The Past

1. Had a dreadful reputation
2. Teachers didn’t want to work
3. Parents didn’t want to send their children there
4. Children  played truant from school
5. It was a failing school
6. No one valued anything about school
7. Children were being bulled
8. There was a  chaos in the classrooms

The Present

Elaine Atkins was appointed head teacher. – achieved the impossible

1. She called a meeting of all the students, staff and parents
2. Put some key issues to the vote
3. Made them feel they were the part of what was going to happen
4. She introduced school uniform (the vast majority supported her); it is an environment where there’s discipline and sense of pride; a symbol that they are limits and that students are all part of the same community
5. They know now what the rules are and they know they’ll be enforced
6. There’s much less bullying now
7. She has introduced a large number of after-class activities. None of them are compulsory. The student don’t feel they’re being forced (they can choose from sports, aerobics, photography, pottery, drama, dance classes)
8. Regular school trips (which are educational and a lot of fun; a great chance to know each other better)
9. They look forward to coming to school because it is teaching them loads of things they need. They have a great time while they are there. Mrs. Atkins has changed all their lives
10. They owe her a lot

Classic school

1. Private school, didn’t see much of the family, except the holidays

2.      Worked very hard even on Saturdays

3.      Didn’t have free time during the week

4.      There are a lot of rules

5.      The teachers are strict but very helpful. If you fall behind they’ll go over the material with you; help students catch up with your work at weekends

6.      Study and discipline are important

7.      You have to wear a uniform

8.      At weekends – getting together and having some fun

Alternative school

1.      School differs from most school

2.      An old house in the country

3.      Only sixty students

4.      Living together as a big family

5.      Seeing real families in the holidays

6.      No need to go to lessons; just going to teachers and asking for help

7.      No strict rules of punishments (pupils decide rules and punishment themselves)

8.      If kids feel like it they can play all day

9.      Lots of activities at school you could take up sport, painting, acting.

10.  The school is democratic; the students are free (complete freedom)

11.  Everything is decided at the school meetings

12.  Everyone can vote. Each student has the same vote as the teachers

13.  Students are under no pressure at all to attend lessons; life is full of all kinds of challenges

1. It is not my favorite subject
2. I find it quite hard
3. The teacher has a way  of calming us down when we have too much work to do
4. She teaches  us to look at problems as challenges
5. She thinks that  children can’t be responsible
6. She trust us to try our best
7. We feel like she respects us
8. Being a teacher can be quite stressful; it’s not easy trying to get some students to understand things they aren’t really interested in
9. She always keep her cool, where some teachers get angry, she just calmly explains to us why the work we are doing is important
10. She never raises her voice, neither do the students
11. The lessons are relaxing
12. She is quite good at taking something complicated and making it seem simple
13. Though it is my least favorite subject at school I quite like a teacher
14. I manage to pass the exam because of her but I don’t like a subject
15. Watching films
16. Teachers are allowed to be more friendly
17. Kids are always doing projects
18. Students are expected to study hard and are expected to get a place at one of the best universities

1. The panic most of students feel trying to get everything done in time
2. So irritating to go through the work we have done at home each lesson
3. Too much to learn
4. The teacher gets often angry
5. Too much extra work
6. We think school is not the place for such kinds of teachers
7. Corporal punishment
8. Suspending from school