This article attempts to summarise the good, bad and (occasionally) ugly aspects of teaching astronomy in UK schools. It covers the most common problems reported by teachers when asked about covering the astronomy/space topics in school. Particular focus is given to the GCSE Astronomy qualification offered by Edexcel (which is currently the fastest growing science GCSE in the UK) but anyone teaching any aspect of space or astronomy should find it useful. (Contains 2 figures and 9 online resources.)