I Cant Believe It

[angel659]

Hi

We went to parents evening last night and I asked about booking a holiday for May 2007 as I had a fear there will be sats going on then. She confirmed what I was dreading to hear. Not only for my little 7 year old being put under pressure for tests, but also because we are now back to square one with dates and planning.

The TA said that VA have released some prices for May 2007, but you cant book yet. I was trying to work out everything last night. The only dates we can think of was June, Spetember or October.

I looked in Brits Guide Book and the attendance for June was Medium/high, but if we went in Spetember or October it would be low attendance. I cant believe this I am so dissapointed that we will have to wait a further few months. We were originally going this Oct, but we had to pay out for a new car and the monthly finance on that meant we had to wait till May and now its even further away.

Sorry I had to rant. My daughters education is very important to me so we dont want to take her out before her sats.

 

[jen_uk]

I think its crazy that they have to do exams so young! What a nightmare for you.
Dont worry you will get there eventually!!

 

[Dicky Knee]

Wonderful SATS eh?

These are (IMO) more important to the school than the child. Let me give you my example:

A few years ago we wanted to take my daughter out of school to go to DLP in May (we'd been the year before at the same time). The teacher requested that we didn't take her out of school because it clashed with the SATS. So I thought, "far enough" and we didn't go. A couple of weeks later may daughter came home from school complaining that her friend Emma was going to DLP the same week we had planned to go. Well, I thought, her parents were probably a lot more pushy than I would have been.

I then had a thought and asked my daughter which table Emma sat on (they had 6: Table 1 for the "bright" children to Table 6 for the "slower" children). You guessed it, Emma was on Table 6; my daughter being on Table 1. So my daughter sits the SATS, gets good marks and "raises" the school in the league table; Emma doesn't do the SATS, doesn't get a relatively low mark, doesn't lower the school in the league table.....

....call me a cynic!!!!!

 

[carolfoy]

I'll agree with Dicky, at their age the SATS are based on how well the school is doing rather than the childs individual acheivement. of course, its always better to avoid taking them out but at 7? if you feel your dd is doing ok academically then don't fret too much

 

[SEVANS2208]

We had this situation a few years ago but found that the SATS were over before the May half term. We took our DD out of school the week after half term so still had 2 weeks away (last week of May/first week of June). I thought the half term week would be really busy but crowd levels weren't too bad. Also, the school were "happy" to give us authorisation to take her out for that week but wouldn't have done so had it been before the half term.

 

[angel659]

Hi

My dh keeps nagging about going in March, but I have heard some terrible reviews on that time of year. Weather and spring break. I like the idea of going say the May break and go into June, but I would prefer leaving on the 16th or the 23rd. The only problem is my dh is an Accounts Assistant he cant take time off for the first 10 days each month. I said surely because they will have over a year to plan for it then we should be able to book it, but he isnt sure. Also isnt Gay week the first week of June? I dont have a problem with this, but personally I dont think its for my childrens eyes.

 

[angel659]

Hi

I just looked on All Ears and it is Gay week from 30th May for 1 week. Certain park days they meet. I dont really want my children seeing this. They are all at a vulnerable age and I wouldnt like to confuse them. I think its back to the drawing board.

 

[carolfoy]

I really wouldn't worry too much about gay days, its certainly not going to be 'in your face'. after all, if you've ever encountered young 'straight' couples eating the faces off each other you'd have to explain about that too and I'm sure the majority of the gay fraternity are more sensitive about these issues as they have to put up with so many comments from people on an evry day basis.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi

My dh keeps nagging about going in March, but I have heard some terrible reviews on that time of year. Weather and spring break. I like the idea of going say the May break and go into June, but I would prefer leaving on the 16th or the 23rd. The only problem is my dh is an Accounts Assistant he cant take time off for the first 10 days each month. I said surely because they will have over a year to plan for it then we should be able to book it, but he isnt sure. Also isnt Gay week the first week of June? I dont have a problem with this, but personally I dont think its for my childrens eyes.

We went in March last year, and I think we were 'unlucky' with the weather.

Normally it's a lovely time to go and if you miss Easter not that crowded too, we did have some days where it was pretty cool in the mornings but also lovely sunny days as well.

It's just you cannot guarantee really but I wouldn't let it put you off going as the yearly average is actually quite high.

 

[angel659]

Hi

Thanks for your help. I think the only thing I like about March is my dh is 30 on the 4th, so we could celebrate it thier as well. I am so worried about the weather. We are booking 14 nights at a villa and 3 nights in Poly if the weather is rubbish then I dont know if we would be able to use the resorts facilities. Decisions, Decisions I cant believe our luck when it comes to organising the next holiday.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

Hi

Thanks for your help. I think the only thing I like about March is my dh is 30 on the 4th, so we could celebrate it thier as well. I am so worried about the weather. We are booking 14 nights at a villa and 3 nights in Poly if the weather is rubbish then I dont know if we would be able to use the resorts facilities. Decisions, Decisions I cant believe our luck when it comes to organising the next holiday.

Probably partly my fault as I have posted a few times about the unpredictable March weather - however that was just 1 time, a lot of people have been in February and March and had lovely weather.

And the yearly average is very good. The forecast for the next few days is temperatures in the 80s....I really wouldn't let this put you off.

www.intellicast.com/IcastPage/LoadP...oduct=Forecast&prodgrp=Forecasts&prodnav=none

 

[angel659]

Probably partly my fault as I have posted a few times about the unpredictable March weather - however that was just 1 time, a lot of people have been in February and March and had lovely weather.

And the yearly average is very good. The forecast for the next few days is temperatures in the 80s....I really wouldn't let this put you off.

www.intellicast.com/IcastPage/LoadP...oduct=Forecast&prodgrp=Forecasts&prodnav=none

At least I know it can be unpredictable. I have looked at the weather history and its not that great in the early part of March and at the moment its 13c which is on my PC. A little worrying also it mentioned a lot of rain in the weather history. I think we would take our chances. Do you know when Spring break is? We would like to avoid that if poss.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

At least I know it can be unpredictable. I have looked at the weather history and its not that great in the early part of March and at the moment its 13c which is on my PC. A little worrying also it mentioned a lot of rain in the weather history. I think we would take our chances. Do you know when Spring break is? We would like to avoid that if poss.

I am not sure - last year we went 13th to 27th, and the 27th was Easter Sunday.
Crowds were light until the last weekend , as you can imagine.

If you go in the middle of the month I am sure crowd wise you will be fine.

 

[alisonbestford]

What a nightmare the prospect of SATS are for us at the moment too

I had to take DD to the doctors in the half term break because she was getting so upset and worried about them that she was making herself physically ill!!

GP told her that, in her opinion, SATS were a load of rubbish, aimed at making the school look good and to tell her teacher she'd said so
I somehow don't think Eve (7) will be saying anything, except to her friends..........
She's absolutely mortified at the thought of doing anything wrong, anywhere

We're going to WDW in March as school said that they'd be doing little towards SATs then

 

[carolfoy]

oh, Alison, poor Eve a very good example as to why the SATS aren't that important.

 

[angel659]

I cant see how you can put a poor child under that stresss. As you said its to make the schools look good. Its just so annoying. If we go in March I wont be able to take more than a week off in August and then will have to wait till March to go away again. As our financial year is 1st April-1st April. I had to borrow a week from this yr as my manager gave me too much holiday. With my job I need regular breaks waiting from Aug to March may be a little difficult. I am leaning towards September 2007, but then its waiting that little extra time, my dh is leaning towards March but his financial yr is Jan so he would be ok for holiday entitlement.

 

[Disney owl]

We've been during "Gay week" when our kids were younger & the only problem it caused was that Magic Kingdom was much busier on the main Sat.

We saw nothing offensive & all our youngest noticed was that lots of people were wearing red t-shirts & he wanted to know if it was Americn red-nose day!

I wouldn't let it put you off booking

 

[sandshal]

Been there, done that, this year!!! My DS(11) is taking his SATS this year and when I booked 8 months ago I could not get a definate date from anyone, even the education authority, when they would be - so as a bad mother, I just booked and hoped. We are travelling on the 17th May - 2nd June and to date we have still not received a newsletter from the school about the dates. However, the education authority have confirmed they will be 2nd week in May (which Im informed is usually the case) so I've been lucky.

From experience, when my DS was 7 the SATS were not taken as seriously as the Yr 6 SATS and so long as you steer away from the first 2 weeks in May you should be fine.

PS last time we went to Florida for 2 weeks departing 9 June 2003 it rained an awful lot so I would choose an earlier date if possible.

 

[heatherbelle]

According to our school calender for year 2 children (7), we are asked not to take them out of school from Feb until end of May because of SATS.

I think when they are so young, that the testing is done more on an informal basis rather than the formal sats for 11 year olds. So takes place over a longer time scale.

Are there any teachers out there who know more?

What about buying some of those SAT books testing herself yourself, if you want to know how bright she is! Then go on holiday and have a lovely time. Yes the school league tables will be hit as a result of your child not doing the test, and if she is very bright, then this may bring their results down by a percent or 2 if she doesn't attend.

I would go and have a lovely time. Leave the SATS until she is in year 6.

 

[sandshal]

Sorry to sound like a really bad mother ... and if there are any teachers out there I apologise in advance --- however, from experience I really don't think the first set of SATS are as important as the YR 6 and agree totally with other posters - they are purely to do with league tables and play very little part in future sets or groups your child will be put into. IMHO life skills are just as important to a child and with the right atttitude your daughter will get on with or without SATS - I personally would go ahead and book for May and if you really want to save face book up to start the holiday the week before Whitsun, that way you'll only take her out of school for 1 week not 2 and avoid the steep price increase for the Whitsun holiday.