YEAR 4 - PARSONWOOD HILL

(I'm standing on the far right of this picture)

It was a very mixed final year at Parsonwood hill, outside the classroom bullying had got worse and worse (this is dealt with in another entry). Inside the classroom it was the easiest of the 6 years I spent at primary school. Our teacher for that year Miss Garnham was the least strict and the most easygoing of the lot. She was one of the few teachers who went on strike the odd few days a year. I remember my parents wondering why I was walking down the driveway with a letter in my hand and a massive smile on my face.



I liked being in her class for all the wrong reasons as I got away with things that I couldn’t get away with anywhere else. Academically it was the same story as every other year, Maths top of the class and not needing any encouragement. and English I struggled. It was not until 2 years later when we had the notoriously strict Mrs Irneson that I discovered that I had missed out in several areas. Also I now look back and see there was no coincidence with having the slackest teacher and the most bullying in the same year.



One reason I was glad to leave Parsonwood Hill was the headmaster Mr Staniforth who everyone hated. He was the horrible old boring lecture type whose speeches seemed to go on forever. We still seen him a bit at the Market place school but not so much. It was just our luck that he finally retired about 3 months before we left. The one that came after Mr Bristow seemed to be a lot better some say that he pushed religion a bit heavy but I would have still prefered him anyday.


This is Parsonwood hill school two and a half decades after I left. The blue dots indicate the outline of the building when I attended. Since then a big extension was built when the market place school closed down and turned into a nursery. All of that area was field which we were allowed on at break times during the summer. Behind was an old swimming pool which had long fell into disuse when I attended, it was full of dirty water/rubbish and strictly out of bounds. In the early 1990s dad helped out down the school and help convert that pool into a wildlife pond. The car park at the front used to be the school playground where a large percentage of my childhood problems happened.

I’m not quite sure about the physical education on my school report below because I was always useless at sport!!!!!

SCHOOL REPORT

ENGLISH - Good progress in reading and written expression but still needs to work hard on spellings.

MATHS - Matthew has shown a keen interest and worked very hard indeed.

SPECIAL INTERESTS - Matthew has shown a positive interest in his topic work. Good progress

ART AND CRAFT - Fair only

PHYSICAL EDUCATION - Tries hard. A willing participant

GENERAL REMARKS - Matthew has worked hard this year and has shown a keen interest. One looks for a continued improvement in handwriting.