Pupils want "purposeful" work

Primary school children are mostly happy at school, but their enthusiasm for learning tends to drop as they get older.

Children don’t like being put in groups which separate them from their friends, or in groups with children they don’t like. They don’t like working in groups in which too much or too little is demanded of them, says research from the Primary Review study

They like work to be interesting, challenging and purposeful, but lose motivation when they have to do a lot of writing with little physical movement. They also become de-motivated when they can’t see the purpose of the work, or it seems boring, repetitive or unchallenging.

Key stage 2 children feel under pressure to do a lot of work in preparation for SATS tests, and say teachers place more emphasis on completing work than understanding it.

Pupils think the main reason for attending to school is to get a good job when they are older, or to prepare them for secondary school and give them the skills they will need when they leave school.