The SATs results are out, some people in education are happy some are sad, some don't care anymore ( I think those people are few and far between) and some are already at the pub! I have had a truly miserable day. In my previous post I said that i am usually optimistic, try to inspire and love my job. But today I have been challenged beyond belief and as I sit here writing this I have already discussed with my headteacher what my next career move could be. A florist or coffee shop is currently top of the list.
Our results are not great, in fact they are pretty miserable viewing, but what has shocked me more than them are is the fact that they have come as a complete shock and i just don't know what more we as a school could have done. Our year 6 teacher is currently on her knees. She has worked harder than anyone i know. The children, lets not forget them, have worked tirelessly. but still it is not good enough. The questions have to be asked, i accept that, but i know we have done as much as possible.
What I am finding soul destroying is all the other "stuff" that will not be measured in these results. the fact that we have produced well rounded children, despite some of them having rocky starts in life. We have year 6 children who can debate, who can argue their point passionately, children who cared about the EU referendum because they knew it mattered. We have children who have gained confidence and can now perform on stage, we have children who have read a good book and want their teacher to read it too (and can give the reasons why). We have children that can compete in sporting competitions to a high level, who are polite enough to ask me how my day is going and who i genuinely care about! These children will get good results in their GCSE's, these children will get good jobs because they are well rounded citizens and because their teacher has done an amazing job with them, however we are expected to tell a large majority of them that they have failed. That does not sit comfortably with me.
So as I sat with the teacher at the end of the day, I had no words of wisdom for her, I had no inspiration for her and I had no silver linings. They have gone, vanished, disappeared! She is penning her letter to Nicky Morgan, the main theme being - you have won! well done you have destroyed education and you have lost another great teacher. And to me that is devastating, she is awesome, I look up to her, I have bucket loads of respect to her and she is my friend, yet she will leave and I know this will be soon. That makes me so sad. Nicky Morgan, Michael Gove, you have won! But yet you don't have to be the ones to tell parents and children that they have failed.
I don't deny that it will get better, that this will pass over, that I will find the silver linings once more, but today I just feel sad. I am not sure I want to be part of a system that to do well in the tests, to be judged as a successful school we have to drill the kids! That is not why I love the job I do...loved the job.
On the plus side Wales are in the semi finals... see I can always find a positive.
