First day at school

Kate that was so cruel!
I don’t remember particularly my first day at school, but I do remember wondering why our next door neighbour ( a little girl a few months older than my twin and I) crying completely distraught. I think she started a couple of days after we did. She was put with my sister and I and we couldn’t help- although we tried to cheer her up. We had both attended nursery school and of course were together, but for the little girl next door it was her first experience without he mother. Her mother tried so hard - with my mother too, to get the little girl settled in and making friends. We just could not make friends with her as she didn’t know how to play and wanted to be alone. I realise now she may well have had autism or similar.
I rather liked school. We had milk to drink- a whole little bottle each- ( as twins almost everything else was shared- half each) warmed by putting the crate on the coal boiler in winter time. When I started there were only 2 classes- infants and juniors, so our infant class was mixed age. The toilets were outside and the toilet paper was hard. We had bomb shelters in the playground, which were later repurposed as cycle sheds. We used to have nature walks -to the fields between the church and castle and we had popular classical music from a record player before assembly as our head teacher liked classical music. And yes I do remember all the teachers names!

I can’t remember much about it, but on the second day, I asked if I could go and get a hankie from my pocket - only thing was the pocket was at home, so I walked the mile or more home, crossing what in those days was the main A1 (pre motorway),

Our village had expanded to almost double in size due to the building of an enormous Scottish Special Housing Estate, but the new school to cater for that area had yet to be constructed. Consequently on my first day at school 45 of us new pupils were enrolled and squashed into a classroom with desks and seats for 25 pupils. It was absolute mayhem.

A week later a wee girl with a calliper on her leg, having just survived Polio arrived and the Infant Mistress lost the plot and had a raging row with the Headmaster, which we all heard. Consequently 6 of us, who were deemed already able to read, write and count were moved into Primary 2 and a similar number of clever pupils (including my 1 year older big Sister were promoted up to P3.

This worked out OK until we sat the 'Control Exam in P7. I passed and went to the County Academy where I was the youngest pupil in first year (and the rest of the years when I come to think of it)

I remember walking to school with mum who was wearing a polka dot dress and was pushing my brother in his pram. My gran came with us. My teacher, Mrs Rennie, was very nice. One boy did the toilet in his pants and we were horrified. I also remember one girl getting belted (Scotland) for being unable to say five. In the course of the session, a boy who stayed close to my house and I decided not to go to school in the afternoon and we played on the local golf course. When we went home, we got such a row as the school had sent the janitor to find out where we were. It was the time before phones.

I was 4yrs old my sister who was 7yrs old took me to school my father had died so my mum went to work. I remember getting milk which I liked when it was cold but hated when it was aired.We had to lay in ?camp beds in the afternoon which I didn't like the teacher used to walk round checking to see if our 👀 were shut.

I don't remember it. But i had been in a day nursery from the age of 3. There was more nursery provision in the post war years than at anytime since.

I was five and felt abandoned. I didn't cry but was very unhappy until we were given slates and chalk to draw a cat.
The only heating was a black stove that didn't seem to work very well.

1948 . I remember only the smell, a rocking horse and plasticine.

I vividly remember the pink carbolic soap which was cut from a large bar and a small cube left at each wash hand basin. Also the hard toilet paper which could have worked as tracing paper.

I remember wearing a tartan skirt, which had a slit pocket in between the pleats, with my biscuit money in it. I somehow couldn't find this pocket, but my lovely teacher helped me - Miss Robinson, who had dark hair, a pretty face, and red lipstick. That was in 1964

We didn’t have hand washing facilities after using the outdoor loos! 😱

We had a nursery that was part of the school. You had to walk through the hall and corridors to get there.
We had little beds that were put out after lunch. It had a huge open fire.
So going to primary school was just a natural progression.

Germanshepherdsmum

Oh yes, the awful outside loos. 😱

And the toilet paper was kept on a shelf in the classroom and you were only allowed to take four pieces ..............

I was raised by my maternal grandparents and on the first day of school I cried and screamed because I didn't want to be separated from my grandmother. I hated school for the rest of school years. It was torture.

I started school at Tedburn St Mary school in Devon. We lived on a farm and had quite a walk, with my Mum, to catch a bus every morning. I remember roll call and everyone replying with the word ‘present’ (but there weren’t any!). Not long afterwards we emigrated and I was that girl who spoke ‘funny’.

Torture indeed Perky For me too. Imagine taking a 7 year old (me) out of class with no explanation and putting her in the back of a transit van alone with no idea where she was going. The doors opening at the other end and someone in a white coat telling you to get out of the van and follow him. Taken into a building, having your head deloused, being put back in the van and back to school. Still no explanation.

That’s horrendous Kate1949.

We were given an apron and handtowel and shoe bag with a small embroidered animal or flower on it and the same as our coat peg.
The toilets were outside and up the yard, The washbasins were tin dishes set in a desk.Izal loo paper was really hard.
The second day I cried like others, mum asked me why I said because Winnie my friend did and I was told not to bother doing it again.
I remember high-up windows we could not see out of and they still had crisis cross marks on them from the war tape, it was an old Victorian building.
We had cards with your name on you had to find yours then copy into a book. One boy sat in a wheelbarrow behind a door and never got out, he must have had a problem but it was treated by letting him sit there. DH says he cried because his towel had a chicken on it and the others had tigers and lions.

Grannynannywanny

That’s horrendous Kate1949.

It would be child abuse these days, just like they cut all your hair off and put that stinky lotion on then everyone knew why.
Poor you Kate 1949
The school Dentist took all my cousins front teeth about 8 out when she was 11. They would not believe they were her second teeth She has had a plate at the top nearly all her life. My mum would not let me see the school dentist so I was always marked as unfit.

Yep. My mother let a dentist take all of my teeth out when I was 11. My childhood was a nightmare.

It wasn't the same in England even in the 60's. At Grammar School two of my friends were Consultants' daughters one a G.P.s one a vets and two Dentists. Their brother and sisters were also in the same Local Education Authority school.

After reading all your comments I feel so sorry for those of you who suffered and glad for the ones who didn't get distressed. I like the learning aspect of going to school.As a bed wetter I blamed my mother for sending me to school smelling of wee.I now know why no one wanted to play with me.On a school trip I was made to sit next to a boy on the coach who smelt of wee and later at home I told my mother it was horrible sitting next to him not realising that I smelt too.Second hand clothes and shoes didn't help either.These things made me determined to be a better parent and to work hard and not be poor. I find sharing unpleasant memories a great release and hope you do too.

I was only at my first infant school for a term because a new school opened and we were in the catchment area for that one. I can clearly remember my first day there because there was still a big pile of builders rubble in the playground which we were warned we mustn’t go near. We did of course! I loved that school as it had a big field behind it and in summer we often had lessons out there.

I started in the middle of the year as we had been living abroad because of my father’s work. We returned to this country following his death. All I remember of the first day is the teacher asking me to show her my handkerchief and I told her that I didn’t have one as I didn’t have a cold. She said one should always carry a handkerchief. To this day I am always checking to see where my handkerchief/ tissue is.

Kate1949

Yep. My mother let a dentist take all of my teeth out when I was 11. My childhood was a nightmare.

You,ve had a rotten time Kate. My cousin still brings it up.
I must admit my mum had no patience with me when I cried with the others at school, just told me I need not try it because I was there for good.
My gran looked after my cousin and after about a week she hated it. When gran got home my cousin was sitting on her step she had run away and gone to grans house down a long muddy lonnin so no one would see her.
My DH sneaked off school one playtime and took two other boys with him he was found two miles away playing on the local docks. He was in big trouble at home and school.