Failing?

So the school I teach at is the 2nd worst in the entire country. Official. Or so the league tables say. I am so angry. I am kind of thinking what is the point? I bust a gut everyday to plan exciting, engaging and ultimately educational lessons. I then spend my evenings and weekends marking and setting targets, as well as writing reports and creating displays. I have never worked so hard. All this, then to be publicly told that we are failing to do our job. I mean what do the government want? Blood?

Of course I know it is not down to just me, but how do you stop yourself feeling personally responsible for the kids failure? It is interesting that the press did not report that the majority of the students in the school are entitled to free school meals, a majority of whom do not register for this entitlement meaning that they do not feature as low income families in the league tables. It then appears to the public that we have a school full of middle class, well off kids, which couldn't be further from the truth.

Many of my students need love, support and stability and to be honest their eduction seems to be something secondary to them. Of course this is wrong in the eyes of the government or Joe Public who are currently reading the papers and shooting our school down. Try telling that to some of my twelve year old students who are in care because they have suffered abuse at home, watched the death of their parents or who live in such poverty they can't even afford a £6 school jumper. I feel that I have given some of my students something more valuable than a pass at GCSE and that is stabilty. A place of safety away from the awful reality that some of these kids have to deal with everyday.