Your Voices
Views inspired by The Pearson School Report 2024
Driving positive change doesn’t happen in isolation, so we’re calling on all those involved in education to join the conversation about the Pearson School Report 2024 findings.
Your thoughts could be added here too...
Have your say via #PearsonSchoolReport on:
Why teach and why it matters
“Several times, I have been the only consistent, trustworthy adult in a child’s life. This in turn has led to huge changes in [their] self-esteem, resilience, attendance and wellbeing.”
- Primary SLT
“I never used to like mathematics, but my new maths teacher is very patient and creative, she uses my everyday life and real thing to explain the subject, that way I really began to love maths.”
- Secondary Student
“A child with poor attendance started to love school and attendance improved. She said it was because I believed in her and made her believe in herself.”
- Primary SLT
Understanding the challenges
“[Our biggest challenge? The] Impact of Covid on the socialisation of young people, who are lacking social skills previously we would have seen.”
- Secondary Classroom Teacher
"We've lost staff that we aren't able to replace. Key intervention roles have had to be cut. In a deprived area such as ours that extra pastoral responsibility falls on class teachers."
- Primary Classroom Teacher
“Huge class sizes and limited extracurricular opportunities, lessons disrupted by other pupils’ behaviour”
- Secondary Classroom Teacher
Rising to the challenges
“[We’re doing] everything we can. We are very forward thinking, so [we’re] trying to think ahead about SEND students, alongside engaging parents in as many different ways as possible –competitions, coffee mornings, zoom events etc.“
- Secondary Headteacher
“For pupil homelessness, our school helps parents with paperwork and directs them to resources and seeks donations for families in need of furniture, safe suitcases etc.”
- Primary Classroom Teacher
“Pastoral support, mental health support, PSHE, assemblies, form tutor support, parental support, time out passes, timetable changes, group changes, friendship support, homework club, extracurricular clubs"
- Secondary Classroom Teacher
Embracing opportunities
“[We’re creating] more opportunities for parents and carers to come in for positive reasons.”
- Secondary SLT
“[We’re] working to embed consistency in routine and expectation as part of culture, developing parental relationships as part of attendance [and] moved to a culture of coaching to support staff retention."
- Primary Headteacher
“[I’d like to see a] push to support teachers as much as possible”
- Primary Classroom Teacher
A closer look: digital
“How are we addressing the challenges? Use of AI to help reduce teacher workload.“
- Primary Middle Leader
“[Using a] laptop makes it easier for me.”
- Secondary Student
"An increased budget could also be used to update resources, such as books, dictionaries, computer equipment (for children’s use)."
- Primary Classroom Teacher
A closer look: curriculum
“[We’re] looking at working with local college and employers on alternative work-related curriculum for some 14 to 16 pupils.”
- Secondary Headteacher
“[I’d like] more funding to support a more diverse and relevant curriculum for all students that is tailored to the schools’ settings.”
- Middle Leader
“[I’d like] more openness in the curriculum and in qualifications to make schools feel like a place for everyone.”
- Secondary Middle Leader
