My 16 year old finishes his exams and school Friday and I’m so excited! No more bloody school runs (we’re 3 miles from his school) no more bullies and no more shit teachers not giving a shit, not saying all teachers are crap btw, just some of his haven’t been very supportive!

EDIT: It’s 3 miles one way, not that I should have to explain, I could of moved them to another school but I gave them the option so they chose not to as we had to move but they were in year 10 and they didn’t want the extra stress since they have anxiety issues! And obviously, they’re going to college, didn’t feel the need to explain his educational life in great detail!!!

34 comments

  2. Is kid not going on to college or something? If they couldn’t get a bus to school how are they going to get to college/job/apprenticeship?

    I hate to say it, but just because school is over doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be transport or bully problems to come. 16 is not “Woo-hoo, grown-up!”

  3. Is he not going to college or sixth form or similar until he’s 18? Mostly more of the same with a bit more freedom.

  5. I remember being 16 years old and walking home after I’d picked up my GCSE results, the feeling of freedom was overwhelming, I’d imagine it’s how long term prisoners feel on release. Obviously I was glutton for punishment and went back the following Sept for A-lvls 🤣.

  7. Don’t know what your school has been like on non-exam days but ours had to go in. My daughter had loads of exams, she had a no-exam day, I told her to stay home. I messaged the school saying she would revise from home and rest in preparation for the following days exams and they sent a message saying ‘Well this will be marked as unauthorised, if the Head wanted the kids off today he would have authorised it for all blah blah blah’ – I just sent a thumbs up and smiley face back. Never had messages like that when calling in for her in 5 years and suddenly they are getting pissy about it? UnAuThOrIsEd LeAvE? Whatever man, she leaves next week, couldn’t give a shit.

  9. My daughter finishes next week Friday, I am so proud of her for trying her hardest with these GCSEs, Good Luck for all the year 11’s Class of 2023

  10. Got bullied all through school. I learned to not be so sensitive. Bullying wasn’t a problem after that. Bullies love to get a reaction, they get bored without you reacting.

    Sadly society now glorifies being sensitive. Then wonders why kids have “mental health issues”. If we taught our kids to toughen up then there wouldn’t be any issues.

    (also, 3 miles is well within walking distance or a bus. You drove them every day for 10 years?)

  12. He should dump all his school work and blazer into a bonfire, wrap the tie around his head like Mark Knopfler, and dance around the fire chanting lines from the Scottish play.

  14. I went to a terrible school too. I hated being there. This is back in the 90s. Computer lessons were a joke so I spent a lot of my teenage years bunking off and continuing to code. I left school at 16. It was the best thing I ever did. I was lucky to inherit some money, not a fortune but enough to have a good time. spent a lot of time skateboarding and getting stoned.

    The internet came along, learned so much.

    I didn’t even take my GCSE exams, let alone pass them. But I was in all the top sets and bands. I can do some fairly complex maths now. Enough to code 3D models from scratch

    Education should not be force fed to kids. It’s seems odd to me that there is still compulsory education. Some people look back at their time at school fondly. I certainly do not. Ville teachers. Two went to prison for having sexual relations with underage boys and girls. Not me thankfully.

    I guess I was lucky to have intelligence parents. My mum got me started early. I honestly don’t remember not being able to program. Apparently I started at 4 or 5.

    My first days at school I would take a science book. So I guess I missed out on all of that A is for apple stuff as a kid.

    Now I have more time. It would be nice to study for a degree in something different. But there is no rush.

  15. Somewhere there is a group of teachers saying the exact same thing about the exact same people 😂

  16. I went to boarding school for badly behaved children and I never wanted to leave because the world hated us.

  17. I ended up removing my eldest child for a lot of your reasons. She goes to a college that has a 14 – to 16 year old department. It’s been so much better. I have 2 more still at school and are going through all the above, still.
    Schools seem to be bothered about numbers, government statistics, etc. The students are an inconvenience if they are being bullied. They concentrate on the children who can keep up, so the others get further and further behind.
    It’s not the teachers’ fault. They have to compete with the government and department of education.
    Rant over.

  18. Absolutely! Last year I was so happy for my daughter leaving.

    She had zero friends and wouldn’t go into form/dinner/break – due to sitting in informal settings were everyone was chatting in groups with mates, while she was sat alone feeling awkward. School were determined to get her into these communal areas, despite her attending every class, but not attending the general areas in her down time. They would find her hiding in the library/toilet etc and try to drag her into the dining room (she would never eat – she was too nervous) and not allow her to sit in pastoral for some reason.

    Then she started coming into school late so she could avoid class registration and go straight into first lesson, so they would put her in detention every week. There she was a lonely kid, sitting by herself every day, wearing a face mask – because she was so insecure, and in detention every week with all the trouble makers. She would ask to go into isolation because she liked sitting alone, when they refused, so she would turn up at isolation telling the teachers she had been send there (she hadn’t)! And put herself in there for a day until they clocked on that she didn’t have an official punishment and drag her back out!

    They even threatened her to stay out of the library because she would try to hide there every dinner and the librarian kept telling her to stay out, and that she would be in trouble if a book went missing – when it was obvious this kid was just hiding and not stealing bloody books. And she wasn’t allowed to hang in pastoral, but for some reason they couldn’t tell me why a lonely, nervous kid wasn’t allowed to hang there. What else it is for?

    So glad she has left there. Last year was a fucking nightmare. She is doing better now. Happier at college, and got a job as a receptionist. Life has got much better for her I’m happy to report. All the best to you and yours OP X

  19. I’m dreading the last day, lots of tears I’m sure.
    It’s not been easy for my child either. They have special needs.
    I’ve fought for help the whole time. Changed schools even though I was warned not to and finally with an EHCP got my child into the best special needs school I could and they have thrived ever since so no, I’m not excited.
    Change will be harsh on my child.
    Going to college will be a challenge and I will still be doing the school run come September. At least it won’t be the 48 miles I’m doing now but it’s been so worth it for the best school.

  21. I could not wait to leave school back in 2000, after my last exam, only had to go in at a pre-set time and date to return any text books etc.

    After that GCSE certificate evening in December 2000, the last time nearly the whole year group were together with the form tutors of our year group.

  23. But then you go from shouting at them to get up for school, to shouting at them to get up and look for a job/go to work.

    What is the difference? lol

  24. School is like half the reason I don’t want children.

    I wouldn’t be able to stand by and watch my child being bullied.

  25. My 16yo has just left secondary as well. It’s such a weird feeling just now.

    He struggled all through primary until he was eventually diagnosed at 10 with adhd and autism, I dreaded him going to secondary with all the noise and chaos of changing classes every hour I just couldn’t see how he would cope with it. He flourished, which was a total relief.

    Now it’s all over, no more feeling of dread whenever my phone rang during school hours, no more fights in the morning to get him out the door, no more being on first name terms with teachers because I saw them as much as my child did.

    So glad it’s all over, relief he made it out the other side, so proud he’s turned out to be a wonderful human being despite all the trouble he had and feeling like an old fart because I now have two fully fledged adults at home

  26. > no more bullies and no more shit teachers not giving a shit

    Oops, unfortunately bullies exist in every facet of life and so do figures of authority who are useless.

    If they were having these problems at school, they’re going to have them in the wider world too.

  27. I am made up for you. The look of sheer joy when my lad finished and it was the last day the bastards could grind him down.
    He flourished in college and was the best thing for him.

    I hope your child feels the same. I’m excited for you both xxx

  28. My daughter has her last exam today, and is looking forward to a long summer but going back afterward for A levels.

    To be fair, the school have been great while she’s been through the wringer with her mental health the past few years. Although she’s still waiting for her assessment for ASD, they’ve provided support with allowing her to sit exams in the quieter smaller room etc regardless.

    My son on the other hand isn’t getting on so well there. They are sticklers for rules, so he’s been getting multiple detentions every week for some things that seem a bit OTT to me (drawing on his hand, walking the wrong way to a class…).

    It’s the best available school in the region though ( an early independent ‘foundadion’ type) and is only surpassed by grammar and private schools. I encourage them to toe-the-line as I went to a shitty state high school that was rough as fuck, and my boomer parents dngaf about my education, so I was lucky to leave there with the mediocre gcse results I got and no criminal record.

  29. Ex teacher for 40 yrs. Secondary school doesn’t suit everyone. It’s a bit of a factory just to get the logistics done: 5 lessons a day in bits of learning. Fundamentally stupid but necessary. Of course we add onto this in the UK with utterly futile very expensive exams at 16. Few other countries do this. Time in the future for AI to be kids’ personal teachers. That said, there will be a need for health and social development in groups and teens aren’t great if they aren’t socialised.

  30. Mine’s starting on that particular lengthy journey next year.

    I was really looking forward to not paying nursery fees before the wife dropped the (somewhat accurate) clanger: “yeah but it’ll still be just about as much in after school clubs etc”.

    And yes – I’m *absolutely dreading* the prospect of bullying. I think it’ll break my heart. I like to think I’ve got some decent advice to give but probably not.

  32. Gawd some of the replies here… lighten up people.

    OP I wish your son all the best for the future. Leaving school can be a very exciting time when you’re 16, you feel like you have a bit more control over your life, more responsibility. It’s one step closer to becoming a proper grown up (what ever one of those is… in my 30’s and I’m still not sure!).

  34. I feel you, my 16 leaves school today. I have one still in secondary and two ready to start primary but the 16yo has had such a hard few years and the correspondence with school has got more and more strains as situations have continued. We are both more than ready for this chapter to end and a new chapter to start.

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