Amazing five star read! I work in a school so this had me giggling all the way through and repeatedly saying 'that is so true!'
A well written book

Having followed Ict with Mr.P online for years and been lucky enough to attend some training with him, I was excited to read this.

I found the first part of the book a little clunky, Which feels disloyal to say, but it feels like they've tried to cram all of the best bits of social media and their stories into the chapters which didn't flow as well for me and felt a little contrived. There were entertaining parts and I could definitely relate to bits but it felt a little like a more modern version of Gervase Phinn without the charm of the writer having experienced it all themselves. The best part for me were the bits towards the end

Lee has an excellent way of summarising. what is wrong (and right!) with the current education system and this is done with wit and humour. I really enjoyed this bit which redeemed the first parts for me! The section from Adam about his personal experience of the SEND system was also a really interesting read and if the whole book had been more like this, I'd have enjoyed it much more!

The chapter of the role of AI was a brilliant read and also how to hack your own algorithm! Excellent!

The strength of the last few chapters has upped my rating by one star - I'd love to read more of their thoughts about education, rather than a collection of other's stories.

How to Survive the School Year is the third offering from primary teacher Lee Parkinson aka ICT With Mr P and his brother (and fellow educator and podcasting co-host), who have made their names from a podcast sharing funny stories from the classroom as well as their own takes on the English education system. Lee is also well-known for his sometimes political, often very funny social media content which highlights the incomparable frustrations and joys of being a primary teacher.

If you're familiar with the brothers' content, then you know what to expect from this book: an assortment of heart-warming and silly anecdotes drawn from their own teaching experience and that of their podcast listeners, who regularly submit their own stories. In this collection, the anecdotes are loosely organised around the ebbs and flows of the school year - from the excitement or nerves that usher in the new term in September to the final days in July. Aimed at teachers and parents of primary-aged children, the two Mr Ps strike a balanced tone which may even result in some parents reevaluating their attitudes to teachers - or vice versa.

The stories of poorly timed farts et al are amusing but not original; if you've read one book by the Mr Ps and this is their USP for you then you probably don't need to read another one, plus Gervase Phinn already wrote pretty much the same content in the 2000s. However, the final chapters, in which Lee delivers a scathing polemic on the English education system and the failings of ten years' worth of education secretaries' 'reforms' are an impassioned call to arms for both teachers and parents. Furthermore, the chapter on the evolution of computing teaching in schools, social media and the rise of AI, manages to be at once illuminating, cautionary and reassuring. Plenty of teachers will return to their classrooms buoyed by a greater knowledge and understanding of how to utilise these technologies to work smarter, and to support their pupils' in learning the skills they need to thrive in the digital age.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

How to Survive the School Year by Lee & Adam Parkinson

A hilarious, heartfelt, and wonderfully chaotic romp through the school calendar. The Two Mr Ps deliver laugh-out-loud anecdotes and sharp insights about life in the classroom that will have every parent and teacher nodding in recognition. I loved their honesty about not offering parenting advice—this is more Jackass 3 than self-help—and it works. Instead, we get stories from the trenches: relatable, ridiculous, and surprisingly moving. A must-read for anyone navigating the school-gate circus.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An easy read. Not as much fun as the two previous books but still enjoyable.
Recognisable characters in both the pupil's and parents.
Universal truths about the education sector and issues it faces with a sense of humour.

I was so pleased to be able to review this book. I work as a Learning Advisor and Senior Invigilator at the local School. I first came upon Lee and Adam Parkinson on Facebook ICT with Mr P - Tech to Raise Standards which I love- their anecdotes, warm wit from the staff, pupil and parent perspective had me in stitches sitting out in the sunshine laughing out loud so so true.

This is Andy Seed, Gervaise Phinn and Jack Sheffield rolled into one.

Highly recommended read this summer holiday to get you chuckling into the September term time.

Due for publication August 29th 2025.

As a retired teacher I very much appreciated this. The guys are passionate and obviously talented teachers and parents too. They have a lot of funny stories to tell, (a disproportionate number of them involve farting in my opinion!), and have a couple of rants about being stressed and over-worked, the government's policy changing, etc. "Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose."

Some good jokes, anecdotes and insights - the structure is a bit chaotic, but it is not a bad fit for this book.
There are parts you can share with your children too.
Overall, good stuff. Those who are familiar with the Parkisons will enjoy this more than I did.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

This is full of funny anecdotes about life in a primary school. The authors are engaging and know how to tell a story and I bet their podcast is a fun listen.

I read it all at once but I think it would be funnier if you dipped into it and read the chapters at or just before the appropriate time of year. It is a long time since I was at primary school and I had never heard of the cauliflower song but this book made me look it up! I did recognize all the types of parents they talk so amusingly about though.

The last few chapters are much more serious about modern education and its future but I just skimmed those as this is not a thing I am interested in but I am sure the points made are reasonable and insightful.