teaching

School report

| skwarepegrowndhole

So, GCSE and A-level results have been & gone. The media (online and print) have made their comments, and not all of those comments have been positive, some of which I wrote about last week (link here).

Successive governments have promised to ‘fix the system’, which is an admirable aim, but successive governments have not done this, and I doubt the white paper on more educational reforms due next month with be full of ideas that will make much of a difference. I will write about this when it comes out, and if I am wrong, I will hold my hands up and admit it.

I strongly believe that the main reason why education isn’t getting better, and for many, including the square pegs, it is getting worse, is for two main reasons. The first is that education is now monetised. The amount of government funds it costs to educate a young person from 5 – 16/18 needs to be repaid in the amount of tax that young person will contribute to society from when they finish their education to when they retire. The second is that the educational reforms are not driven by teachers, students or people in the classroom. They are decided and driven by politicians and civil servants.

I’ll talk about monetisation first. I fully accept that there isn’t a magic money tree, and that governments can’t keep borrowing more and more money. However, I don’t think that each piece of the government purse needs to be looked at individually. Education and the NHS are intrinsically linked. There is a mental health crisis in the UK, especially among under 25s. The waiting lists for CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services) are colossal. In 2022/23, almost one million children were referred to CAMHS, which is 8% of the child population. Of these, over 270,000 were still on the waiting list, and over 370,000 had their referral closed before they could get support – this may be because their parents paid for private support, because they reached 18 and were no longer eligible for CAMHS and would now have to access adult services, because they moved or missed an appointment, or for other reasons. Over 40,000 young people had been waiting for more than 2 years (the source of all of this is available here).

If we improved education so that it didn’t have such a negative impact on many young people’s mental health and well being, if we had more staff trained to spot the early signs of depression, anxiety, OCD, eating disorders etc, and if schools were more ND/Square peg friendly, this would reduce the amount of young people struggling and seeking help from CAMHS. The amount of children home schooled (EHE – elected home educated) or EOTAS (educated other than at school) is also increasing, another sign that the current education system does not meet the needs of all our young people.

We don’t need education reform, we need a complete overhaul of the system. Despite increased testing throughout school (I’ll come onto this in a moment), over 40% of those taking English and maths exams this summer did not get a grade 4 or above (grade 4 is the equivalent of a C grade with the old marking scheme & O-levels). Either the testing is wrong, or the education system is not geared up for 40% of young people taking exams. Now, not everyone is capable of passing 3 maths papers and 2 English papers. Not everyone will get to the grade 4 standard, however we assess them. But something needs to change so that more people are not held back by being part of that 40%. Maths and English passes are needed for so many future opportunities, from achieving a level 3 or higher apprenticeship, to some vocational qualifications (vet nursing and farriery are two), for teacher training, for university and more. I have taught some amazing people who worked in residential children’s homes or care homes. They were fantastic at their jobs, and they were respected within their teams, but because GCSE or Functional Skills exams were difficult for them, they could not achieve their level 3 qualification.

Repeated testing from KS1 (age 5-7) all the way through school to GCSEs and level 3 qualifications will not improve how young people learn. As a biologist, I know that there is no such thing as an average human, and even more so when we look at young people. We do have average milestones, and if a baby or toddler is very late reaching one or more, that can be a cause for concern, but all people learn and develop at different rates. Both of my children, for example, were out of nappies months before their second birthday, but didn’t sleep through the night til they were 3 or more. A friend’s son slept through from about 6 months, but was in nappies til he was almost 3. My children are no better or worse than hers, they just developed differently. Testing little children for how they hold a pencil, how long they can sit still, if they can spell their name, if they can read 10 high frequency words and then keeping these results is, in my opinion, worth very little. Teachers, TAs and nursery nurses do need to keep track and make sure that children are learning, but this can, and should, be learning through play, conversations, games and stories rather than teaching them to hit milestones.

As we move up into KS2, the end goal is SATs that are taken at the end of year 6, just before secondary school. These assess English, maths and science, not how well an 11 year old can hold a conversation, or how well they understand the world around them, or how amazing they are with their hobby. More assessments through KS3, and then formal assessments at 16. More and more testing and teaching to benchmarks obviously isn’t working for over 40% of young people as they are not hitting the benchmarks at 16.

What’s the answer then? Well, I think the first step in education is to start with developing a love of learning, and learning for pleasure and to find out interesting things, rather than being taught how to regurgitate information in a test. We then need to make lessons fun – for the teachers as well as the students – so that inquiry and desire for more information grows. At that point, there is a purpose to writing and reading, and numbers start to matter (how tall was a T-rex, how many goals did Harry Kane score last season, for example). Once there is a purpose to the fundamentals, there will be a motivation to develop them and master them.

If I was to grade the education system in the UK, I would give it a 3 (or a low D). There are some good parts, there are some outstanding classroom staff, but, as a whole, it isn’t hitting benchmarks and must do better.

Don’t believe the hype….

| skwarepegrowndhole

This is the weekend between Level 3 (A-levels, T-levels, BTECs) and Level 2 (GCSE, BTECs) results, and for families who are waiting for both sets, you have my deepest sympathies!

Since Thursday morning, the media (social, online and print) has had stories about how this year’s results compare to previous years, and how many students are about to head off to university. The main headlines have been how the results are up this year, and the number of entries achieving A* or A is up for the second year, as are the top grades for T-level (Technical levels are a relatively new qualification) and other vocational level 3 quals (such as BTECs).

This all makes further education/sixth form education sound great, they’ve all done amazingly well, so congrats to them, and the Department for Education is amazing too as the top grades are up again.

It’s not that simple, and these stories about higher grades and getting university places can make the world seem a little darker if you or a teen you look after didn’t get higher grades, and hasn’t been able to find a place at university. I feel your pain right now. We went through this 10 years ago, and it was tough. The headlines don’t matter if your house can’t share the joy, and although alternatives may be found that actually carve out a better path, it might not feel like that right now. Things will all work out, the sun will shine again, but for now, take time to breathe, and sit with them in the shade until they’re ready to see the sunlight again.

To repeat myself, it’s not as simple as higher grades this year that are building on the higher grades from last year. It’s more complicated than that. In 2020 and 2021, A-level and GCSE grades were not generated by the exam boards:

2020 – teacher grades that then got fed into an algorithm that looked at the school, the area and previous results and came up with grades that were heavily criticised by schools and students.

2021 – centre assessed grades that were more rigorous and subject to scrutiny, and although still not perfect, were better than 2020.

In 2022, students went back to formal exams and assessments, but the marking took into account the previous 2 Covid years, and so results were higher as the marking was kinder.

In 2023, in England (this was not the case in the other nations) assessments went back to pre-Covid marking, and in 2023, A-level grades dropped from the previous 2 Covid years. Purely anecdotal, but my son’s cohort all got at least one grade lower than predicted in each subject.

So, in 2024 in England, the results were higher, and were back to pre-Covid levels in England, which isn’t really a surprise as the GCSE and A-level results were not taken in lockdown years, and this year the results are slightly higher again – but not as high as the press would maybe have you believe from their headlines. In 2023 26.5% of entries achieved A or A*, and in 2025 it was 28.2%. So a rise of less than 2% over 2 years. In Wales the top grades have dropped by 0.4%, and in Northern Ireland, they have increased by 0.1%. Not exactly anything for the press to shout about – but well done to all of those who got these grades, you have plenty to shout about.

Information about the inequality gap has also been a little vague in the press. This year more boys than girls achieved the higher grades (9.8% compared to 9.1%), but boys were also more likely to achieve lower grades (21.2% compared to 18.5% of girls), and I only heard one news article mentioning this.

More worrying for me, are the regional and school gaps. More young people in London, the East and the South Easter got the higher grades compared to the rest of the country, with the North East getting the smallest percentage of higher grades. The school you go to can also impact the grades you have, with students from independent or selective schools more likely to get the higher grades. That doesn’t mean that young people in comprehensives in Sunderland won’t get fantastic grades, it just means that you are more likely to get higher grades if you attend an independent school in London or the South East.

The media pick and choose which bits of information they post, and the same will happen on next Thursday as GCSE results are published. I predict similar regional variations, and similar sensationalising headlines.

At the end of the day, the young people getting their results this August are still part of the Covid generation. Their first years at secondary school were interrupted by lockdown and online learning. They missed out on face to face interactions, and so whatever their results may be, they are all amazing!

All grade information here was taken from https://ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2025/08/a-level-t-level-and-other-level-3-results-2025-the-main-trends-in-grades-and-entries/

Results day(s)

| skwarepegrowndhole

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, many 15-18 year olds will be on edge. The last 11+ years have all led to the moment when they open the email or go to school or log onto a portal. In that moment when they look at their results, they will know if they have been a success or a failure in education……..

Except, in the real work, that’s not how it works and that’s not how it ends. Headlines in the press and on social media about A-level and then GCSE results being up or down, about a north/south/east/west divide and how girls or boys have been better or worse this year are there to make us believe that this is it. Whatever those results, they will follow us and haunt us for the rest of our lives – but they won’t.

Education is becoming more and more monetised. A Government document released earlier in July this year is titled ‘Key Stage 2 attainment and lifetime earnings’ (link here) and in it, the levels in KS2 SATs are linked to what that 11 year old may earn in their lifetime. What a load of rubbish, and how awful to have a report that looks at SATs results and how much tax these CHILDREN may pay in their lifetimes. Nothing about happiness, health, mental well being or anything important, just their potential lifetime earnings. There will be similar research out there for GCSE/level 2 results and A-level/level 3 results, and these obviously will include Scottish Nationals and Highers.

Young people’s exam results matter – I am not saying they don’t. What happens over the next year or two will be directly influenced by their results. University, apprenticeships, work, college places may all depend on the numbers of A, B Cs and 9-4s, but life does go on if the required grades don’t appear on the results slip.

What we need to do as we approach results days (and apologies to any readers in Scotland, this is a week too late, I will do better next year) is be there for our young people. I’ll write a more detailed post about what to do if the grades for uni haven’t been met and publish this on Wednesday, but as a general rule, be there for them. Let them feel whatever feelings they are experiencing. Do not berate them or tell them off – what’s done is done. You can’t rewind time, you can’t change the outcome, you can’t shout at the teachers. What you can do, is offer them unconditional love and support, and then, when they’re ready, help them to decide what comes next, be that resits, a different uni course, alternative employment or a year out.

Sometimes getting unexpected results is a good thing. Results that are better than expected can open more doors, and results that are less than expected can open new doors, and both of these can lead to more opportunities. I have personal experience of this (my A-level grades were not what was expected) and also as a parent, and I know it can be tough.

Whatever the results, and whatever way your young people have experienced education (Academy, LEA state school, private school, special school, AP, college, home school, unschool, online school or something else), they’ve done it. At 16 they are through primary and secondary, and they have the freedom to choose school, college, employment or apprenticeships, and at 18 they are done with formal education. Whatever their results day brings, they’ve done it their way, and you should be incredibly proud.

post 18 support

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This is a positive post – but I am aware that not everyone will have had our experience of post 18 support.

First of all, I need to clarify that our youngest has not had an EHCP. I did query this when he got his ASD diagnosis, but we decided not to pursue this for various reasons, although I was a little worried that our decision may become something we regret later.

I was warned when our youngest was in Year 13 and we were pushing for more support in exams that it would be harder for him to get support at university, and that he already had a lot of exam support. The amount of support, to be honest, is irrelevant. Our youngest is very clever and academically able, so the support is there to allow him to fulfil his potential.

The ‘extra’ that we were asking for was a room on his own. During GCSEs and centre assessed grades (CAG), he was in a room with other year 11s who had learning support. He was distracted by them writing, typing, sighing, having rest breaks, finishing before him, scribbling on the paper and tapping on the desk, to name a few. I had to email the then SENCo to ask for the distractions to be taken into account when the papers were marked. I have no idea if this happened, but A-levels were marked by the exam boards, and no dispensation was offered last year. They were back to pre-covid examinations, standards and marking.

When I found out that another learner had been offered a room on their own for their A-levels, I got a little stroppy. I emailed the SENCo several times, to no avail, and then ended up emailing the form tutor, who was the one who told me about universities. To be frank, university access arrangements meant nothing if we didn’t get the right support for these exams because if he didn’t get the grades, he wouldn’t be going anyway.

More emails were sent, now to the deputy head, and finally a reply from the SENCo, a phone call, and then the room on his own for most exams was agreed. Not quite what I had asked for. Fast forward to the penultimate exam, and the room on his own was disturbed by teens running past the room and disturbing him. Another phone call or two, lots of angry emails, and the final exam went ok.

Even before results day, his first choice of university got in touch and invited him to a SEND day in July. We went (parents invited too), and it was a fabulous, inclusive day. Results day came, and he got the grades he needed.

As I wrote last time (link here), we’ve been through a rollercoaster of emotions since September, but the first exam has been and gone – and it was so much smoother than school. He was told by the disability services that his reader would be in touch before the exam, and there would be time to meet up in person or online before the day if needed, but to email and just go through his needs. He didn’t want to meet up, but emailed what he wanted in the exam. He arrived in time, had the room on his own, extra time, coloured paper and a reader/prompt who did exactly as he asked.

We (and I say we as it’s him with us supporting all the way) are only at the end of the first semester, but the support has been outstanding. Lecturers have taken the time to answer questions and make adjustments where possible, getting the right exam support was so much easier than school, and the specialist ASD mentor and study skills mentor have both been amazing.

So far, post 18 support has been everything he wanted, and has been much easier to get than I was expecting – long may it continue!

where i am right now

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It occurred to me over the weekend, that sometimes the pieces all suddenly begin to come together, and everything that you’ve been through – all the battles, the highs, the lows, the sleepless nights, the reading, the advocating, the tears and everything else – has led you all to where you are right now.

I have taught for the last 21 years – in fact it must be 21 years this month since I started teaching for just one morning a week alongside the last term of my undergrad degree. When I started, I had the vocational experience needed to teach at FE level, but I had no teaching skills. In all honesty, in that first term, I winged it. I tried to embody all of the good teachers I had ever had and none of the bad, and I think it worked! I loved it from my first lesson – and from that first lesson I have always tried to get my students, whatever age they may be, to like learning.

My first head of department was the most inspirational manager I have ever have (& if you’re reading this Mike, I mean that completely). He told us that it was an honour and a privilege to be able to teach teenagers. They let us into their lives, and is was up to us to live up to this and do the best we could. He believed, and still believes, that if you have the opportunity to teach teens, you should never be dull or uninspiring. If that’s you, then you’re in the wrong profession. He was right.

I knew very little about SEND when I started teaching. I knew that our eldest (at that time our only) was a bit of a handful and there was something. I didn’t know the terms neurotypical and neurodiverse then either, but if I had, I would have known that our boy was ND. My journey as a SEND parent was hand in hand with my journey to today, where I seem to specialise in ND or SEND students. Both my teacher and my parent hat complimented each other, and both helped me when wearing the other – if that makes sense.

From teaching the wide range of students that you get in vocational courses, I could identify things that maybe weren’t quite expected in my own children, and my journey with my own children has definitely helped me to become a better teacher. I have also seen parents and children let down by the system, I have seen people accept the first thing they were told when actually that was wrong, I have seen teens see their diagnosis as something bad, or something to fight against. I have cried on the way home from work because I can’t change the world for my students, and I have cried at home because I can’t change the world for my own children.

Today, I still advocate for my children, even though they are now young adults. I still see teaching teens as an incredible honour and privilege. I can’t change the world for my children or for my students, but I can give them everything I can to make the world a little bit easier. I can inspire them to learn, to believe in themselves, and to sparkle and shine.

Today I feel incredibly lucky to have my boys – they are two amazing individuals who make my world a better place. Today I feel lucky that I have a job I love, and teens who inspire me as much as I hope I inspire them.