Growing Up The World According to Kids

CHILDREN SHOUT

When you're young, everything's an adventure.

We are growing, bursting with ideas.

And facing fresh challenges every single day.

Stand back and make sure you're wearing your goggles.

I'm from one of six groups of children all over the country who

are filming their lives.

Here!

Are you all right?

From high-rise tower blocks...

LAUGHS

My room is so big.

..to our remotest islands.

I love Mull!

Stop it, stop it!

We were only kissing.

I know, but stop it!

For six months, we've had cameras in our homes, clubs...

We've even filmed ourselves.

To share moments of love...

Are you all right, darling?

..loss...

-and drama.

-I told you, I'm not saying a word.

Through our own eyes.

Giving us a big voice...

Let me count, let me count this.

..to tell you what we really think of the world.

Wow, my mum's a tooth fairy. That's shocking.

This week, we explore what it means to grow up.

Growing up...

HE SIGHS

A life-changing decision hangs in the balance.

I'm scared,

because a lot of people don't get what school they want to go to.

Will you slow down?!

Discipline is needed to realise dreams.

-I didn't.

-You did.

-I didn't.

-You did. Don't argue.

-And fears must be confronted.

Off you go. Look ahead. Look ahead!

Let him go, let him go!

Go on, keep kicking, keep kicking!

Yes!

GIRL SQUEALS

The scary things about growing up is finding a job,

school, and also teenage years.

I think the best thing about being grown up is you have more freedom

than when you're a child. You can do anything,

you can go anywhere and nobody tells you to clean your room. Yep.

It makes me feel scared.

I don't want to grow up.

I'm quite afraid, like,

cos I might grow up homeless or I might grow up being famous.

I might grow up... I might grow up living a normal life,

I might grow up living a sad life, but still normal.

When I leave school, I think I'll miss having loads of fun and jokes

and how much

of a good time I've had.

OK, so, before we start,

you know what you have to do, let's get a lab coat on.

Ten-year-old Daniel is in his final year at Bowling Park Primary School.

First thing we're going to be

looking at with our microscopes are some...

-What are these?

-Tadpoles.

They're tadpoles. OK.

He is attending his favourite lesson, science.

I want to be a scientist in the future,

because I've always been wowed by what they've

done and science is magic.

Some people think magic is just magic,

but it's science that creates magic.

Oh, you've got little swimmers on it, little arms.

-Yeah.

-Have you seen this?

-I know.

-Look at its little arm.

-Can you see it?

-Yeah...

..it's easily growing.

Wow! Daniel, that's incredible.

Even if I don't get the job as a scientist, you need, like, back-up jobs,

like I've got a magician

as my back-up job just in case.

He'll soon be taking the momentous step up to secondary school,

and it's motivating important questions.

How do you get to be a scientist?

Well, when you've done your GCSEs you perhaps do A levels in science,

and then you choose to go to university or to a college and

study even more. But at that stage, you usually pick one of the sciences

-that you like the best.

-I'd probably be choosing biology.

I've gotten into dissecting after that little rat, the mouse.

-That you did?

-Yeah, blood everywhere, it were really good, though,

it were a fun lesson.

You enjoyed that, didn't you?

-Yeah.

-Yeah. What you've always got to do is never stop asking questions,

-never give up...

-Yeah, like, you need determination.

You need determination, you need a lot of concentration...

I've got it on my little...

-Is that what it says there?

-Yeah, determined, and then it says my name.

Daniel is determined.

I think that's a really good summary.

Daniel has applied to three different secondary schools,

but is pinning all his hopes on one in particular.

I think that Bradford Academy will help me become a scientist,

because there's lots of different sciences.

If I do triple science, there will be the dangerous experiments as well.

He lives with his mum and younger brother in the centre of the city.

My mum makes us tea and gives us a home.

She loves us so much and I couldn't ever repay her for that,

no matter what.

But I try my best to do that.

Daniel's one of these kids that he knows exactly where he's going to be

and where he needs to be and stuff,

so I think, then, he can start thinking about his future.

Daniel has another month of uncertainty before the secondary school

decision is made.

I really want to get into my chosen high school.

I dream about being one of the best scientists in the world.

I want to help cure cancers as well,

all the ones that haven't been cured yet.

Into the classrooms.

As well as immersing himself in science,

Daniel gives up his lunchtimes for a debating club,

along with a group of 10- and 11-year-olds.

The topic is jobs.

And you have to keep talking for that 30 seconds about jobs.

They learn to communicate on all matters,

from politics and faith to identity and aspirations.

I want to be a game company owner,

because it's very fun and you get to be creative in your own way.

I think I want to be an English teacher,

because I like writing stories and I like writing poems and I've wrote

-two poems already.

-Loads of people have different opinions and lots of

people don't have the confidence to speak,

but in debating you have so much confidence that you can say anything

you want.

It's cool being a doctor, but I also want to be a vet.

And that's it.

I joined the debating club because I don't like to argue,

but debating is like...

..polite arguing and, yeah...

I've got hundreds of brilliant reasons for everything.

I'll be quite good at debating.

-Come in.

-The group have been presented with cardboard cut-outs of

successful public figures.

The former Prime Minister.

The Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

And the Governor of the Bank of England.

So...

Who are these people?

He's David Cameron. The worst person in the world.

-He's horrible.

-I see.

He's the devil's brother.

LAUGHTER

I see.

What can you tell me

about what these three people have in common?

All of them are important.

They're important.

They all live in London.

They... Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me if they do all live in London, yeah.

-They're all men.

-They are.

Do you think it's possible one of you in the future could have one of

-these jobs?

-Yeah.

-Prime Minister.

-Cos they're just jobs, aren't they?

The children are thinking about what qualities they would need to achieve

-the positions.

-You have to be the best at maths

for the Bank of England.

That is extra, extra spice with maths.

And you also have to have better eyesight than even people who don't

-need glasses have.

-And you have to have bravery for the police.

And how would you get to that role?

I think you'd have to be quite brave.

I think to be a good leader, you'd be confident,

but you'd need to be friendly and you'd need to be, like,

you'd need to, like...

You'd need to be honest.

I think there should be two Prime Ministers, a girl and a boy.

You'd need to be calm

and if something happened, you can't just go around firing your own

staff and shouting at them, because it's your fault.

I think that it should be all girls and one of them...

-Chill out, man.

-You have many people who are sort of for the girls.

A lot of girls, they need confidence and independence,

because they really, really want to do this job,

but they don't have the right confidence to go for the interview.

I think I'd be good at it, because, like, I'm confident.

OK, so, we have a new Governor of the Bank of England.

CHEERING

The group have voted on who amongst them they feel would be best at each

-job.

-A new Metropolitan Police Commissioner.

CHEERING

We also have a brand-new Prime Minister...

CHEERING AND LAUGHTER

All the talk of success has left Daniel more determined than ever.

I'd rather be a scientist,

because if you're the Prime Minister, you're crowded and

you're more of a target as well.

And you could get outvoted and there is a chance that you'll

have to leave a

cat that you love at the Prime Minister's house.

I wouldn't want to have a job that makes you get dirty,

because I don't like getting dirty.

I don't want to get a job.

-Who wants a job?

-The worst job in the world would be a

not-very-well-paid job.

They use humans to test dog treats.

The worst job in the world would be...

..house cleaner.

Again, I didn't fail.

Nine-year-old Sophie spends all her free time with her pony, Bandit.

Yeah, dude, how are you doing?

Man, just chilling.

He is my biggest, best friend and he will be forevermore.

I tell him secrets, I tell him what's happened today,

I tell him if anything's bothering me.

And when he dies I'm going to have his ashes beside my bedside.

Hi, my name's Sophie and this is my room.

My favourite thing about this room is my doll house.

This is it. Then we have my dressing table.

This is my bed. It's a very comfy bed.

Over the last six months,

Sophie has competed in 27 horse-riding competitions.

These are just this year's - what I've won this year.

I quite like the ones where they have evening performances,

because it's really fun, because Mummy does my make-up and stuff.

That's a picture of me doing racing.

That's my concentrating face.

Well, when I was younger I used to want to ride unicorns and as I got

older I decided, well, actually, I could start riding real ponies.

Well, my aim is to try and get into Olympics or maybe get to

Horse of the Year Show at Olympia.

Sophie's goal to be a professional rider means she has to practise at

least three times a week.

Today, Sophie and brother Oliver are on their way to their local

-pony club.

-A417...

-Oliver,

for the last time, please can you just stop?

Reading. A329.

Ollie...

It's not funny.

Although, if her ambitions don't pan out, she has a few other ideas.

I do want to be a taxi driver, shopkeeper, horse rider,

famous rock star and I did want to be,

you know one of those receptionists?

-OK. And...

-And I want to marry a prince.

I'd like to marry a prince, but he has to be young, handsome, funny,

horsey and no moustache.

Use your legs, use your legs, Edmund.

Established in 1933,

the Old Berkshire Hunt Pony Club meet regularly to work on their

-riding skills.

-Up, sit up, sit up, sit up!

Do you know, you're not doing this terribly well, are you?

You didn't go in and out.

What I like about pony club is the fact that you get to do gymkhanas,

jumping, sometimes galloping, cross-country...

Ginny's a really good teacher and it's really fun.

And she gives you red stickers if you're naughty.

And turn.

Brilliant. Brilliant.

Oliver, are you all right?

Today, Sophie's class are taking on a tricky water jump.

Come on, William!

Kick, kick, kick!

It'll be the first time Sophie has tackled it with Bandit.

It's really scary, and my pony hasn't jumped something like it before.

I'm still going to kick,

and it'll just be a relief if he actually gets over it.

But that's IF he gets over it.

Good boy.

-Mum!

-A year ago,

Sophie was thrown off Bandit at a competition, and is struggling to

-regain her confidence.

-All I can remember is a big thump when I fell

on the floor, and then a big helicopter coming down.

And I actually nearly got knocked out, so I can't remember much.

She got her foot caught in the safety stirrup but went underneath

the pony, and the pony had to put its legs down somewhere,

and it went down on the inside of her leg and snapped it.

It was very frightening, very frightening.

When I have to tell people, or I hear about it,

it just brings back memories, and I just worry, then, and when I worry,

I start riding worried, and then, you know, I fall off.

She used to be really fearless,

but now she gets quite worried about things.

You know, you think your confidence is back,

and then something really silly will happen and she'll be back to square

one again.

Look ahead, look ahead!

Good girl!

Come on, Sophie.

Can I walk down?

-No.

-Can I walk down?

-Yeah, you can walk, but you mustn't stop.

-OK.

-You've got to look ahead, and if I say, "Kick, kick, kick,"

you've got to keep kicking.

Go on, keep kicking.

Go on. Keep kicking. Don't look down.

Don't look down!

It's too far down.

Why did you pull him up?

Her pony is being cheeky, and she jumped him before

and she broke her leg,

so I think it's knocked her confidence a bit.

Off you go. Look ahead, look ahead!

Let him go, let him go!

Let him go.

Go on, keep kicking. Don't let him come along here.

Keep kicking. Yes.

She missed it out.

SOPHIE CRIES

You can...

No!

Sophie, Sophie! Sophie, Sophie, Sophie!

-Sophie...

-I'm just really worried - because I broke my leg jumping him.

Go, go, go!

Go on. Don't turn him round.

I'm not! He took us out.

-He's napping!

-Come on. Here...

-You have got...

-He's going to rear.

No, he's not going to rear.

Go on, keep kicking.

Look, what you've got to understand is you're a smashing little rider.

You've just got to realise sometimes it's not always the pony's fault, OK?

Go, go, go!

Right, go on.

Go on, keep kicking.

Go on, kick, kick, kick!

No, she's not got enough.

Look ahead. Let him go,

let him go!

Go on, keep kicking. Keep kicking!

My dad always tells me, don't give up, keep looking up,

and if you get scared, just keep going and never stop.

Now, let him go forward. Go forward.

Yay! Well done.

-Yes!

-Good boy.

Well done, Sophie.

Facing up to her fear has taught Sophie a lesson for life.

I learnt

that even if you break a bone, you still have to get back on,

because you can't give up just because of one injury,

and I didn't because I just remembered what Dad had said -

"Don't give up."

In life, you just have to face your problems,

maybe even just ignore every problem that you have.

Ulva Primary School is based on a remote part of Mull,

off the west coast of Scotland.

I get here on the boat.

Can you tell me a little bit about what it's like living on Mull?

Aged from five to ten, there are just eight pupils,

and they all learn together in one class.

It's always raining!

Katie, it's not always raining.

Normally, it rains every summer.

SHRIEKING

Ten-year-old Arwen has lived on the island all her life.

I love Mull!

She is both the tallest and the eldest in the class.

Children at school, they don't understand that I'm growing up.

They don't understand that I'm

older and I don't play My Little Pony.

I don't play that thing.

And they are happy for me to play that,

but I'm not happy to play that.

Arwen, what's it like being the biggest?

I hate it. You're looking down at everyone.

Even if they're only a tiny bit smaller than you,

you're looking down at them.

-It's annoying.

-"Hello, little baby girl."

I am feeling quite a bit lost,

because now I'm at the age where I'm not a child,

but I'm not quite an adult or a teenager.

What would it be like if you were in high school and you were the

-smallest person?

-I wouldn't be, because everyone in my class is totally smaller.

Do you look down on your parents?

Mum, I'm straight forward.

Dad, I'm up.

"Hello, Mum.

"Hi, Dad."

LAUGHTER

Arwen is not just outgrowing her peers,

at home, she is the eldest of four.

I've got three brothers, and they're damn annoying.

They are really annoying.

Sometimes, they're OK.

Sometimes, they're absolutely, completely,

100% annoying and they just don't leave you alone.

I hate being the oldest.

Have you been working today?!

So, what have you been doing at school this week?

School, I'm sort of fed up.

-Because...

-Why are you fed up?

Because there wasn't really anyone to play with.

-Your own age?

-Yeah.

It's a year to wait, and then you will be going up to

Tobermory High School, and you'll be meeting other children the same age and older,

-so will that be good? Are you looking forward to that?

-Yeah.

Arwen's passion is to escape into a world of books.

I really, really love reading.

I'd probably say I was a bookworm, because I like books,

but I'm, like, sort of a specific bookworm, I like adventure books.

When you're reading a book, you step into a really big world,

like in my favourite Twilight book, Breaking Dawn.

I actually feel like I'm there, listening to them talking,

hearing them talking, talking to them.

And it's quite an odd feeling, but it's also a very cool feeling, too.

Arwen may identify more with fictional characters,

but she's hoping to seek new inspiration in the real world.

I think it's possible that I'll travel the whole world.

That's what I'm planning to do.

A lot of the people I know, they've gone to places far and wide,

and I'll be able to do that someday.

Although leaving the safety of her remote island home is not without challenges.

I think you have to be very brave to go somewhere where

you've never been to, because you need to be able to carry on,

be brave about things and not hide away or cower away.

This is why you're on the planet - you've got to do something.

At the pony club, nine-year-old Rex has been riding for six years.

My name in Latin, it means "king".

My style in horse riding is probably going fast, jumping, galloping.

Yes!

'I'm not scared of anything.'

And it's more than just horses he tackles full throttle.

When I'm older, I want to be a fighter pilot.

And a horse is like a practice plane,

so I can be fast and furious and just put my afterburners on and go...

IMITATES JET

..through the air.

Look, they've even got an ambulance up there.

How health and safety are they?

Today, the club are training in the more restrained setting of the school.

Somebody doesn't seem to be in line.

But riding horses, as well as flying planes, requires a lot of discipline.

Rex, will you slow down?

In where?

-Into the...

-And Rex doesn't always excel at following rules.

-I've warned you.

-What have I done?

You are having a yellow card, and I'm being very serious.

-What did I do?

-You overtook somebody.

-I didn't.

-You did.

-I didn't.

-You did. Don't argue!

OK?

Now do as you're told.

Rex is very exuberant.

He's excited, he loves what he's doing.

He really loves what he's doing.

And in a way he just gets overexcited about the whole thing.

Sometimes I'm a bit naughty at times,

and I can do stuff that I'm not meant to do.

After their ride, Rex and his friends have come to the hall to discuss who

or what inspires them more than anyone else.

This is my dog, Daisy.

I chose her for my hero because she will stay by your side wherever you

go. Although it's quite annoying in the house when you're trying to walk

around and you fall over her.

LAUGHTER

Rex?

My hero's my daddy, because he is a very, like, bad influence to me!

LAUGHTER

He swears a lot and...

Is that why he's your hero? He swears a lot?

No. He swears a lot and he does cheeky things and...

To wind Mummy up.

And it's funny. But when I was about seven, me and Daddy,

we went to do the ponies, and then Daddy was like, "Oh, Rex,

"why don't we go home and get my motorbike,

"and then we can go for a little spin on it?"

Daisy knows where this is, like, on the way to The Pheasant.

He was just, like, 120mph up that hill.

Me clinging on going... "Ahhh!"

Daddy going, "Come on, son, it's all right!

"Look! We're nearly there!"

APPLAUSE

Shall we pack for the air show?

Sorry? Yes, you know what you need.

Rex is out with his dad at their favourite annual trip to a

-military air show.

-My dad used to work in the Army.

So it would mean quite a lot to me if I could be a fighter pilot.

Today, Dad is in command.

-First, we're doing breakfast.

-Just chuck me up the tree first.

-No.

-Or so he thinks.

-I'll get up there.

-After breakfast.

He loves me. He absolutely idolises me, which I love.

But he's on a mission today just to wind me up.

And he knows how to do it.

It'll end up me losing my rag with him.

That's what he actually wants. He wants me to lose my rag,

then he can say, "Ha-ha, look at you, you look silly."

And then he's happy. You know, he's only nine.

Let him get away with bits and pieces.

I don't mind.

The bad things about rules is that, like, they make you just get really

bored of them and wish you never had rules.

-Right, mind your breakfast.

-What?

Breakfast!

I am pretty proud to have learned being a bit gung ho from Daddy,

because he is very brave and he always will be, I think.

-Oh! Where's my phone?

-I have no idea where your phone is.

Where's your rucksack, son?

Yeah, I like to push him to the limits and see what happens.

We have moments where we are not the best parents in the world.

They have moments when they're not the best kids in the world, you know?

When I got down, "Oh, you are a pain in the A word."

And I was like, "Yeah, yeah.

"So are you!"

If we were good all the time, it would be no fun, would it?

HE LAUGHS

-Where's your forward?

-The air show offers Rex the opportunity to play

fighter pilot...

-Now full throttle.

-..and his dad the chance to push him on what it takes

-to get there.

-This is one of the things he does want to do.

The trouble with Rex is, at the moment, he does just enough.

So it's encouraging him with things like this to get involved and see

that if he works hard at school and if he gets his qualifications,

he could be like Johnny that drives the Typhoon.

I think I'm the kind of person which would just go for it.

Even if I fail, I would just go for it and see if I could push myself to

the limits, really.

Bye-bye, Red Arrows!

Rex may want to be just like his dad,

but his dad has other ideas.

Well, no, what do you want to do when you grow up?

-Fighter pilot?

-Yeah.

That involves a lot of study at university.

That is not happening.

You have to get these qualifications.

Otherwise, you'll end up working in McDonald's.

That would be quite a good job, actually.

No. I left school when I was 16 - went straight out to work.

And I had the opportunity to go and do more, and study.

The Army even offered to pay me to study.

-Really?

-Yeah. And I said, "No,

"do you know what? I can't be bothered."

And I've regretted that ever since.

It's quite important to make your mummy and daddy proud when you're

older, but not that important.

Daniel has three weeks to wait until he finds out if he's been accepted

into Bradford Academy,

the school he hopes will aid his long-term ambitions.

It's really good for science, because they do triple science here.

Meaning that instead of doing, like, history and stuff,

you can actually have science instead, three times in a row.

I don't know if I'm going to it yet, but, yeah, I want to go.

I would be really happy if I do.

He has two young uncles at the school, who are happy to share their wisdom.

I really want to go to your school.

It sounds really good.

Yeah, I think you'll really like triple science because you learn

biology, chemistry and physics.

And isn't chemistry to do with, like, dissecting and stuff?

I think that's more on the biology lines.

Chemistry's more of the liquid sort.

Like adding stuff together.

There is, like, dissecting frogs in chemistry?

Yeah, I think that's in biology.

Secondary school entry is a life-changing moment over which

Daniel has no control.

At home, his mum is helping manage his expectations.

What you've got to think about is how you're going to feel if you

don't go to the school that you want to go to.

-Yeah.

-Versus the school that you do want to go to.

-Er...

-Because it's going to be a lot different in feeling-wise.

If you get Bradford Academy, you're going to be happy.

-Whereas if you get...

-Yeah.

..another one, you're going to be sad.

I'm nervous and scared because it is which one I'm going to.

So you always do feel nervous and scared for whatever school you

want to go to.

A lot of people don't get what school they want to go to.

I'd like to be a grown-up.

But then I wouldn't, because I don't

like maths and you have to do maths if you want to grow up.

When I look at adults, I don't really want to go to work.

But I do, like, want to grow up.

It's definitely hard.

It's, like, really hard to be a grown-up.

Yeah, it's hard. It's hard.

OK, let's go.

On Mull, Arwen's getting a rare trip to the mainland.

I think the last time I had a day out with you was when you were a baby.

Yeah, it's ten years to get just us two off for a day out.

She's exploring who she wants to become and whether her future lies

on the island.

Well, I'm really looking forward to being an adult because I can have my

own car. There are some places that,

unlike Mull, have big,

big stretches of freedom and you can go anyplace you want.

Which I'll be able to do when I'm older.

It is exciting, isn't it?

Yeah, it is exciting.

I don't think I've ever been on deck when the boat's moved.

We're quite lucky, really. We get to go on a cruise, a mini cruise,

-just to go shopping.

-Yeah.

Oban is the future, because you're going there.

And the boat is just moving you every inch to your future.

I think that it's really cool.

So now you can feel that you're on the ship Titanic.

Yeah.

In order to spread her wings,

Arwen must get used to the dangers that exist outside their remote community.

It is just so busy, so noisy.

This is more cars than we see in a day going past the house, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-Just remember, when we do cross the road,

you need to make sure you look both ways.

Even though the lights have gone green, not all drivers are watching.

So, wait for them to go, then go.

Keep looking.

Oh, look,

ice cream as well. I don't want ice cream on a day like today.

No, not really.

When I think about the future, I think it's a little bit scary,

but super exciting.

Exciting's like the headline.

That's something else, isn't it?

Being alone with her mum gives Arwen the opportunity to question how you

make big life decisions.

I think it's really hard when you are only ten years old, or even younger.

It's really hard to think of the future.

That's very true. But the other thing is,

you'll be in high school for two years,

and then you have to make subject decisions which will determine the

-course of your life.

-Oh, God.

And that's quite something.

Whether you want to stay on Mull is up to you.

I would never force you to stay.

I'd never expect you to stay.

I want you to take advantage of opportunities that, say,

your dad and I didn't have.

But always know that you can come home to us if things don't work out

right, or...

You know, we just want you to be happy.

Yes, I think you do have to be brave to be a grown-up.

Because you're on your own now.

You're going to have to take care of yourself completely now.

And if you don't get that experience as a child,

you'll be struggling as a grown-up.

It's quarter to seven.

-Yeah.

-How long have we got to go?

About 15 minutes.

After conquering her fears,

Sophie's ready to reimmerse herself in the competitive world of horse

shows. She has her heart set on one of the most prestigious in the

-country.

-It's on your list this year, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-To qualify for the Royal International.

I just feel amazing.

Well, we can certainly try our best, and you've done really,

-really well to overcome breaking your leg, haven't you?

-Yeah.

So as long as you do the best show to your ability,

that's all that we can ask for, really.

-Yeah.

-And it's down to the judges, and see what they like, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-When things go wrong...

-..what don't you do?

-You don't cry.

You don't get angry.

Why is it wrong to do that?

Being a bad sport, sportsmanship.

Yes.

I enjoy horse-riding competitions because they're fun,

and when you win it puts a big smile on your face.

There are hundreds of children vying for a place in the same show as

Sophie, so competition is fierce.

I'd love to qualify because it's a big opportunity and it's a big,

big show. And you can win lots there.

Good luck, OK?

Good girl.

She's growing. Every time she rides,

she gets that little bit more confident.

She's looking OK.

Yeah, she's looking good so far.

Oh, that looks good.

That looks good.

I don't know this judge, though.

I don't know what he likes.

-What did he say?

-My stirrups are too short.

Your stirrups are too short?

-Is that what he said?

-And he also said the saddle slipped forward.

The saddle hasn't slipped forward.

-That's what he said.

-Despite her best efforts,

Sophie didn't qualify this time.

I do get really disappointed,

and sometimes I can beat myself up if I've done something wrong.

Learning to fail may be part of growing up,

but Sophie does not have to give up on her dream just yet.

She will have more opportunities to try to qualify for the

-Royal International.

-I can't say if I can achieve it or not.

But even if I don't, I can still dream about it.

I think, basically, if you work, like, really hard and you really,

really want it, then you will be successful.

And if, like...

If you're not successful yet,

it's because you've not worked hard enough and you need to keep on

working hard.

Well, I believe that anything is possible if you just try your very

hardest and just don't give up.

Well, I think that almost everything is achievable,

unless it's, like, something super dangerous.

Like, for example, Mount Everest, sometimes that's possible,

sometimes it's impossible.

At Ulva Primary School, the pupils have been asked to write a letter to

themselves in 20 years' time.

-Is it just to ourselves?

-Yes, it's just to you.

And then you would fold it up and put it in a time capsule.

And then when you're 30, you can open it up and see what

your eight-year-old hoped you would be like.

I hope you have...

A wonderful Christmas.

HE LAUGHS

Well, there you go.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Kate, what about you?

What would you hope you'd have?

Enough money that I was a millionaire!

Wow. OK.

-Yeah.

-Everybody know what they're doing?

That's your career.

-What's a career?

-Your job.

So, I hope you are a scientist, a dentist.

How do you spell scientist?

Is that spell working?

It doesn't matter.

Just spell it how you think it's spelt, OK?

For many of the children,

there's no doubt about where they see their future.

OK? Are we all done?

So, we will hear from Eilidh.

Dear Eilidh, now you are 30, I hope you're living

on...

INDISTINCT

..farm. I hope you have children.

Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss.

Hug, hug, hug, hug, kiss, kiss, hug, hug, kiss, kiss et cetera.

-Age nine.

-Lovely!

So you really love living here, Eilidh, don't you?

You really love living here.

When I'm grown up, I will be working for...

..building.

Beeton's Building Supplies.

My future look likes...

a lazy person.

To me.

I don't think I'd be great as anything...

when I'm older.

Arwen, can you come up and share with the class?

OK - Dear Arwen,

now you are 30, I hope you're living in France in a cottage.

I hope your days are mostly filled with cycling and walks.

I hope you have not cut your hair short.

I hope you have still got your dogs. I hope you are still a doctor.

Love, Arwen, aged ten.

-So, you want to be a doctor...

-Very good.

..when you're grown up. Well done, that's very good, isn't it?

What do you think would be nice about living in France?

-Um...

-You can eat baguettes.

So is there anything in France that you can't get here?

I think there's quite a lot of sun there.

-Quite a lot.

-And the Eiffel Tower!

And the Eiffel Tower, yes.

If you go to a new place, you're like, "Wow, this is amazing."

But then you could go to a new place and go, "Oh, my God, this is horrible.

"This freaks me out."

And it's, like, exciting, scary, uncertain, uncomfortable and, well...

triple exciting.

So you've got a good and a bad side.

Which is quite good. It's not good if you've got two bad sides and two

good sides. But good and bad is good.

There's so many places.

First of all I'm just going to cover the United Kingdom first.

Then I'll probably go to France, then Italy, then Spain.

Not sure what I'll go to next.

Arwen's dad supports her dream to explore the world beyond Mull.

He has some encouraging stories of his own.

Started from Bombay. I went all the way down.

Very interesting place.

I went to Egypt.

-Yep.

-You can see the pyramids in the background there.

-Yeah.

-And we just went off on a pony trek.

That's Eilat, beautiful.

You can sort of sit down on the edge of the reef,

you wade out just in shorts and that.

Put a little mask on, a face mask and a snorkel,

and you just put your head in the water and you just look around at

all the fish, and it's just like...

Fantastic. It's absolutely amazing.

Is that something that you think you'd like to do?

-Yep.

-Yeah? You learn a lot about yourself when you do something like that.

Just go to as many countries as you can.

And when you're older, and then your children are sitting next to you,

you can say, "Oh, look, I went there,

"and I went there and I did this and I met so-and-so..."

and you'll have loads of lovely little stories to tell.

I really feel like I'm Arwen now.

I'm growing up. I'm about to be this woman, Arwen.

I'm not going to be this little child, I'm going to be Arwen.

And I think it's really good, because I'm starting to feel more...

..more about myself.

I know I'm growing up now.

And I know that I can do things on my own.

Sophie's hard work paid off.

On her third attempt, she managed to achieve her dream.

Being with my family when I qualify for Royal International,

which is a big thing,

it was with everyone applauding me, and Mummy with a big smile,

she was crying.

And only 18, 19 ponies qualify in the world.

So I'm one of them, and that's really, really special.

A bit nervous, but

mostly confident.

I like to think I'd come in the top ten, but then...

Only very special ponies get through, but Bandit is a special pony.

It would be really exciting because it will be my first big competition.

The Royal International at

Hickstead is one of the biggest and most important horse shows in the

country, with close to 4,000 horses competing.

Sophie is here with her mum and little brother.

Basically, um...

They pull the first eight.

And if you don't get pulled, you know you're not in the first eight,

which is quite sad. And you just get a white rosette.

But if you're pulled, you get these nice rosettes.

If you win, you get a big sash.

To do well today would just be really, really cool,

but to actually come in the first eight is just incredible.

I would just jump off and...

..kiss the judge?

MUM LAUGHS

It may be Sophie's first time competing here,

but that doesn't stop her aiming high.

The best thing that could happen at Hickstead is being

first.

-Ow!

-Sophie, stand still, please.

-Is that the lucky hat?

-Yep.

Last year... This time last year I was in the hospital...

with a broken leg.

And it feels like a dream come true

to be here at Hickstead.

Come on, Bandit, come on, Bandit, come on, Bandit, come on, Bandit,

come on, Bandit, yes!

Come on, Bandit, come on, Bandit, come on, Bandit.

Oh, they like us! Come on, Bandit, come on, Bandit, come on, Bandit!

How do you know that they like you?

Sophie's competing in a First Ridden show,

which involves presenting your pony immaculately in a walk,

-trot and canter.

-Good luck, Sophie.

-Smile!

-The standards and pressures are high.

If you've got loads of people watching you, you can be a bit nervous,

but then you just need to focus.

Come on.

I just think, ignore them and just get on with what you're doing.

If you just sit back and enjoy it, it's not that bad.

The judges are looking for how well riders and their ponies

take instructions.

SHE CLICKS TONGUE

Good boy!

Good girl, good girl, good girl.

I was getting bullied a bit at school, when I broke my leg,

because people were saying,

"Oh, it's unlucky to break a bone when under 18."

And I didn't take no notice,

and then I went and qualified for Royal International, and,

you know, that's not an unlucky thing.

That's a great thing.

You did a lovely show. Well done.

I lost my stirrup again.

Doesn't matter. You still did a lovely show.

Stop letting him go all over you. Well done, though, Sophie.

The judges' marks have come in, but Sophie has not made the top eight.

I'm surprised Sophie didn't get a place.

Well done! Well done, guys.

Do a picture together.

Stand next to each other and do a nice picture.

What's wrong?

She's gone off in a mood.

She thinks she should have got somewhere.

Look at her. She's really angry.

And there are more tough lessons for Sophie.

Personally, I think I would

have placed myself eighth, but then that's just me, and

that's just how I think, and the judges think differently.

But it is their decision, sadly.

After I've had my little strop, I kind of go, well,

you can't do anything about it.

It's just in the past now.

And maybe that's just how you have to take it.

I can beat myself up when I get

something wrong or do something wrong or forget something.

But actually, there's always another show, so...

And it just puts a smile on my face,

knowing that I can do that stuff again.

Three, two, one...

GUNS CLICK

Rex and his number-one idol, his dad,

are out helping the local farmers with pest control.

Pick your feet up.

Pick your feet up. Pick your feet up.

It's sort of nice to be away from my mummy's eyes, so I can just have

some free time without Mummy going -

"Rex, do this, Rex, do that!

"Oh, yes, Rex, we need you to do that."

I'm like, "Yeah, all right."

Even with Dad, Rex must learn some rules are non-negotiable.

That's a partridge. Don't shoot that.

Why aren't you allowed to shoot partridges?

Because there's a shooting season,

and if you get caught shooting them out of season, Rex,

you can go to jail.

Yeah, but we won't get caught.

DAD CHUCKLES

-That's not the point.

-Sometimes it's OK to break rules, like, if you're

on your own, nobody can watch you break them.

-Rex, do you know what that is?

-Yeah.

-What is it?

It's an exploding target.

BANG

DAD CHUCKLES

-You hold that again. Hold that.

-I think we'd better get out of here!

LAUGHTER

I prefer being naughty,

because then I can have, like, lots and lots and lots and lots of fun.

The rules come from...

Hmm...

Let's just say people.

People make up their own rules.

I think it's good to have rules in the world,

because otherwise it would just be a load of chaos.

But sometimes I think it's bad to have rules because sometimes if the

rules aren't good, everyone has to follow them,

and everyone's stuck with them.

It would be quite scary to break the rules because someone would get

in trouble.

It's the end of the academic year

and time for Rex to find out how he's performed.

His school report is in.

"Rex is a real charmer...

"..with a winning smile and an endless supply of energy.

"He is an enthusiastic member of the class who has tried hard during the

"year, and as a result has made good progress in all areas.

"He was very proud to be chosen to take part in the maths challenge

"competition at St Gabriel's School.

"At times, Rex can get a little overexcited,

"and has received a few warnings during the year.

"However, more often than not,

"Rex just needs to be reminded of what is expected of him,

"and he will adjust his behaviour accordingly.

"Next year, Rex needs to be a little more organised,

"not only handing his homework in on time,

"but also handing in his reading record book.

"It's been lovely to see Rex enjoying his learning.

"I hope he continues to apply his positive attitude in year five."

That's not bad, is it? Do you know what?

You're not a bad boy at all,

and if you just listened a little bit more in class and weren't quite

so ready to play the joker, you'd be fine.

He's done well, but is he on the path to achieve his high-flying

-dreams?

-So, what do you need if you're going to be a fighter pilot?

-A good brain.

-A good brain. Well, you've got one of those.

You have to work your good brain.

You can't just have a good brain, you've got to use it.

What subjects do you need to be good at?

English, maths, science.

Maths and science are really important.

-Geography.

-No, you don't need geography.

You've got a sat nav for that!

DAD CHUCKLES

I think it takes quite a long time to become a fighter pilot,

because you study hard, work hard,

and also listen and get

good, like, A levels and GCSEs and all sorts like that.

Rex is learning that he doesn't always have to imitate his idol.

I remember when I was at school, I used to have talks with my parents.

It was always, you know, can you do more, can you do better?

And it was just,

it went in one ear and out the other.

And I don't want that. I don't want that with him at all.

If he applies himself, I think he'll go an awfully long way.

Oh!

Flight number 125 has crashed in the ocean.

Being a fighter pilot, you can't do the bare minimum,

like, "Can I not do, like, a shorter display?"

Or "Can I not do, like, a shorter flight or something?"

No. You've got to want to do it.

You've got to know what you want to do

and know what you've got to do, and then go and do it.

And, yeah, it's inconvenient.

It's boring sometimes, I'll admit that.

But you've got to do it, otherwise somebody else will do it for you.

I'll really try and stick to the rules next year

and...

Sometimes I might get a bit overexcited, but I'll try my best.

The best thing about being young is you don't have to worry about

anything. It's like, everything's going to be OK.

Yeah. Let's just do whatever we want.

When my childhood is over,

I'm going to be a moody, and I'm just going to sleep every day.

It's going to be really hard as soon as I become an adult,

because I'm like,

"Can't I just be a kid? All this stuff is really hard!"

It's the day Daniel has been waiting for,

and an important letter has arrived.

I'm feeling very nervous and excited.

Daniel worries quite a lot,

and I think if he doesn't get a school that he wants to go to,

he is going to worry about it. He is going to stress about it.

And then

he's just not going to want to get out of bed.

He's not going to want to try and do his homework.

He's not going to want to do anything.

And I think he's got his heart set on it.

So I think if he didn't get a chance to go there,

I think he'd be pretty devastated.

Daniel's dad is on Skype from his Army base in Africa, to find out if

he's got into his dream school.

-DAD:

-I can't see you.

-He'll just have to hear you.

Right.

OK.

-Oh!

-What does it say? What does it say?

Bradford Academy!

Are you happy?

Yeah! It says,

"I'm pleased to inform you that your child has been given a place at

"Bradford Academy from September 2016."

OK. Well done.

We just need to sort that out.

OK, OK, I'll sign it, I'll sign it, don't worry.

-Can I tick it?

-Can you tick it?

Are you getting upset?

-No!

-BROTHER:

-He's going to cry!

It's all right if he cries. Are you going to cry?

-No.

-Yeah, you can tick it.

Which do you want to do? Do you want to be attending or not?

I want to be attending, obviously!

I can't wait to go.

I guess you're happy as well, then, Dad, aren't you?

I am very happy for you. Well done.

-BROTHER:

-Congratulations!

Well, I'm feeling overexcited.

I've just got into Bradford Academy!

Hello, Brendan. I've got into Bradford Academy!

Yeah!

I'm still thinking this is just a dream.

The future looks really good,

and I can see myself becoming a good scientist.

Next time, how kids see the world of adults.

Money!

-Money!

-Oh...

The problems grown-ups face.

They don't care about the people that haven't got jobs.

Big life choices.

I'm not going to force you to wear a hijab, though.

It's about you, what you want.

And what they'd do if they were in charge.

A person's life is more important than a dog's life.

I'm sorry, it is, it is.