Everyone had to write in pencil (apart from on mini whiteboards). We had a different book for each subject, and these books always stayed at school (until the end of the year).

 

We stayed in the same class from Yr 1 to Yr 6, and each class had one teacher who would teach them all subjects. The teacher for each class would change in September every year. The school year in England runs from September to July, with the end of July and the whole of August off as a summer holiday.

 

I didn’t get a lot of homework at primary school. We had to read every evening at home and fill in a special reading record, but that was the main thing. Everything else was mainly creative.

 

We had a School Council, which I was a member of most years from when I started school.

 

Parents’ Evening happened once a year - parents would book an appointment to come and talk to their child’s teacher.

 

I used to bring a packed lunch from home (normally an apple, a sandwich, biscuits, a yoghurt and juice), but some of my friends had hot dinners. At lunch, the children would sit either in the hall (for hot dinners) or the classroom (for packed lunches), and the dinner ladies would make sure everyone was behaving! 

 

At break time, everyone would go outside into the playground, where we would play different games like ‘It’.

 

Sports Day happened once a year in the summer. Many of my friends enjoyed Sports Day, but I must admit that I always secretly hoped it would rain as I didn’t enjoy playing sport very much.

 

About once a week, we would have assembly, where the entire Key Stage (Key Stage 1 is Yrs Reception to 2, and Key Stage 2 is Yrs 3 to 6) would sit in the hall and learn about something or listen to the headteacher. Headteacher’s Award stickers were given to children who had worked particularly hard that week, and I used to sit in anticipation always hoping it would be me! At the end of term, we would have another, longer assembly, where the headteacher would give out certificates for achievement during the school term.

 

As I was in a Catholic school, we also had a strong liturgical aspect to our school life. Hymn practice happened every Thursday afternoon, and a prayer would be said before lunch every day. All assemblies would also involve time for prayer and reflection.

 

Sometimes we would go on school trips - for me, the most memorable trip was in Yr 6 (my final year), when the whole year group went to stay at a place called Fairthorne Manor for five days.

 

Although I loved primary school, I was very excited to move onto secondary school.

 

My secondary school was another Catholic school, and so many of the liturgical aspects carried across from primary school. It is an all-girls school from Yrs 7-11, and there are very few boys in the Sixth Form. I stayed all the way from Yr 7 to 13.

 

Our uniform consisted in a light blue shirt (and stripy blue tie in the winter), a navy pleated skirt and a navy jumper with the school logo.

 

The main differences between primary and secondary school included the fact that we had a different teacher for each subject, and a lot more homework. We also had to change classrooms for every lesson, whereas in primary school, we always stayed in the same classroom for the whole year. As well as this, we did not always study with the same people: our classmates varied for some subjects.

 

Secondary school brought more freedom to choose extra-curricular activities to participate in at lunchtimes and after school.

 

Yrs 10 and 11 are dedicated to preparing for GCSEs, which are the qualifications you receive at the end of secondary school. I took 11 GCSEs, 7 of which were compulsory, and 4 of which I chose.

 

When I joined the Sixth Form (Yrs 12 and 13), I studied 4 subjects in the first year, and 3 in the second year. I studied for A-Level exams, although students in the UK can also choose to study for different qualifications or begin an apprenticeship at this age. This is the point in the education system where English students begin to have much more freedom over what they study.

 

The sixth formers at my school have their own common room, which is separate from the lower school. I enjoyed being able to take on a leadership role in my school at this age.

 

I am currently studying Philosophy and French at St John’s College, Oxford. I have to work very hard at university, as there is a lot to be done, but I enjoy it very much. I don’t have to wear a uniform every day, but I do have to wear a special uniform called ‘sub fusc’ for exams, which includes a white shirt, black skirt, a black ribbon (which girls wear instead of a tie) and a gown.

 

University is not really like school, because there is a lot of independent study – you are responsible for your own learning in a significant way.

 

Reflecting back on my personal educational journey, I have realised that the school system in the UK has been preparing me to become independent my whole life. It is especially noticeable in the transition from GCSEs through to university: my first qualifications made me realise that I had to take charge of my own learning; A-Levels gave me the opportunity to practise this; my undergraduate degree requires me to be a real driving force in my own education.

 

My belief is that the UK system is generally well-equipped to cater for students with a strong interest in academic subjects. It encourages you to be creative in an art-based way at first, but then demands that your transfer your creativity into an academic channel later on. This works well for some, but far from all.

 

I am grateful to my schools and my teachers for shaping my worldview through all they have taught me. I have loved my educational journey, and I wouldn’t want to change it for myself. However, I still think that there is a lot to be done in the UK for those whose strengths lie outside of the traditional school subjects.