Today's most viewed
| TOP STORIES |  | | | | | | | FEATURES | | | | | | MAYOR NEWS | | | | TRAVEL | | | | COMPETITIONS | | |
|
|
|
Pupils sitting SATs in hospital is 'crazy'
PUPILS at a High Wycombe primary school are having to sit exams in hospital to stop the school slipping down the league tables.
Youngsters at Highworth Combined School, including one recently involved in an accident, have been handed SATS tests by teachers.
Headteacher Graham Kilner, said the move was needed as absent pupils scored a zero for the tests - and this could hit its position in league tables.
Yet, he said the Government imposed rule was unfair' on schools - and a teachers' leader called it "crazy".
The exams have been taken to the child in hospital this week, it is believed, as part of a national period of SATS testing.
Mr Kilner said: "At our school we have had experience in the past of children having to take SATS in hospital."
He said: "If a child is deemed medically fit to do a test then I think it is in the best interests of the child and the school for that to happen in the current climate."
| "The most unfair bit is if a child is ill; if something happens at home then the child gets a zero." | | Mr Graham Kilner, headteacher, Highworth Combined School |
|
League tables are drawn up by a school's total SATS marks - meaning absent children can bring the final score down.
Mr Kilner added: "The most unfair bit is if a child is ill; if something happens at home then the child gets a zero.
"The effect on the school and child is exactly the same if they did not get a single question right."
He said: "Heaven help any school which has an outbreak of chicken pox during the SATS because the results will make it look as if something at the school has gone wrong."
Mr Kilner said: "I think it questions the professionalism of teachers and the priorities of what we want for our children."
Testing pupils in hospital "wouldn't have happened 20 years ago" he added.
Des Hart, Eastern regional officer for the National Union of Teachers, said: "It is plain ridiculous. It indicates the amount of pressure that schools are under as a result of league tables to go such extremes."
The exams are taken by children aged seven, 11, and 14 to gauge their progress in English, maths and science. Pupils then take their GCSEs at 16.
Colin McGuffie, spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, said: "Primary school performance tables are based on the results of all pupils in a school who are eligible for SATS including those absent or discounted from the tests."
He said tests "could be taken in a pupil's home, in a hospital or another school".
Yet the school's average point score - a single figure for results - does not include absent pupils, he said.
10:16am Friday 16th May 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: Catflap, work on 11:36am Fri 16 May 08
this just goes to show what a nonsense league tables are. Another good reason to get rid of them
this just goes to show what a nonsense league tables are. Another good reason to get rid of them
Posted by: ronnie on 12:58pm Fri 16 May 08
all sensible parents recognise the SATs are a waste of time for everyone concerned. Not sure about the stance of this school tho - morally it can't be right for them to test pupils who are in hospital? Does the school really care that much about 'league tables'?
all sensible parents recognise the SATs are a waste of time for everyone concerned. Not sure about the stance of this school tho - morally it can't be right for them to test pupils who are in hospital? Does the school really care that much about 'league tables'?
Posted by: SBJones, Wycombe on 2:34pm Fri 16 May 08
time to get rid of SATs altogether, the government needs to let children learn and not be pressurised by all this testing that goes on
time to get rid of SATs altogether, the government needs to let children learn and not be pressurised by all this testing that goes on
Posted by: R of Wycombe, High Wycombe on 6:15pm Fri 16 May 08
If they tried this with any of my children, they would need the hospital to surgically remove the papers from where i'd shoved them !!!!!
If they tried this with any of my children, they would need the hospital to surgically remove the papers from where i'd shoved them !!!!!
Posted by: Ivor on 2:30am Sat 17 May 08
More ridiculousness from today’s silly society.
[bold]Have you read Ivor’s blog today?[/bold] Click on the “Opinion” link on the menu on the left then click on “Readers Bucks Blog”.
More ridiculousness from today’s silly society.
Have you read Ivor’s blog today? Click on the “Opinion” link on the menu on the left then click on “Readers Bucks Blog”.
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
