I spent my last day in Rhondda Cynon Taf at Oaklands Primary School today. They are getting ready for an inspection on Monday… good luck all!

Years three and four came up with a brilliant idea for what to take to show and tell day on another planet, following up the theme in Ricky Rocket and a present from Earth. One girl, who turned out to be a bit of a bibliophile and would be author, suggested taking a book. So obvious, I never thought of it before. What a great example of Human technology – all the other aliens would be really impressed – it even works without batteries.

Some of years five and six were intrigued by my graphite stick and stayed behind to have a go themselves. I’m always asked what it is I use to draw with and the children are always surprised that it is a block of pencil. They always love the way it fills large areas when I draw on the side of the block.

I’ll admit it – I’m very tired at the end of the week, but it has been fascinating having such an intense experience in five different schools. Each school is quite different and, as ever each group is entirely different, depending on the dynamic of how it is made up. How any government or education department could ever think that one system could ever fit every school staggers belief.

Wales dropped the year six Sats a few years ago now, and the difference between Welsh and English schools is very evident in the more relaxed atmospheres of staff rooms and the amount of creative work to be seen displayed around the place. The sooner we drop Sats in England and drop the manic Thatcher/Blair curriculum the better.

Thanks for a great day and enjoy the inspection!