Parent, UK

I had a very turbulent schooling experience. It began by being kicked out of my first (Prep) school age 4. I then went to a local primary school where I was immediately bullied for being “different”. The situation was not dealt with by the school and got so bad that I stopped eating and would refuse to go to the playground or even the loo at school for fear of being bullied. The school referred me to a child psychologist who failed to identify bullying and instead assumed it was domestic abuse. When I eventually left this school aged 8, I moved to a local Independent school that catered more for neurodivergent kids (not that anyone knew this at the time, but the style of education and intake makes this obvious.) I remained at this school happily until I was 11, when my family moved out of London and I was placed in a very traditional Independent school. Again I was bullied for being different and would spend my breaks hiding in the toilet. Age 13 I was sent away to boarding school due to a turbulent time at home. The school sadly closed when I turned 14 and I was moved to another “alternative” boarding school. I was happy however I missed home. So age 15 I moved back home for a year and went back to the local “traditional” Independent school. Unsurprisingly given my previous experience at the school and my home life, this proved to be a mistake, so after completing my GCSE’s I moved to yet another boarding school for my A’Levels.

I wasn’t de-registered.

My schooling experience has taught me that school really isn't a one size fits all. Some schools I thrived at, some just didn’t understand me or suit my style of learning. For children to thrive we need a variety of learning opportunities, so parents can work with their children to choose a school that best suits their needs and helps them thrive. No child should be so scared to go to school that they starve themselves at age 5, or that age 11 they hide in the toilets because they have nowhere else to go. Not all children are the same and our schools/leaning opportunities should reflect this.