**Revision guides are now on sale for £3 each, RRP £5.99! There are 3 available: English, Maths, and Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation. Please ask Mrs Ashworth for more details!**

What are SATS? 

SATS are national tests that children currently sit twice during their time at primary school. Once at the end of KS1 (Year 2) and again at the end of KS2 (Year 6). 

In the summer term of 2022, your child will sit tests in:

• Reading
• Maths 
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar 

These tests are both set and marked externally, and the results are used to measure the progress that your child has made in Year 6 and throughout their primary school years. 

What you can do to help

As a parent there are some things that you can do to help prepare, to reduce the worry, and add some fun to home learning and revision! Here are our top tips:

Tip 1: Read, read, read!

Ensure that your child reads at least 3 times a week. If possible, also encourage your child to 'read outside the book' by encouraging your child to read texts associated with events or interests that are meaningful to them. For example, if your child likes football you could read the match programme or a newspaper report. Taking turns to read out loud with your child has also proven to improve reading and listening skills, why not bring back the 'bedtime story'? Children are never too old to read before bedtime and love to spend some quality time with their parents/guardians. 

Tip 2: Question everything

Questioning children about what they have read is extremely important. It allows children to gain a better understanding of what they have read and develop their understanding of authorial intent. There are three types of questions that you can ask your child: literal, inference, and deduction. For examples and more information on these questions, click on the reading link in the space above. 

Tip 3: Practise your multiplication tables! 

If you think about it, we use our multiplication skills daily. This is why it absolutely vital that children know and can recall their times tables. Times tables should be practised daily and should also be made extremely fun! There are lots of online games and activities in the maths section which your child will enjoy or alternatively you could ask Miss Thompson for some other games and ideas. I bet your child will be able to tell you some fun games that we use in class, the 'maths choir' is one of my personal favourites! It is also important that children see the purpose in learning their multiplication facts so why not take a note pad shopping and allow your child to compare costs or calculate the cost of multiple items and discounts?

Tip 4: Communication is key

​It is really important that you communicate regularly with me regarding any questions or concerns that you may have about your child's learning or wellbeing. If you would like any ideas on games, activities or how to support your child through SATs then please just ask. I am available every day, before and after school, or alternatively if you would like to book a meeting then please contact me via the school's contact number to arrange an appointment. Nobody knows your child better than you do; you know what stimulates them, bores and interests them, what they are struggling with, their preferred learning style, and if there are any other issues going on that might affect their learning at school. I value any information, big or small, that your can share with me to make sure that I can tailor my approach whilst you child is in my class. 

Tip 5: Make it fun! 

In Nightingales, we try to make learning as fun and as memorable as possible. There is no reason why home learning should be any different. Whether it be practising their spellings in a silly voice or getting arty and creating maths mind maps, the more your child enjoys the learning, the more likely they are to remember it! I have given your child lots of tips on their SATS page on how to make revision more fun, why not join in with them? 

Tip 6: Stay positive 

This final tip is definitely the most important piece of preparation advice that I can share with you. It is important that your child remains calm and positive on the journey to their SATS. While SATS are often a good reflection on how much your child has learned throughout their time at Propps Hall, it is more important to us that your child remains positive and proud of their achievements and progress, no matter how big or small. Albert Einstein once said that 'Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think', I believe that instilling skills such as determination, perseverance, and resilience is what will have the largest impact on your child's progress this year. Encourage your child to stay calm, positive and remember that their best is always good enough! I am proud of each and every one of my Nightingales and I am looking forward to celebrating their successes with them throughout this year!