What I Wish I Could Say About School

'I have a discovered a place where I can be a person as much as I want and learn however and whenever suits me. My opinions are valued and people always ask my views as well as the views of the students who are cleverer than me, or better at working. When I go to a lesson I go to learn and to contribute to the learning of those around me. If I do not feel like learning I go somewhere else and do whatever I need to do to enjoy myself. Sometimes I visit the library, which is open at all times and where I can sit and read for a whole day if I want to, with no-one disturbing me.

'We wear what we want to. This means that we are always - or mostly - comfortable with what we are wearing, and we can feel happy and proud of ourselves for doing what we want to do. In winter this is especially good, and in summer too, because it means that if we are cold, we can put on a sweater that will keep us warm, and if we are too hot we can take it off. I can be whoever I want to be in my own clothes - but mostly of course I choose to be myself.

'I know all the teachers by name. We don't call them miss and sir. We call them by their first names and they know all of ours, because in a small class you learn quickly, and this makes it easier to think of them as friends, who you can ask for help and suggest things to and argue with. I love my teachers. They don't just stick to one subject - of course I have an English teacher, and a music teacher, and a textiles teacher, but the English teacher plays the guitar and so do a lot of people in my class and one day they all brought their instruments in and started playing. All subjects link to one another in some way and the teachers are always willing to answer an interesting question.

'When it snows we are allowed to go outside and play. When it's warm and sunny, lessons are held outside and we go for walks as we're being taught, and the science teacher will ask us about trees or birds and the English and music teachers will make up songs together.

'We do not have a marking system. If we did there would be children who did badly, and ones who did well, and we would hate each other. We are always allowed to speak back because how else are we supposed to make conversation?'