The head of Barrowford  primary school in Lancashire, Rachel Tomlinson,  sent a tender and unusual letter to pupils following their exam results. The children were told that the school was ‘very proud’ of their effort in the Key Stage 2 (KS2) tests, but stated that the school staff was concerned that these tests do not always assess all of what it that make each of them special and unique. The letter told children: “The people who create these tests and score them do not know each of you – the way your teachers do, the way I hope to, and certainly not the way your families do. They do not know that many of you speak two languages. They do not know that you can play a musical instrument or that you can dance or paint a picture. They do not know that your friends count on you to be there for them or that your laughter can brighten the dreariest day.”

Barrowford, a larger than average primary school, with 324 pupils on the roll, was rated ‘good’ in its most recent inspection reports in 2012. Inspectors praised the staff at the school for providing “a warm, welcoming environment that builds confidence and supports children to settle very quickly”. The school’s motto is “Learn to love, love to learn” and it aims to ensure are pupils are “rounded and grounded”, with the “ultimate goal” to “provide individuals with the ability to learn what we need to in whatever circumstances we find ourselves”.

Just over 14% of pupils do not speak English as a first language and 12.3% are eligible for free school meals: both figures under the national average. The school’s exam results have been slightly below average in recent years: last year 71% of pupils at KS2 managed to achieve Level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths, compared with 75% across England as a whole. This year’s KS2 results have not yet been made public.

As the letter was picked up around the world, some Twitter users pointed out the letter’s similarity to a research paper written by an American teacher and academic, Kimberley Hurd. In October last year Hurd wrote on her blog: “There are many more ways to be smart than what many schools are currently allowing. The current testing culture personally drives me crazy. It does not tell students that they matter. Tests do not always assess all of what it is that make each student special and unique. The people who create these tests and score them do not know each student the way I do, the way I hope to, and certainly not the way the families do. They do not know that some of my students speak two languages. They do not know that they can play a musical instrument or that they can dance or paint a picture. Doesn’t that matter more?”

Source: The Guardian, July 15th, 2015