When Barrowford Primary School head teacher Rachel Tomlinson sent her students their key stage two test results last week, she included a letter with the test scores…
The UK teacher for the Nelson, Lanceshire, school found the letter on Minnesota teacher Kimberly Hurd Horst’s blog last year. Wanting to send a reminder that while test scores are important, they do not define each student, Tomlinson repurposed the letter and sent it to her pupils.
Here’s the full text of the letter…
Dear Charlie Owen,
Please find enclosed your end of KS2 test results. We are very proud of you as you demonstrated huge amounts of commitment and tried your very best during this tricky week.
However, we are concerned that these tests do not always assess all of what it is that make each of you special and unique. 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.
They do not know that you write poetry or songs, play or participate in sports, wonder about the future, or that sometimes you take care of your little brother or sister after school.
They do not know that you have travelled to a really neat place or that you know how to tell a great story or that you really love spending time with special family members and friends.
They do not know that you can be trustworthy, kind or thoughtful, and that you try, every day, to be your very best… the scores you get will tell you something, but they will not tell you everything.
So enjoy your results and be very proud of these but remember there are many ways of being smart.