KING EDWARD VII BY SUBJECT - PART 2

MATHS - GRADE B

At primary school I was nearly always top of the class at Maths and allowed to learn at my own pace ahead of everyone else. At Castle Rock I spent the best part of 3 years learning nothing and waiting for everyone else to catch up. (see the earlier entry CASTLE ROCK A WASTED EDUCATION - PART 2 for details).

By the time I started my G.C.S.Es the education system had finally caught up with my level of ability. Unfortunately 3 years of “not bothering” had taken it’s toll, the previous enthusiasm I had for the subject just wasn’t there anymore even though the natural ability was. I didn’t pick up new concepts as quickly as I used to and I sometimes even started to struggle.

When it came to the final exam I was advised by the teacher to do the intermediate paper instead of the higher level paper. I could still get a grade C with that but I would struggle with the demands of A-level Maths which is what I wanted to go on an do. The fact that I was being advised to do that shows how far I had come down since primary school.

However since my best work always came in exams I went against this advice and it paid off as I got a grade B. Maths was the first choice for A-level subjects when I later stayed on in the sixth form.

REPORTS

1991

Matthew has worked well in class this year and has achieved a good result in the recent exams. He seems to enjoy the challenge of problem solving. He has a good understanding of the basic concepts of maths and must now try to his skills further by learning standard routines to help in the approach to more complex questions. He has kept up with coursework demands but his work suffers from a lack of a disciplined approach to the write up.

1992

Matthew has worked well in class this term and produced good work. He has ability in maths and can grasp new ideas quickly but is not always able to select the appropriate method to solve a complex problem. He must work on practicing techniques to solve problems. Matthew must revise his work carefully before the mock exam as he needs to confirm his ability to cope with the higher level paper by getting a good result.

MEDIA STUDIES - GRADE C

Media studies was one of two optional subjects, we were given a list of about 10 to choose from and I picked Information systems and Business studies. Unfortunately I didn’t know at the time that you couldn’t do both of these and I ended up being given my third choice which to be honest I didn’t really think about.

In a way Media studies was the exact opposite of science, I didn’t care much for the subject but we had a great teacher in Andy Reeve. He didn’t tolerate any type of messing about in his lessons, he was good at motivating people but you could also have a bit of a laugh and a joke with him as well. Few people had a bad word to say about him.

I did very well for a subject that was 100% coursework. With any other teacher there is no doubt that I would have got around a grade E or F instead of a grade C.

Unfortunately media studies in later years gained a notorious reputation for being a useless subject particularly at degree level!!!!

Report extracts.

1991 - I’m pleased that Matthew seems to be enjoying the lessons. He is a quiet and reasonably hard working student and he should be pleased with the overall progress he has made in this first year.

1992 - Matthew has coped well with the demands of the course since last year and I’m sure he will achieve a GCSE grade which accurately reflects his ability.

INFORMATION SYSTEMS - GRADE D

I like using computers and knew they would be more a part of everyday life as time went on so information systems was my first choice of the optional subjects. The course was what would be best described as an all round ability with computers. I did well with the likes of spreadsheets, databases and programming but lacked interest and scored poorly with things like word processing and graphics programs. This is why I didn’t get a grade C, somehow I was still allowed to do A-level computing. The comments on the reports show my rather erratic level of interest in the subject.

Report extracts.

(1) Matthew is working reasonably well and making steady progress. He has demonstrated he can cope with most of the tasks set to far.

(2) Matthew has shown an aptitude towards computing and has produced some very good work. He is a conscientious and hardworking young man.

(3) Matthew finds it difficult to organize his time and work on his own initiative. He is far too easily distracted.