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Original poster

If you are a teacher or parent…

186 replies

Flopsicle · 15/10/2025 13:17

What is one thing you would improve about your school if you could - needs to be realistic (or at least semi-realistic). It can’t be “wish I had a bigger bladder” for example! What is one thing that works really well in your school and is it primary or secondary?

For me, homework - I don’t think this works well in primary (I’m not including reading, spellings, times tables in this).

Friendship benches where children can sit if they’re feeling lonely and someone will join them, older children can volunteer to organise games.

OP posts:
JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 19/10/2025 23:31

ButterPiesAreGreat · 19/10/2025 14:50

You know that a lot of time, schools get given SEN pupils that shouldn’t be in their school and they can’t refuse to take them? They can try to get them placed in a special school, should a place become available and that child is top of the list. Many, many schools have children within them that shouldn’t be in a mainstream setting. They can be a danger to others, to themselves, and EHCP will not cover the cost of 1-1 support all day. They’re not taking these children because they want the funding, as it will be a net loss to the school, but they can argue all they like, and if the LA says so, they have to take them.

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Yes. I know all this. My wish list is that money is made available so children can be placed in the setting that’s right for them.

everychildmatters · 19/10/2025 23:54

I'm both. The one thing I would change is the age children start school in the UK; it is far too young. The evidence is clear from many other countries such as Sweden, Finland, Norway etc. My August-born son didn't start school until he was 5 (my decision) and it absolutely was the right decision. He's gone off to uni having achieved four A-Levels (3 at A* and one at A) so not done too badly! 😀

Needspaceforlego · 20/10/2025 00:13

anonymoususer9876 · 19/10/2025 12:14

Hmm. Depends on what’s best for the children.
We use assessments in order to assess if the children have learnt the objectives set that term or if there needs to be more targeted support. I don’t tend to give them their tests back within class time but have said to the children they are welcome to stay back at beginning of lunchtime to look at them with me. I’ve not had any pupils take me up on that so far this year. (All assessments and progress are recorded for SLT to access.)
The reason I do it this way is a large part of the class (but not all) are below age related expectations with SEND and I’m thinking of their self-esteem. I have children whose score can be 0-5 on an out of 20 spelling test and to repeatedly get that makes them feel awful. I can give whole class feedback if the grammar assessment shows that, for example, fronted adverbials (with commas) aren’t yet featuring in their writing or they don’t know what a preposition is. So it very much depends on what is the most effective feedback for that class.

If you feel your child would prefer to see their scores, maybe drop the teacher a message.

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Could you please have been my teacher?

I can totally see why not all children benefit from getting their results for class tests.
I'm dyslexic and it was rotten getting less than 5 right in weekly spelling tests. No matter how hard i tried.

Some older kids might be able to laugh it off others its go cry in a corner.

What is a fronted adverbial?

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General education
Needspaceforlego · 20/10/2025 00:16

everychildmatters · 19/10/2025 23:54

I'm both. The one thing I would change is the age children start school in the UK; it is far too young. The evidence is clear from many other countries such as Sweden, Finland, Norway etc. My August-born son didn't start school until he was 5 (my decision) and it absolutely was the right decision. He's gone off to uni having achieved four A-Levels (3 at A* and one at A) so not done too badly! 😀

Edited

While lots of countries don't start formal school until later they have Kindergartens that are very very similar to the UK early years of school.
Or at least that is what I learned on another MN thread.

@Natsku Please can you confirm what the ages and stages are for Finland?

everychildmatters · 20/10/2025 00:22

@Needspaceforlego But that's very different from the formal education that starts here way too young.

Natsku · 20/10/2025 05:41

Needspaceforlego · 20/10/2025 00:16

While lots of countries don't start formal school until later they have Kindergartens that are very very similar to the UK early years of school.
Or at least that is what I learned on another MN thread.

@Natsku Please can you confirm what the ages and stages are for Finland?

Edited
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Preschool starts the year they turn 6 (calendar year so the youngest ones will turn 6 a few months after starting preschool) and its slightly formal, they do about an hour a day of sit down learning (learning the alphabet and numbers, the more able will learn to read but its not expected at this age) and the rest is play and crafts and suchlike).
Most children go to nursery before this and in the last year of it they start to do a bit more structured things like drawing according to instructions and playful maths but very little of it, the focus is free play and being outside as much as possible.

Proper school starts the year they turn 7 and its pretty formal, with timetabled lessons and they might have some different teachers for some subjects but with lots of break times for play.

everychildmatters · 20/10/2025 13:36

@Natsku Absolutely love this! Where do you live? 😀

Natsku · 20/10/2025 13:49

everychildmatters · 20/10/2025 13:36

@Natsku Absolutely love this! Where do you live? 😀

Finland. But I will add, despite popular rumours on social media that they don't have these things, there is plenty of homework and plenty of tests and exams - my 1st grader gets homework daily and there are immediate consequences if he doesn't do it, or doesn't do it well enough (staying after school in homework club)

everychildmatters · 20/10/2025 15:26

@Natsku It's definitely working - you only have to look at the data to see that! ❤️

Rainbowcat77 · 21/10/2025 07:47

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 19/10/2025 23:31

Yes. I know all this. My wish list is that money is made available so children can be placed in the setting that’s right for them.

Show quote history

And along with this, my wish would be that there would be a huge range of different types of settings rather than just “special” or “mainstream” so children could find somewhere that matched the way they learn more easily.
never going to happen though.

Bunnycat101 · 21/10/2025 09:46

I can only really talk about primary as a parent but my eyes have been opened after sending one of my children private for y5 and seeing unexpected benefits. The expectations are higher but she is much less stressed as the environment is calm and relaxed without being draconian. There’s less shouting etc. The curriculum is much broader rather than a narrow maths/English focus. I think she would have hated y6 with the narrowing of the curriculum for sats. That wasn’t why we moved but I don’t think it’s talked about enough. She suits a bit of push and high academic standards. It wouldn’t be the right school for everyone.

My youngest is still in state primary and you can see she’d benefit from a smaller class size. She hates busyness and noise and although she doesn’t have SEN (as far as I’m aware) school can be quite overwhelming for her. She’d benefit from a class of 15 rather than 30. I think they move to formal learning too quickly and so many children seem to hate year 1 there has to be a structural issue with how that year is taught and the demands placed on the children.

In general, I think SEN provision is dire. The system is failing kids whose needs aren’t being supported as well as classmates who are disrupted. Families shouldn’t be forced to take the council to court to get help.

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