Teacher Interview: Exploring the Use of SATs Companion at St. Mary's Primary Academy
Introduction
We spoke to Donna Winters, a Year Six teacher at St. Mary's Primary Academy. Donna shared her experiences with SATs Companion and how the team at St Mary's have integrated it.
Q1: Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your school setting?
My name is Donna Winters. I'm one of the Year Six teachers at St. Mary's Primary Academy.
Q2: What did you use before SATs Companion, and what made you choose this platform?
We previously used various online resources, many of which we found complicated to use. We found SATs Companion far more straightforward and simple to use.
Q3: How do you use SATs Companion within the school?
We use SATs Companion for homework. We find the videos really supportive for the children working away from school. We also use it for small tuition groups to fill gaps in learning and to support the material taught in lessons.
Q4: What are the main benefits of using SATs Companion?
The main benefit is that SATs Companion has SATs-style questions. We've noticed an increase in the confidence with which children approach the questions because they're so familiar with the format.
Q5: What is your favourite feature on SATs Companion and why?
Our favourite feature on SATs Companion is the supportive videos. They're simple for the children to access any time, to support their learning and to recap on material they're less familiar with.
Our favourite feature on SATs Companion is the supportive videos. They're simple for the children to access any time, to support their learning and to recap on material they're less familiar with.
Q6: What do your pupils think of SATs Companion?
Our children really enjoy using SATs Companion. They even ask to use it during dinner times, and playtime. They also frequently access it after school.
Q7: What would you say to others considering SATs Companion?
As a school, we've been using SATs Companion for just a few months, and already we are noticing the impact in terms of children's attainment and their confidence levels increasing.