I’ve got an idea… what if we don’t tell them we are testing them at all? When Sats were introduced they were supposed to be a test of the school not the kid. What if one day they showed up in school and did some work and they never thought it was a big deal at all. Because it shouldn’t be for them.

The pressure trickles down through their whole primary school life as Sats week is a big deal where everyone has to be quiet and wish each other luck; and parents are sold or given Sats revision guides, etc. Children are indoctrinated into thinking it’s a big deal and then feel worried and stressed.

I continue to worry about the mental health costs of Sats. And that doesn’t (necessarily) mean we shouldn’t be testing kids. The problem isn’t the tests per se, it’s the weight all us adults surrounding the kids put on the tests.