One of those mighty motorways that cut through the North Yorkshire Moors. This is rush hour….

It’s rush hour with Hawklad’s exams now. Two weeks of mayhem, 12 exams in 10 days. It’s an official slog now. That’s how it’s designed to be. Zero marks for coursework, everything on final exams. Exams squeezed into just a few weeks

Hawklad has officially got to the ‘hit the wall’ stage. He has really tried, tried to catch up on being out of the classroom for over two years. Tried to catch up that time, with let’s say ‘patchy’ support from school, over just a few weeks. Too much cramming, trying to force in so much information. And now, with two weeks of exams to get through, he is zonked out, brain fudged. He is still trying to learn, revise, but it’s not going in anymore.

It feels like running a marathon. At the starting line you stand with high hopes, focusing on running a great time. You set off and it feels ok. Then at some point, it all changes. It starts to hurt. After that it’s just about survival. The mind and body have gone. Any thoughts of a decent time have gone, it’s now about just trying to get to the finish line in one piece.

So one particularly bad day for Hawklad when he was tired, nothing was going in. He felt like he was going backwards. STUFF IT. We went for a drive on the Moors. Exams are supposed to be everything, but life goes on. Exam Rush Hour will never give you views like that.

32 thoughts on “Rush hour”

  8. That is a beautiful view, Gary. I’m glad you took Hawklad out for a breather. The rubric upon which kids are assessed seems so ridiculously backwards to me. And that kids with additional neurodiverse considerations are not accommodated feels inhuman too. Hang in there. You’re in the thick of things and you will get to the finish line! 🙏👍

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  9. Your rush hour looks divine, dear friend. It’s so good to “see” you. I’ll never understand the pressure put in students~the “all eggs in one basket” approach of trying to prove a student’s knowledge is based only on end exams. You know my background and how we share the same views. Poor Hawklad’s brain! Yes, a much needed “get outta here” and escape. I’m proud of you both. Give Hawklad high fives and hugs for his tenacity during tough times ~like his Dad! 💛💛🙏🏻

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    1. It’s way too much pressure. It’s like children enjoying themselves is now seen as wasted, unproductive time. Better to get them grown up as soon as possible. It isn’t about the children’s best interests anymore, it’s about Victorian work values now. Sending you so many hugs ❤️

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  11. What they are doing to Hawklad is inhumane. It’s ridiculous. How many other kids are going through the same? What has happened to Great Britain? Thank goodness you can get up on the moors away from it all. Your rush hour is even more impressive than ours. Great photo too. Courage!

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      1. The one in the link drives down to Waun Mawn Standing Stones, the original place of Stone Henge blue stones. The holes here in Wales, fit the stones taken and made into a new henge in England. Beautiful place this time of year, bleakest place in winter.

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