does anyone know of a school that isn't mind-numbingly boring for children?

[whysoboring]

I'm feeling very sad for my children. They attend what is meant to be an "excellent" (sometimes "outstanding") school. Yet, they are bored and I'm bored observing the tedium of their school days.
Examples:
i) over-use of videos to introduce topics
ii) overuse of printed worksheets
iii) children mark each others' papers and read scores out loud to teacher
(( what do teachers actually DO??? They don't teach lessons; they don't make up questions; they don't mark papers.... I'm not sure they even review the papers after the children have market them to keep track of how individual children are progressing!!!)
iv) spelling work involves writing unrelated, simple sentences each one using a single spelling word (couldn't they be a bit more creative? ie ask children to write a paragraph using as many of the spelling words as possible? or use the spelling words to write sentences related to a "topic" they're learning in history or geography or PSCHE?
v) subjects are completely independent of each other -- no effort is made to incorporate learning from one subject with that of another (which could easily be done with, for example, geography and science or history and literacy
vi) oral reading consists of reading a single book aloud for the duration of a term or two or three (couldn't the teacher have them read aloud short stories which could be completed in a couple of weeks? or have children read ahead a few chapters in between the weekly oral reading sessions? or at least chose a book that's somehow related to something they're studying?
viii) the 3 or 4 weeks prior to exams are spent reviewing what they've learned -- seems to me they only learn new material for a few weeks out of every school year!!
vii) my younger child said a few weeks ago "i've figured out what school is about now. we learn something one term and review it the next".

viii) "reading comprehension" consists of copying words correctly and precisely in the same order as in the text.... there is no real "comprehension" required (in the sense of interpreting texts). My other child was marked down on a test for answering a question by writing something like "she likes to discover new things" rather than "she likes to find things out (the relevant phrase apparently being "find out" rather than "discover"????!?!?!?!?!?!!)

They are only 8 and 10 and already feeling bored by school. I remember loving school throughout the primary years. If it weren't for the positive social aspects of school, I'd be very, very tempted to try home education!!!

Does anyone know of a school (in or near London) where teachers are creative and actually TEACH? Where children are encouraged to enjoy learning?

My daughter loves school and learns so much I don't know how it fits in her wee head.

We are in Italy.

I do agree about too many worksheets though.

whysoboring no our curriculum would definitely be described as "creative", (perhaps original and imaginative would be a better description) it just isn't from a pseudo creative package that would bore the pants off me if I had to teach it year after year after year [yawn].

Mrz we took on the IPC (at a cost of £12,000!) and it's been a pain in the arse. The ideas are all obvious, there is no planning so we still have to do it all ourselves and there are no resources. Also, the ICT is dull and repetitive (research x, research y then research z). I'm all for a topic based curriculum, but I really don't think the IPC is worth £1,000, never mind 12.

As for peer assessment- that is one tool of Assessment For Learning, which is/ was a Big Thing a few years ago. In fact, I wrote my dissertation about how it impacts progression. When done properly, peer assessment allows children to understand their own steps to success; they can then begin to set realistic, achievable targets with the aid of their teacher. They feel more involved in their own progress and can highlight what they can do well and what they need to work on. Lots of schools do this by 2 stars and a wish. The children should set a list of success criteria, guided by the teacher, before they start their work, then use this list to help them assess their own learning. Theoretically.