Do you go to a private school? An all-girls school? Or maybe no school at all? We talked to readers about their education experiences...
Bethany says:
I go to a catholic school. Some people think that we only get taught by nuns... that's not the case at all, although there are two nuns in the school! Again, people think we have to pray in every lesson, when actually we just do a daily prayer in our form at the start of the day. Lots of people aren't even religious... if you're not catholic, you still attend masses and prayers, but you don't have to take part. I'm not catholic - I chose this school because it specialises in the Performing Arts. We do annual school musicals, and there are choirs and drama clubs too. We do a GCSE in Expressive Arts and I've loved doing that!
Scarlett says:
I was bullied at primary school and when I started secondary I was really, really nervous. I get really shy around new people so I found it hard to start with, but I've been there three years now and it's amazing - I can't believe I was ever scared at all! It's a private school and we even have our own chapel and swimming pool! The uniform is pretty strict... white shirt, top button done up, tucked in, tie on and up, skirt not above the knees, jumper, blazer, hair tied back... you get the picture. The teachers are strict but fair - well, actually, some are just strict!
Cara says:
I go to an all-girls school. It's very strict but it's like a second home to me now because it holds some of the coolest friends and teachers ever. There is no playground equipment outside so we learned to develop an imagination from very early on!
It's kinda fun having no boys around as we can just be ourselves and if anyone is having a bad-hair day... well, who cares? We're all there to support each other, and that's what makes it so cool.
Jess says:
I go to an all-girls grammar school with a mixed sixth-form. To get in, i had to pass a verbal reasoning test, so the teachers have quite high expectations of everyone. The uniform is quite strict, and it's not great - green and yellow. The teachers are strict too, but once you get to know them their sense of humour comes across more, although they're still pretty immovable on deadlines! The learning environment is better without boys - we don't get distracted by relationships - but being all-girls does mean people are constantly falling out! The thing I like though, is that everyone is genuinely prepared to learn.
Laura says:
I was home-schooled for 11-12 years and now go to college where I'm studying Level 2 Music. I've never been to an ordinary school - never worn school uniform, or worked until a bell went off, or had things interrupted by a fire alarm. I've never been on school trips, and never had homework... I was home-schooled with my sister, who is now at uni. Studying at home was the best and only experience I've known. Now I'm at college with fire-drills and homework... it's very different!
Hazel says:
Back home in England, I'd be in Year Seven now, but my brother and I have been homeschooled by our mom for all our life. It's the coolest thing ever! My brother and I get lots of time to practice our musical instruments - there are no bells going off to tell you have to stop, and we get to study the things WE want to study! There are some advantages to not following the regular school year. We can go on holidays whenever we want to, and my family have just moved out to California for a year. That would have been really hard if we were at a regular school, but because we study at home, it's one new thing we don't have to get used to!
What's YOUR school like? Would you prefer a strict uniform, an all-girls setting, a religious focus or lots of encouragement to work hard and excel in exams? Or a free, expressive, friendly atmosphere? Or... maybe no school at all? COMMENT HERE to tell us what YOU think!
I go to a catholic school. Some people think that we only get taught by nuns... that's not the case at all, although there are two nuns in the school! Again, people think we have to pray in every lesson, when actually we just do a daily prayer in our form at the start of the day. Lots of people aren't even religious... if you're not catholic, you still attend masses and prayers, but you don't have to take part. I'm not catholic - I chose this school because it specialises in the Performing Arts. We do annual school musicals, and there are choirs and drama clubs too. We do a GCSE in Expressive Arts and I've loved doing that!
I was bullied at primary school and when I started secondary I was really, really nervous. I get really shy around new people so I found it hard to start with, but I've been there three years now and it's amazing - I can't believe I was ever scared at all! It's a private school and we even have our own chapel and swimming pool! The uniform is pretty strict... white shirt, top button done up, tucked in, tie on and up, skirt not above the knees, jumper, blazer, hair tied back... you get the picture. The teachers are strict but fair - well, actually, some are just strict!
I go to an all-girls school. It's very strict but it's like a second home to me now because it holds some of the coolest friends and teachers ever. There is no playground equipment outside so we learned to develop an imagination from very early on!
It's kinda fun having no boys around as we can just be ourselves and if anyone is having a bad-hair day... well, who cares? We're all there to support each other, and that's what makes it so cool.
I go to an all-girls grammar school with a mixed sixth-form. To get in, i had to pass a verbal reasoning test, so the teachers have quite high expectations of everyone. The uniform is quite strict, and it's not great - green and yellow. The teachers are strict too, but once you get to know them their sense of humour comes across more, although they're still pretty immovable on deadlines! The learning environment is better without boys - we don't get distracted by relationships - but being all-girls does mean people are constantly falling out! The thing I like though, is that everyone is genuinely prepared to learn.
I was home-schooled for 11-12 years and now go to college where I'm studying Level 2 Music. I've never been to an ordinary school - never worn school uniform, or worked until a bell went off, or had things interrupted by a fire alarm. I've never been on school trips, and never had homework... I was home-schooled with my sister, who is now at uni. Studying at home was the best and only experience I've known. Now I'm at college with fire-drills and homework... it's very different!
Back home in England, I'd be in Year Seven now, but my brother and I have been homeschooled by our mom for all our life. It's the coolest thing ever! My brother and I get lots of time to practice our musical instruments - there are no bells going off to tell you have to stop, and we get to study the things WE want to study! There are some advantages to not following the regular school year. We can go on holidays whenever we want to, and my family have just moved out to California for a year. That would have been really hard if we were at a regular school, but because we study at home, it's one new thing we don't have to get used to!
What's YOUR school like? Would you prefer a strict uniform, an all-girls setting, a religious focus or lots of encouragement to work hard and excel in exams? Or a free, expressive, friendly atmosphere? Or... maybe no school at all? COMMENT HERE to tell us what YOU think!
My school has never been easy to settle in. Once you get used to things, they change the headteacher or invent a new rule that just throws everyone off course! My old headteacher was always laid back and planned fun stuff for us but he left after I finished Year 7. Then we got a new headteacher who used to work in a military school so now we have all these strict rules that made my year start acting up. Sometimes we barely get through a lesson cause of their disruption. Our school is Christian so we have to take RE for GCSE. I just hope we can get through a full RE lesson without somebody ruining it!
ReplyDeleteMy school is not strict at all. It is a Christian school next to St Richarias, our church and everyone is welcome. Blondie
ReplyDeleteShould be 'there are choirs and drama clubs' not "their". Sorry. I always wanted to be homeschooled as a child because I've never liked people and they hold me back. However - not to judge Mum's intelligence -she just doesn't have the knowledge of a teacher. Learning maths from someone who can't pronounce hypotenuse would be a rather scary prospect! My English would still be as impeccable as ever as Mum went to a grammar school. Although her grammar is faltering a bit now (she can't even tell the difference between a hyphen and a dash), I'm always there to keep her in line. I guess it's just an interest of mine. Whoops, I rhymed there. Sorry. My worst nightmare would be a Christian school. My old school had distinctly Christian undertones. In P6, the teacher made us recite the Lord's Prayer before we could leave. I never learned the words, I just mumbled along whilst rolling my eyes at how ridiculous it was. In secondary, we were given psalms books. I ripped the pages out and used them as firewood. We once had to attend church at Easter. My brother protested this to the headteacher on our behalf as we only had to go to church at Christmas usually. She replied that if we could get through church at Christmas, we could get through church at Easter. Clearly this was a pass to skip the Easter and Christmas services. We had a kick about in the street (we'd been planning to go to school and study but the teachers had cruelly locked us out) and, although we were never asked about our absence at the Easter service, the deputy head asked us why we were late at Christmas. We told him we weren't attending the church services anymore because we shouldn't have religion forced down our throats. Our mother had called up to explain this but apparently we still needed a note. No reasoning with some people.
ReplyDeleteMore irrelevant ramblings courtesy of Blue. :-)
Expectations: Girls school and a free,expressive,friendly atmosphere where I can get lots of encouragement to work hard and excel in exams. Home-schooling is stress-less and exciting. I'm currently studying in a mixed school. There are sure to be lots of adventures and we don't have detentions! YAY!
ReplyDeleteI've always dreamed of going to an all-girl boarding school, but I think it is rather expensive. I don't think my little brother would like me to go away, and my parents would miss me. I go to a public secondary school, it's awful there. I'm in top set but I don't think the work is hard enough. We have to use three languages in my school; English, Welsh and French. And we can only pick three subjects of our choices in year ten. :3
ReplyDeleteMy school is a total NIGHTMARE! All the teachers dislike me, I think it's because of my attitude to work, you see I'd rather much be reading a good book rather than finding out what the value of ''x'' is! I will be going to year 7 soon, and I didn't even get into the school I wanted to how am I supposed to like school THIS way?! I'm lucky we don't have to learn no other language, tho it's been a while since my teacher said something in French. However my best subject is Literacy, my teacher says I pay no attention what so ever but actually she doesn't know my passion for writing. Well anyway if we done art a bit more I think that would be a fav subject because I also have a passion for drawing. I have a pet bunny, I drew so many pictures of her! my room is cramped with photos of all the animals I have ever had! Anyway back to the main point. Maths! Yes, maths, another way to get your brain all mixed up! I just don't get why we need school, I have proof:
ReplyDeleteMusic: We have youtube.
Literacy: We're always typing on laptops and writing letters.
French: It's not like we're going to go to France and sing a french song!
History: They're dead anyway.
Geography: WE HAVE GOOGLE!!
Maths: We have to work out the time when our fav program will start.
SEE! We don't need school, it's not like I don't like education I just don't like school..
When ever i think of home schooling i think of having no friends is it like that?
ReplyDeleteHazel has answered below for you... I think the answer is definitely not! You can have great friends if you're home educated too... xxx
DeleteHome education is not about having no friends. I'm the one who wrote about it in this article, and I have loads of friends. Yes, you're not stuck with kids your age every day and are expected to be friends with them, but I go to(sorry, I'm in California now, haven't started anything yet) I went to lots of classes and clubs in England that I really enjoyed and I made friends in every one of them. Friends who are keeping in touch with me while I am in California for a year. If you do what you love doing by going to classes and clubs, then you should meet people who enjoy the same things as you do. When you have something in common, you have something to talk about, which is a great basis to start a friendship on. ♥
ReplyDelete