Tim Harris: My School Reports

Year	Teacher	Teacher's comments	My own comments

1977	Mrs Cox Subject: Art	Tries Hard but can be lazy.	You can tell I wasn't overly fond of moving to Bayswater. I did not like the splitting of pupils into contrived classes based on alleged ability. I was in the "top" set but I wanted to be in the next one down as I felt I would have fitted in better there. I also did not believe in homework.
1978	Mrs Cox Subject: Art	Timothy has improved a lot. Shows more interest.	I warmed to Mrs Cox during this year and finally started to learn from her.
Late 1978	Mrs Cox Subject: Art	Very enthusiastic this year. I am pleased with his work.	So was I my dear, so was I.
1977	Mrs Blunt Subject: Needlework Right: 2 pictures of a rodent that I positively loathed the sight of. Ah, happy times.	Careful work but so slow.	It took me 1 and a half years to produce a 3 inch long pin cushion in the shape of a mouse. I'd like to think this is a record of some kind, and I'm proud of it. It took me another year to produce a Christmas card. Yes, I only did two things in 3 years of Needlework. I hated the subject, I can't think of anything worse I have ever been subjected to. I had to pay for these things too which doubly added to the insult. As for the mouse, it still exists to this day and is as unloved now as it ever was. I had wanted to destroy it when I took it back home in 1978 but my mother wanted to have it so I reluctantly handed it over. I assumed it had then been (wisely) thrown out by my mother many years ago but during 2013 I re-discovered it hiding in one her trinket boxes that had lain undisturbed in a window sill long after she'd passed away. Learning from the mistake of letting my mother know the mouse existed the Christmas card was destroyed & binned by me within a minute of entering my house in 1979, without anyone there ever knowing it had existed: it wasn't a moment too soon. Good bloody riddance.
1978	Mrs Blunt Subject: Needlework	Does not find this easy.	You said it babe.
Late 1978	Mrs Blunt Subject: Needlework	Not very enthusiastic.	*Snigger*
Late 1978	Mrs Blunt Subject: Maths	Timothy is a conscientious worker always giving his best.	Bit of a contrast to your Needlework lessons, huh?
1979	Mrs Blunt Subject: Maths	His overall score must not discourage him, it was a difficult test.	Yes, why did you make it so darned difficult?
1978	Mr Landers Subject: Woodwork	Timothy always tries.	That's all he put !!!!!!! That says it all !!!!!
1978	Miss Lewis Subject: Music	Timothy has come to the fore and worked very well.	I started to really get into writing music at that time and I loved singing. I joined the school choir the year before and it was a very happy experience.
1979	Miss Lewis Subject: Music	A pity he doesn't play an instrument.	I know, I know. Update 4th May 2014: I still don't play an instrument.

Year	Teacher	Teacher's comments	My own comments

1980	Mr Russell Subject: History	His marks for work in class have continued to be rather disappointing.	The lessons continued to be rather disappointing as well.
1980	Mr Baker Subject: Geography	His exam and test results have been below average.	It'd be a boring world if we were all interested in Geography.
1980	Mr Ramage Subject: Woodwork	Needs to pay a little more attention to detail.	They were lumps of wood. How attentive does one need to be?
1983	Mr Ramage Subject: Maths (Money Management)	Exam: 22% I had expected a better exam result - his difficulty is with the comprehension of the questions.	Maths lessons that used imperial measurements were insane in the decimal age. Questions that, like a lot of old maths, were more suited to Mensa entrance exams than the testing of the ability of pupils to be able to work out problems.
1980	Mr Plewitt Subject: Engineering	Tried hard but progress was slow.	That's okay, I expect you couldn't do everything either: if you could build bridges would you be teaching in school?
1981	Mrs Berry Subject: English	He seems to respond in a thoughtful way to what he reads.	I was certainly thoughtful when I ended up with a copy of Brave New World to study in my own time when the rest of the class got Lord Of The Flies to study. I thought: "Should I tell her?" *I didn't tell her as I was in no way interested in reading Lord Of The Flies. She was a bit surprised when I told her six weeks later.*
1981	Mrs Spencer Form Tutor	Tim is a stalwart of the tutor group, quiet, unassuming, ever prepared to help where he can, with no complaint.	This is just a gratuitous entry aimed at being completely immodest.
1981	Mr Knight Subject: French	He must not be de-moralised by poor results.	Had I been celebrating I suspect this would not have gone down well either. It was only French anyway. By the way, for all those who did not listen to me at the time, I DID NOT WANT TO BE IN THE TOP SET FOR FRENCH!!! There, that's better.
1981	Mr Desmond Subject: Economics	Tim produced a disappointing exam result (31%).	I didn't lose sleep over it.
1982	Mr Desmond Subject: Economics	Tim produced a slightly disappointing exam result (30%).	He's less disappointed this time even though the result is actually lower. I'm not sure which financial policy covers this kind of result (what do you expect from somebody who gets 30%?)
Feb 1984	Mr Desmond Subject: Economics	He must...read more widely in the subject.	Sorry to disappoint you Mr D but Economics is boring and people only take it up because it's easy to pass. We sure as Hell don't want to read any more about it !!!!!
July 1984	Mr Desmond Subject: Economics	Providing he puts in the effort he should achieve an 'A' Level next year.	And in fact that's all I did achieve, 'an' 'A' Level. One thing I should credit Mr Desmond with is that he, above all others, made me understand the need, in essays, for an introduction, reasoned arguments / thoughts and then a conclusion.
1984	Mr Hudson Subject: European History	Exam: 14%	A new height in lowness. Another proud achievement.
1981	Mr Bishop Subject: Physics	Exam: 32%. He will have to do better than this.	Yes, but did you see how well I did in History?
1980	Mr Hulford Subject: Maths	Some concepts take a little time to sink in, but once they have they stick.	Except the concept of exams. The questions in the papers always came across as being trick questions that did not test your knowledge of maths as much as your Sherlock Holmes ability to work out what the funt they were talking about.
1981	Mr Hulford Subject: Maths	A good examination result which could quite easily have been even better.	Or: if he'd actually revised he might have got a better result!!!
1983	Mr Hulford Subject: Maths	Exam: 92%, Group average 41% He has little difficulty with any of the material.	It just seemed that one day all maths finally made sense to me and I even dared to enjoy it.
1982	Miss Harvey Subject: English	His examination result was very disappointing and I'm sure he can do better than this.	It was those low cut tops you wore which completely demolished my concentration. By the way, thanks for wearing those low cut tops.
1982	Mrs Harding Subject: Art	He...is producing work of a high standard.	So imagine my disappointment when it was all thrown out (along with a lot of other peoples' efforts). Cheney used to have a Form Points system as a reward for producing good work. It went towards your tutor form total and the class who got the most were let out early on last day of term. I received only two Form Points in two years whilst other goody goody two shoes were handed them like Smarties. Mrs Harding gave me a Form Point for the last piece of homework I ever produced for her. The Form Point was given to me on my last school day prior to the summer holidays: giving it to me then was about as pointless as a broken pencil. I kept it with my homework books which were the only pieces of art I was able to rescue from the scrap heap. *The picture the form point relates to can be seen on my Picture Gallery page under the title Person.*
1983	Mr Spencer Subject: Design Graphics	Timothy has shown fine interest in this subject and I am pleased with his work.	At the time I did not see Graphic Design as 'real' art. I can't honestly say I liked the subject at the time: I've grown to like designing a lot since leaving school.
1983	Mr Soper: Subject: Computer Programming	I am very pleased with the effort...and with his work and progress.	I've come a long way with computers since then. So have computers.
Feb 1984	Miss Ogden Subject: British History	He obviously researches with commendable thoroughness.	*You've got me mixed up with somebody else surely?! This is me we're talking about??? Never. I don't remember that at all. Not for any* subject!!!!! Definitely never history!!!! Naturally everybody called Miss Ogden 'Hilda' behind her back. A nice lady though, who thoroughly revelled in History. She'll always be remembered.**
July 1984	Miss Ogden Subject: British History	He is...always first to hand in his essay.	That's because I didn't spend much time writing them. And my essays were much shorter than anybody else's. And I didn't really tackle the subject. And I was bored by it.
1984	Mr Hudson Subject: European History	Exam: 14%	It was only History.
1985	Mr John Subject: European History	Performance is hampered by...a deficient style.	I love this comment: nobody's called me deficient before (or since).
1985	Mr Betton Subject: Physical Education	He is a most quiet and helpful young man.	A very good report considering I hadn't been to any of his lessons all year. Cheers Mr Betton.
1985	Mr Russell Deputy Year Tutor	I am sure that Tim has benefited from his 'A' Level course.	Yes. I've worked in the Civil Service ever since.

	And Finally:
1981	Miss Smith Subject: Latin	Test Result: 1 out of 140 This will have to be entered in my mark book as "0". Have you done ANY work on this at all, Timothy? I have never marked a piece of work, like this.	I'd never produced a piece of work like this either!!! This was a first for both of us!!! Quite gratifyingly my all-time proudest moment. Miss Smith was an excellent teacher, I simply didn't bother learning anything. To quote Ornshaw from my favourite film "Melody": "I couldn't speak to a dead Roman even if I knew the bloody lingo!!!" I enjoyed the lessons though. On the left is a scan of my answer paper to the test which took place on Tuesday 3rd November 1981. It was the last test I sat for Latin. Click on the picture to see it at a larger size. I only wish I had the question paper too.

On the left is the front cover to the handbook we were given before we joined Cheney School back in 1979. This was given to us at the meeting we had to attend before going there as pupils.

One quote from the handbook that I like says: "Form Points can be removed for lack of effort and anti social behaviour". Anti social behaviour's not a new modern scourge then?

The timetable is listed as:

8.50am Registration in Form Room

9.15-10.25am Periods 1 and 2

10.25-10.40am Break

10.40-11.55am Periods 3 and 4

11.55-1.00pm Dinner Break

1.00pm Registration in Form Room

1.05-2.15pm Periods 5 and 6

2.15-2.30pm Break

2.30-3.40pm Periods 7 and 8

Year	Teacher	Teacher's comments	My own comments

1974	Mrs Hiorns	Reads very well and enjoys writing stories. His writing is original and interesting. He enjoys practical subjects and has produced some good paintings. Timothy is a quiet, sensible and helpful boy in class. He works well on his own or in a group and is keen to do well.	I remember enjoying lessons very much at that time. Mrs Hiorns was a nice lady who taught well. She left the school in the same year this was written. I hope she's had as good a life as she deserved.
1975	Mrs Murray	Timothy is a really delightful child to have in a class. He works hard and well.	And I'm still delightful to this day. Mrs Murray left the school in the same year this was written.
1976	Mr Chaundy	He has imagination and uses it thoughtfully. Always displays an intelligent interest and has a good background of general knowledge. One could not wish for a better pupil. His behaviour and attitude to work is always excellent.	A thoroughly intelligent man who taught me how to draw better than I had before. He was a good credit to the teaching profession and it was a sad day when he retired, shortly after he wrote my report.

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