Edward, 9, Hertfordshire
My stories
My School Story
My son was so excited to go to school, to follow on from his loving preschool to the primary in the village. But within a few days he was reluctant and resisting. He bit a boy he knew from preschool, he was made to say sorry and a big deal was made, later he told me at storytime that he was held around the neck, I looked and I could see marks there. He was punched on the nose by a boy who had been taught how to punch properly, he had had a nosebleed. He was tied up with a skipping rope around his neck, left until two older girls untied him. He came out with a big cut on his face, under his eye, the teacher said see if you can get to the bottom of it; no accident form. We received a call one day to say there had been an incident; He had 'pushed' a boy into the fence and been taken into the office suspended for the afternoon from his classroom; he was 4 years old. So worried and scared. He said the headteachers eyes were scary; he had been playing with the boy when his sister had come over and the game would stop, he held onto the boy to stay with him but then let go and the boy stumbled into the fence. The school made out my son had forcefully pushed him and punished my son, but I think it was to get at me as I had complained a lot about lack of supervision on the playground and classroom. He received an award for singing in an assembly and he didn't sing again for a long time.
Lockdown came and he thrived at home, he turned 5. We decided to leave that 'outstanding' C of E school and try a more modern academy in town; the teacher was great, she spent time greeting each child on arrival. The year 2 teacher, was 'in training' but failing and again our son started to resist school. One day the teacher approached me to say my son had stabbed a girl with a pencil, such an awful choice of words, my son overhearing said no I poked her because she wouldn't share the pencil when he had asked with a please. They had 3 boys leave the class for a special school and shortly afterwards the school wanted me to seek an autism diagnosis for my son. They had sat him on a table on his own because he didn't like people; he told me at storytime that if he didn't sit there he would have had to sit in the head teachers office; we had seen his behaviour change outside of school "everyone is looking at me, everyone is talking about me"
He would always anxiously ask how many days left in the holidays. Saturday would be the only ok day of the week. So one day during Easter holidays he said "how many days do I have left mummy?" I said How many do you want? His eyes widened, his face relaxed and his smile beamed, he went off excitedly to play. It was over, I took the dereg letter in. I wrote a story and sent it to both schools, I requested and attended meetings with the head teachers of both schools, the 2 vicars associated with the schools and I wrote to the MP. I am disgusted with the way schools affect children, they don't speak to them well and in my experience they can ruin their lives.
Luckily for my son now 9, we could change his environment and go at his pace. He is a great boy, growing well, strong in mind and body. I am incredibly proud of him. We talk about his time in school and how we would change schools for the wellbeing of all children that attend them.
Lockdown came and he thrived at home, he turned 5. We decided to leave that 'outstanding' C of E school and try a more modern academy in town; the teacher was great, she spent time greeting each child on arrival. The year 2 teacher, was 'in training' but failing and again our son started to resist school. One day the teacher approached me to say my son had stabbed a girl with a pencil, such an awful choice of words, my son overhearing said no I poked her because she wouldn't share the pencil when he had asked with a please. They had 3 boys leave the class for a special school and shortly afterwards the school wanted me to seek an autism diagnosis for my son. They had sat him on a table on his own because he didn't like people; he told me at storytime that if he didn't sit there he would have had to sit in the head teachers office; we had seen his behaviour change outside of school "everyone is looking at me, everyone is talking about me"
He would always anxiously ask how many days left in the holidays. Saturday would be the only ok day of the week. So one day during Easter holidays he said "how many days do I have left mummy?" I said How many do you want? His eyes widened, his face relaxed and his smile beamed, he went off excitedly to play. It was over, I took the dereg letter in. I wrote a story and sent it to both schools, I requested and attended meetings with the head teachers of both schools, the 2 vicars associated with the schools and I wrote to the MP. I am disgusted with the way schools affect children, they don't speak to them well and in my experience they can ruin their lives.
Luckily for my son now 9, we could change his environment and go at his pace. He is a great boy, growing well, strong in mind and body. I am incredibly proud of him. We talk about his time in school and how we would change schools for the wellbeing of all children that attend them.
What happened next...
We home educate now. It has been a good experience. My son came back naturally to himself.
He is happy and busy learning every day from his environment and the people in it.
He enjoys sharing his new knowledge and his latest achievements. He trusts me to take him out to places again. And he is singing again.
He is happy and busy learning every day from his environment and the people in it.
He enjoys sharing his new knowledge and his latest achievements. He trusts me to take him out to places again. And he is singing again.
How I think schools could be better.
Schools; A hub of learning; beautiful big library's at the center and learning rooms surrounding that. High desks and no chairs for free movement.
A teacher has a question and the children work in small groups or individually to find the answer; moving around the school freely.
Encourage the sharing of ideas and knowledge.
Let parents and grandparents in to help out and share their knowledge.
Gardens, courtyard gardens and vegetable patches and greenhouses to tend and sell produce. Farms, maybe with chickens. Schools; places that bring the community together.
A teacher has a question and the children work in small groups or individually to find the answer; moving around the school freely.
Encourage the sharing of ideas and knowledge.
Let parents and grandparents in to help out and share their knowledge.
Gardens, courtyard gardens and vegetable patches and greenhouses to tend and sell produce. Farms, maybe with chickens. Schools; places that bring the community together.