Mosbourough Primary

We visited another primary school today about 5 minutes away.  The headteacher is good friend with Mr. Poole, they are actually retiring together after starting their teaching in 1972.  The headteacher gave us a tour of his school.  It is relatively new, just been built in 2001.  When you first walk inside, there is a touch screen sign in sheet.  You put your name in the computer and it prints you out a visitor's pass with your name on it.  Very "posh."  All of the students' artwork is displayed on the hallways.  The school is very brightly colored and happy.  They have a little over 400 students in this class, so it is twice as populated as Rainbow Forge.  The student's have a day called Big Writing Day.  They brainstorm "ambitious words" they can use about their topic and then write.  The work is displayed in the hallway.  Mosborough takes student handwriting very seriously, and it is apparent in the displays because each student has better handwriting than I do.  It is absolutely beautiful!  (Fun fact: the English call cursive "joint writing").

The school is currently practicing for their standardized testing, called the SATs.  We got to look at some of the practice booklets, and all of the questions are open ended.  The student must explain their answers or show their work or they won't receive credit.  There is no multiple choice whatsoever like our CRCTs.

The school also has themed weeks, like Outdoor Learning Week in June.  They spend the entire week conducting class outside.  There have gardens around the school, a pond to enjoy and explore, and a green house to grow vegetables.  The play area has different levels and areas, there is a social area, a football field, a blacktop, and a nature walk in the woods. 

The students truly seem to learn by discovery here.  At this school the students get a total of 1 hour and 40 minutes of lunch and play time.  It seems so laid back and unstructured, yet these students are bright, intelligent, and most of all in love with school.  They are much more motivated than some of the students in America.

I'm sure there are holes in England's education plan, and I'll be sure to report on it soon.  In the meanwhile, I'm just enjoying what I see :)