Parent and former TA, UK

I worked in education, I saw the huge amount of pressure on staff, I watched countless adults be broken. Then I realised it wasn’t just the adults being broken. It was the kids too. I felt blessed to be able to help them find ways to learn, to enjoy school and growing. But suddenly it was my child being broken. It was my boy who couldn’t cope. It was my son that needed someone to find another way. I tried fighting for him, and the others from within, I tried every single day. It wasn’t enough. My own boy was physically sick at the mention of school, was coming out in hives, was hurting himself, was wanting to end his life. Daily he asked me why he’d been born. Daily he told me he’d rather stab himself in the head than go to school. He tried to jump out of a moving car. He put a belt around his neck. He hit his head on walls.
That was enough. More than enough. We fought to get him his EHCP, we fought to have his voice heard. We fought for him. Just him.

I left education. He left education. We are both so much happier, we learn everyday in so many ways. He laughs, smiles and is thriving.
His younger brother is still at school, he enjoys it… for now. When it comes to secondary though? He’ll be home educated too. Schools are not safe for all kids. Secondary schools are the worst.

Stop the focus on academics.
Stop SATs.
Stop putting pressure on teachers to achieve so they can stop putting pressure on kids to achieve!
Understand that learning is happening all the time.
Understand that you can’t teach a fish to climb trees.
Understand that school is stuck in the past.
Just understand… or at least try!