Last days for Daughter 2 at junior school today. Including the overlap with D1, that’s 6 years that the family has been associated with the school and they’ve grown so much in that time. Leaver’s assembly this lunchtime increased shares in Kleenex substantially – a very dusty school hall.

But that’s not the point of this post. She’s has had a tough year and has really struggled with some growing issues, but has had the support of the most fantastic class teacher anyone could ever have wished for. A good teacher is worth their weight in gold and Mr Kemp, you are one motherchuffin’ fine teacher.

If your kids have a great teacher don’t wait till the day they leave to tell them.

The only 2 teachers I remember with any fondness are Mr……(the one who arranged all the camping & ‘outward bound’ trips, & Mr Majid, just about the 1st Indian teacher I/we’d ever met. I’m talking the early 1970’s.

It was Mr Bowman!! AKA ‘Reggie’

One more year at primary school. 11 years we’ll have spent there with the two of them. Good teachers pretty much all the way through really.

I understand the emotions, but some of the Year 6 girls were being proper drama queens in the playground this afternoon – they’ll see each other tomorrow at dance class!

I didn’t have to do it very often thankfully, but good God I look back on the primary school run with utter contempt, some of the wannabee parents picking up little *insert modern name* used to make my piss boil. Laddo just finished 1st year at big school and what a change in him. Braver,more confident and made the step up remarkably well.

Our eldest daughter’s last day at primary today too. Ace school, lovely class of kids and unusually most of us parents have become good friends over the years too.
As it happens we’re moving to Scotland so it’s also our youngest daughter’s last day at the school and we’re all leaving our friends.

This week’s been very tough.

I remember my French teacher Mrs Smith, she was lovely.

Next year my eldest goes up to big school when my youngest starts in reception class. So we’ll do 14 years at that primary school. Daughter has had some issues and while most of the teachers have been great this years teacher has been amazing and she’s now getting the support she needs. Chapeau Mrs McClive, shame we can’t have you for another year.

I remember my French teacher Mrs Smith, she was lovely.

and yet cross-eyed ?

and yet cross-eyed ?

I was after each lesson yes 🙂

Our lad leaves on Tuesday. The school is great, I went there too from when it first it opened it’s doors. Our daughter has another two years, on the whole they’ve had great teachers, his Y6 he clashed with a bit sadly but his results speak volumes and she has got the best from them all. Their Y6 performance this week was fabulous. His class are great too and like many we know lots of parents socially now too. I’m a governor and have been for 5 years so have a greater connection than most I think, I know their leavers assembly on Monday will be a dusty one, but I’m so proud of what he and his class mates have achieved.

I’m 40 now. I still vividly remember some utterly incredible teachers and a few truly shocking ones.

Special mention for one known for short / affectionately as Tindy.

The man who taught me not to learn everything but to instead learn the things and principles from which you could work out the answers to a problem. He was also a demon dinghy sailor!

I also remember one of my maths teachers who used to play jazz records in class occasionally and sing along loudly and badly.

To single out those two is unfair on the others though because there were so many good ones.

My kids’ school is jammed full of gifted teachers. They are lucky boys.

I’m over 40 and I remember a couple of teachers who were real sadistic bastards and had no place being near kids at all.

Like Mr Richards, the ginger bearded fool (“He’s really cool, he talks about football in class”) smacking 8 year old me about the head all afternoon because I couldn’t make him understand what synchromesh was.

I hope something heavy fell on him.

I’m not looking forward to later, daughter broke up yesterday, been at the school 2 years (grammar school so had all the stress over 11 plus exam with the only alternative being the local comp in special measures). School have been fantastically supportive as she does ballet at a high level, to the extent she has earnt a place at Elmhurst Ballet School from September which is full boarding. It’s taken 3 years of bitter disappointments, hard work and auditions but she’s done it (there are only 2 dedicated classical ballet schools at her age, the other being the Royal Ballet in London so to say competition is fierce is an understatement). Anyway she’s been so excited to get in she’d forgotten that meant leaving her current school. We had 9 of her friends here last night on a sleepover, not looking forward to her later when reality finally kicks in, they’ve gone home, the adrenalin wears off and the lack of sleep hits.