[ivy ]
Hey everyone, welcome to The Average Fish! I’m Ivy, and I’m here with Sara. we created this podcast out of some work we started back on 2023—how support in schools actually feels for students, especially in Torbay. Sara, do you remember the Action Change Event at Central Church?

[Sara ]
Yeah, totally! That was the one that kickstarted it, like, 150 kids and families showed up, right? I remember the food was good, but also, everyone was just so ready to talk about what’s not working and how we could change systems. And that’s where we started talking about school and the whole “average fish” thing came up, right?

[ivy ]
Yeah, so, the analogy was—if you’re a goldfish, you get loads of attention, and if you’re a shark, you get loads of attention, but if you’re just, like, an ordinary fish, you’re basically invisible. You’re just swimming around, trying not to get eaten, and no one really notices you. That’s how school feels for a lot of us. I mean, I’ve definitely felt like that—just another face in the corridor, you know?

[Sara ]
Yeah, same. And it’s not just about being ignored, it’s the stress too. At the event we were saying we need someone to talk to at school because school is just stressful.

[ivy ]
Yeah so we started meeting up, just trying to figure out why it feels like this. Why is it so hard to get support unless you’re, like, in crisis or causing trouble? I always felt like, unless you’re at one extreme or the other, you’re just left to get on with it. And that’s rough.

[Sara ]
Yeah, and we were thinking it’s not just us. Loads of people are saying the same thing—stress, feeling invisible, not enough support. It’s like, you’re expected to just cope, but no one checks if you actually are. I mean, I’ve had days where I just needed someone to listen, not even fix anything, just listen. And that’s what’s missing for so many of us.

[ivy ]
Totally. And that’s why we wanted to dig deeper, not just moan about it, but actually figure out what’s going on and what could change. So, yeah, that’s where it all started—the goldfish, the shark, and the average fish. And honestly, most of us are just average fish, trying to get by.

[Sara ]
So, after that event, we wanted to know if it was just us or if everyone felt this way. That’s when we did the Torbay pupil survey. We start with 200 pupils in our year. Ivy, do you remember how many people actually said they were happy at school?

[ivy ]
Yeah, I do! Only 62% agreed they were happy at school, which means, like, more than a third—37%—disagreed. That’s a lot of unhappy people. And it gets worse when you look at stuff like coping with schoolwork. Over half—52%—said they couldn’t cope with the workload. That’s wild.

[Sara ]
And it’s not just the work. When we asked if people felt like they belonged in school, 54% said no. That’s more than half! And downtime? 86% said they didn’t have enough time between classes to just, like, breathe. I mean, I feel that so much, especially now with GCSEs coming up. It’s just go, go, go, all day.

[ivy ]
Yeah, and the trust thing is a big deal too. Only 48% thought they could rely on their teacher for mental health support. So, more than half of us don’t feel like we can go to a teacher if we’re struggling. That’s kind of scary.

[Sara ]
And it’s not just students. Parents are stressed too. There was that survey—88% of parents said mental health should be a focus in school. Their top worries were exam stress, anxiety, homework, bullying, and social media. Loads of parents are even pulling their kids out of school for emotional health reasons. There’s been a 34% increase in home education since 2019. That’s huge.

[ivy ]
Teachers aren’t exactly loving it either. About 40% of them think the system doesn’t support aspiration or achievement, even for the so-called “advantaged” students. And 80%—that’s, like, almost everyone—say social and emotional development is just as important as academics. But the system doesn’t really work that way, does it?

[Sara ]
No, it doesn’t. Its, like, You have to be at breaking point before anyone notices. We need to actually listen to what students, parents, and teachers are saying, not just tick boxes.

[ivy ]
Yeah, and the numbers back it up. It’s not just a few of us moaning—it’s a real, system-wide thing. And if we don’t do something, it’s just going to get worse. So, that’s why we’re pushing for change, not just for us, but for everyone coming after us.

[ivy ]
So, after seeing all that, we knew we had to do more than just talk about it. That’s where the big plan comes in. We started with our school, but then the headteacher was so impressed with the survey that he shared it with other headteachers in Torbay. So we revised the survey, and then put it our to several schools, over 500 students responded, you can download the survey report on the NDTi website.

[Sara ]
Yeah, and the idea is to make this survey a regular thing, not just a one-off. If we can get wellbeing surveys into the annual school cycle, we can actually see if things are getting better or worse. And it’s not just about students—we want to get parents and teachers involved too, with their own surveys and focus groups.

[ivy ]
We’ve got this ten-point plan now. It’s not just surveys—it’s about creating a steering group with students, teachers, and parents, applying for funding, and even hiring someone part-time to keep things moving. And the big dream? A Citizens’ Assembly in Torbay, where students, parents, and professionals all get a real say in what school should be like. Imagine that—an actual conversation between all the people who matter in the education system talking and listening and learning from each other.

[Sara ]
And it’s not just about Torbay. The government’s just done a review of the curriculum and is looking to publish a white paper on the education system, we fed into the consultation but we want to go further. We want our voices, the pupils voices, heard in decisions about education, not just as an afterthought. If we can show that thousands of us care, maybe they’ll have to listen.

[ivy ]
Yeah, and honestly, seeing headteachers across Torbay get behind this is kind of amazing. It’s like, for once, students are leading the way, and the adults are actually following. If we can pull this off, it could be a model for other places too. I mean, why shouldn’t every area have a Citizens’ Assembly for education?

[Sara ]
Exactly. So, if you’re listening and you want to get involved, or you’ve got ideas, go to the NDTi website, take part, fill in the survey. This isn’t just our project—it’s for everyone who’s ever felt like an “average fish” in school. We’re not done yet, not even close.

[ivy ]
Alright, that's a wrap. Thanks for listening, and we’ll be back soon with more on how we can actually make school support work for everyone. Sara, thanks for being here.

[Sara ]
Thanks, Ivy. And thanks to everyone for tuning in. See you next time!