exams. Now that was a real power boost for children and staff alike. For a while on Monday, we were the most watched clip on the BBC website! It was great to see on Twitter that other teachers across the country had shared the power poses idea with their children.
Having breakfast all together each morning was another highlight of the week. The homemade jam and marmalade went down a treat, and the children were relaxed, chatting with each other and with staff members from across the academy who had come down to wish them luck. Sats week may be viewed with negativity across the country, but for us, it really does bring out the best in our team.
On Tuesday, we were visited by a lead moderator, and the visit lasted for the duration of the reading test. Thankfully, it went well, and even though we do not have a five-bar lock, we escaped the dreaded “maladministration” - a word that strikes fear in headteachers across the land.
One of the worst parts of the week is packing up the tests - it’s a challenge for me every year. I know it’s a straightforward process, but it takes common sense and, according to my husband and the school staff, I don’t have any. The confusion over which bag goes in which, and what label goes where never ends. Where’s the module on packing tests up on the NPQH?
Despite that, the week passed smoothly, although by Thursday, the children looked tired. On Friday, they spent the day at Canoe Lake (a local park), followed by a barbecue and then a sleepover at school. By 1am, the feeling of tiredness had long been forgotten...Sensibly, I headed home for the evening - I’m too old for a sleeping bag on a gym mat!
Relief and joy
The children themselves showed great resilience (and even excitement) when it came to the arithmetic test. We could see that initiatives that we have introduced in the academy were paying off. They were all ready and willing and one of the greatest sights to see is their relief and joy when they put down their pencil after the last paper.
For the staff, however, the stress of the week didn’t stop there. On Friday afternoon, our local authority released the names of the academies being moderated for writing, so it was another nail-biting day in the office.
The children believe that when the Sats finish it’s all over - sadly, it’s not. It’s back to integrating dialogue and using a range of devices to build cohesion. (As you can see from my ramblings, I would be lucky to achieve the Expected Standard.)
They do, however, have a special week to look forward too: transition week. They become Year 6+ and we have a fun-filled week planned for them including a trip to Chessington, Laser Quest and a picnic at a nearby country park.
We want to make sure they have positive lasting memories of primary school, not the lingering memories of assessment.
To all the Year 6 children around the country: enjoy your last couple of months of primary school. I still look back on mine with great memories of Miss Burgess, Mr Moar, Mr Jones and all the amazing teachers I had.
Deamonn Hewett-Dale is the headteacher at the Flying Bull Academy
