My late wife and I were contemporaries at KGGS and KBGS respectively. I have both our school reports. All hers are in one report book; mine in two. How come?

The accountant in me drove me to count the pages in each. Her book had 25 pages (enough for 25 termly reports). Mine had only 15; hence 2 books.

Explanations and/or suggestions on one side of foolscrap please.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana

Dead easy, Terry!
3 reports each year for 5 years (ie the majority of G.S. pupils) required a book of 15 pages. Hence, staying on in 6th form would require a supplementary book. KGGS was evidently very wasteful in this respect!

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1958 - 65

Current location (optional) Dudley, West Midlands

Yes we had a new one in the 6th form, with not so many subject lines (ie deeper so the masters could write more)

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 58-64

Current location (optional) Wirral

Could it be that the KGGS had greater expectations and set higher aspirations for all its pupils? 25 pages of termly reports even allows for a second crack at the Universities or Oxbridge. Later on, a former pupil, wading through the 10 unused pages, must have generated the thought - "What have I missed?"

Could it be that KBGS expected its pupils to take the first white collar or brown smocked management role that came their way? Remember it had been t'traid schooil.

6th Form and Higher Education were after thoughts. And leaving with a full set of reports would have engendered the feeling of "I did all that was asked of me. Job done!"

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana

I think, Terry, you are wrong about KGGS having higher aspirations for its pupils. Very much in line with the times, most girls who stayed on in the sixth form were destined for teacher-training college, and teaching, until Mr Right came along. During my own sixth-form career I knew of only three girls from KGGS who went on to university and the possibility of some other career. I never knew of any girl going on to Oxbridge - other than my wife, but she went only as a mature student, long after leaving KGGS after 'O-levels'. Our own sixth was very much geared to sending boys to university and there was hardly ever a year when two or three boys didn't go to either Oxford or Cambridge. For its size, its small-town location, and its comparative lack of modern, on-site facilities, KBGS under Neville Hind's guidance had exceedingly high aspirations. I am not able to say whether it continued in the same vein under Hind's successor, or indeed whether KGGS policy changed in the sixties with regard to chasing university rather than TTC places.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1951-58

Current location (optional) Keswick, Cumbria

A stout defence,Doug, with a few good attacking shots.

If I marked my postings with a coding, this would definitely have been a TIC.

Aimed at shaking off increscent torpor, hopefully this critique of the old school has pruned the blooming moribundia and headed off rigor mortis.

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1952-60

Current location (optional) Nirvana