I never used to enjoy going back to work after holidays, but am raring to go this year. Well, sort of. Although we haven’t been anywhere and I’ve actually been working all summer, it hasn’t really felt like it. In truth, I’m anything but energised at the moment. But that doesn’t affect the desire to …
The start of the new school year may be a month away, but time has a habit of flying by. Particularly when it comes to getting everything organised for that all-important first day. It’s natural that all of this creates worries for all concerned. As part of its Trust Me, I’m a Teacher campaign, M&S …
Dylan experienced the dreaded Sats last week. He loves school and throws himself into each new topic with great enthusiasm. His English is excellent and his maths isn’t bad, so we weren’t worried about how he would do. Academically, at least. There was something noticeably different about him though. Without warning, he seemed bothered. He was quite …
Dylan seems to enjoy every subject at school but there’s one that is his clear favourite at the moment. History. He can’t get enough of it. He’s forever telling me things I ought to have known about the past. His ability to retain facts is amazing. As I was the same until parental sleep deprivation kicked …
Education has changed greatly since I was at school. The curriculum is much more structured and my sons know a hell of a lot more than I did at both their ages. It’s not all progress though. There is something that has become ‘a thing’ in recent years that’s driving me round the bend. Mud kitchens. They …
I’ve always been fairly obsessive about taking care of my possessions and not losing them. As a result, recent events have been a test of my resolve. Both Dylan and Xander have started losing school uniform with alarming frequency. I should have seen it coming last year when Dylan temporarily lost his hat on the school …
One of my earliest memories took place while I was at primary school. I can’t remember exactly how old I was, but I was very young. I could only have been in what is now reception or year one. While I can vividly remember the classroom it took place in, the main reason for it sticking …
It has been a long summer for Xander. He’s been looking forward to starting school for months but, thanks to the transition process, has had to be patient. Finally, though, the wait is over. He had his first day – well, half day – on Friday and seemed to enjoy it. The last couple of weeks …
Sometimes I wonder whether I’m becoming a grumpy old git before my time, but surely I can’t be alone in this particular “it wasn’t like this in my day” rant. I really don’t like the new way in which they do school photos. In case you’re one of the fortunate people out there whose children are still …
Something has been troubling me of late. It’s a problem that has only come into play since Dylan started at school, so I know where to point the finger for what follows. When he first went, he could barely scribble his own name but he can now read and write very capably and takes great …