As a one-time teacher in York and Lincolnshire, I was confronted on a regular basis with being honest yet informative when completing term reports.

One colleague, Phil Rennison , had a great flair for the native tongue and his reports were both genuine and real gems . He was the Art teacher and I told him once that , before I tackled a form’s reports, I waited until he had done them because his were always a good read and inspirational. “Well, Terry,” he said , with good humour, “I like to give the parents a bit of the Sunday supplement.”

I still have my old KBGS reports. Reading through them recently, none of them, although probably accurate, had the flair or lustre that Phil’s had. Overloaded as they are with one word judgments (Good; Weak; Interested etc), mine have nothing of the Sunday supplement of Phil’s exclusive disclosures.

Was that the experience of all KBGS boys – or are there some gems hidden in other KBGS reports?

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

Current location (optional) Nirvana

I do remember getting 'Trying hard' for one subject followed by a 'Very Trying' for another, I think was Harry 'Blinks' Milton. Still have my reports somewhere, will look for them.

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

Current location (optional) Wirral

I still have my report books - haven't had need to look at them for years but I have pulled them from the drawer where they have languished undisturbed for ages and I find them to be a bit 'lack lustre'. In fact if one was to remove all the four letter words which adorn every page, there would be virtually nothing left. The masters of yesteryear had very little imagination or was it the minute amount of space available for their comments which limited what they wrote? In my case, the most commonly used words were, "fair, weak, good", qualified sometimes with the addition of the word "very". I can remember being pleased to read the very rarely used word "excellent" usually from Francis Peach and Harry Harpin but it is the old man who takes the prize with his four consecutive Head Master's comments of, "Can do better", "Can still do better", "I still think he can do better" and finally, "Better!".

Years at KBGS e.g. 1958-1964 (optional) 1945 - 50

Current location (optional) Norfolk

I deeply regret having thrown out my KBGS Reports many years ago - who knew then that this forum would appear and bring back so many memories.
However, I do recall one Watthey comment at the end of one yearly report.

'He has asked for trouble, he will get it'.

If he could see you now, Trev, and what you've achieved, he'd have to change his tune!

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

Current location (optional) Keswick, Cumbria