Did anyone else mark key stage 2 SATs this year?

I also marked KS2 science for the first time this year. I have had some troubl ewith many hours on the hold waiting to get in touch with someone at ETS for help and advice but other markers have had so much more problems than me this thread shows how many problems people have hsd and are still having. It is an extremely long thread http://www.tes.co.uk/section/staffroom/thread.aspx?story_id=2579059&path=/Primary/&threadPage=&messagePage=1 there are similar threads on other forums on the TES site and I have been warning my school that the *** is going to hit the fn real soon - and it has today.

I tried to mark KS2 Science, but couldn't attend the initial training day due to no childcare...I phoned,emailed...did everything I could, but they were just utterly crap. By the time I heard back from them,it was the eve of the last training course I could attend and they emailed me at 10pm to let me know. I'm disappointed...we really needed the cash...but tbh, partly relieved as the whole thing sounds like an utter *** up.

I am also a KS2 Science marker bod..... and had all the same problems. Waiting for the BT phone bill to find out exactly how many minutes I spent on the phone to them, (in the region of 5 hours) and then I am going to write an officially complain and 'charge' them.

I had all my papers marked by about 4 weeks ago - sent 5 boxes back but couldnt send the 6th one as one of my script lists had 4 students names missing. For 10 days I rang every day and was told every day that they would be updated within 24hrs. Well... they weren't. In the end I demanded to speak to a superviser who got it sorted straight away.

But it has been a complete farce.... seemed that way from the day they decided that all papers should be sent to a central depot.... they said there were in the region of 9 million papers... cos finding the right ones to send to people was going to be easy wasn't it!!!

I can't believe that it ihas only just been picked up b the BBC TES newspaper have been reporting it for weeks and I know quite a few markers have contacted local mps etc. It all has to be done anonmously due to a confidentiality clause in our contracts - I'm just pleased they seem to be paying me on time and the right amount.