We’re are you popular at school?

Sadly, due to moving around during the war years having been bombed out a few times, I seemed to be attending new schools all the time. There never seemed time to make friends.
This changed after the war, passed 11+ and went to a fabulous G.S. I was very sporty and athletic and with a group of like minded girls we represented the school in many sporting activities. This made up very popular as a whole and individually. The boys seemed to like me too!

I always had lots of friends at all the schools I attended (infant, junior, grammar), and am still in touch with most of them. However, I never thought of it as being popular - perhaps I never needed to, as I had friends. I feel sorry for those of you who had a bad time at school.

As far as I can remember, I enjoyed junior school. However, I went to Grammar School, having passed the 11+. I hated languages, still no good at them but enjoyed the arts. I loved classical music and got bullied because of that, I was not one of the in-kids iyswim. Also, I was an only child and never really enjoyed interactions with other children, probably never learnt how to. I got through my school days and am still in contact with junior school friends.

Think I was popular at school. Never really thought of it that way. Was a bit of a swot which possibly endeared me to the teachers. Also successful at team sports - athletics a huge no no - which helps building friendships, I think. I remember being a 'random sample' with two other lad classmates to sit our qualifying exam a year early. Selection was made by DoB and I passed with flying colours. Probably because of lack of pressure. Must say I still think of my schooldays with total happiness and joy. Oh yes.

Not popular or unpopular, good at sport so coped by excelling at 5gat at Grammar School. I hated it! Left aged 16 went to technical college, worked, teacher training college. Quite popular there.
I know who my friends are now and one has lasted since Grammar school.

There were lots of teachers favourite pupils st my school

Bit like Kim19 never really thought about it.
Had friends both girls and boys, at secondary school was good at sports-played for school in hockey and badminton and was elected Head Girl, unanimously the Head of Year said. Not sure why that was, maybe I didn’t ruffle too many feathers!
I was quite academic too but not in a geeky way and because, I think, I ‘only just’ failed my 11+ ( see other thread if interested ) I didn’t worry too much about the work.
Having interests outside school also widened my circle of friends which was also a good thing too I think.
I enjoyed my school years and look back with affection and feel sad for those for whom school was torture and they couldn’t wait to leave. Children and some teachers can be very cruel.

I consider myself unfortunate to have lived in an era, late 1940's/early 50's where a slap or the cane was part of every day life in the classroom.Never dared tell my parents.

.

Not many friends. Not popular. Still a bit of a loner.

I had my friends (and still do!!) but we weren't part of the "popular" group.

I went to an all girls Grammar, and felt like an outsider for the whole time. Skiing trips, school visits to Russia and America, were all completely beyond my parents resources - they struggled to buy the uniform. As for popularity, I made a couple of friends but plodded on without being noticed in any way to the sixth form, and then left. 'Never picked for any teams as I hated sport and was hopeless. I cannot say I enjoyed the senior school years, disliked some of it intensely, but still have one of the friends!

I was desperately unpopular.
I was a scholarship girl in a posh grammar school, and my father was 'only a tradesman'.
That was bad enough, but I was undersized, unsporty and studious.
I won every academic prize for which I entered, so I daresay my fellow pupils would have liked me dead.
I'm still very unpopular because I am pedantic and intellectually snobbish. I know a few like-minded persons with whom I get on reasonably, but not terribly well.
For some unknown reason, I am incredibly popular with babies and very young children. I suppose it's because they lack judgement.

I feel so sorry for the number of posters who felt so unhappy at school and were bullied or felt left out. Interesting to know how many of them went to all an girls school. They say girls can be the worst.
I was incredibly shy at school and blushed easily and only "came out" when I started college but after these posts I now know how lucky I was. I didn't find learning easy and dreaded exams (being born 31 August also made me the youngest and smallest in every year) but our school and teachers were brilliant and would help all they could. My art teacher called me Minnehaha (from Hiawatha) as I had long dark hair I wore in 2 plaits. I remember being told off for running down the corridor but didn't say it was because one of the boys in my class was chasing me with a pair of scissors threatening to cut them off!

No I wasn’t popular, didn’t want to be if I am honest, I saw what it did to popular girls over the years I was at school, you were expected to be always happy! Or funny tease other girls like me who were quiet and shy, brag about boyfriends.
Couldn’t wait to leave Kidbrooke comprehensive. Awful school
I was much happier at work and made lots of friends.

No I wasn't popular always the last to be chosen in netball etc. It knocks your self confidence for many years . Surely the school don't pick teams like that anymore . I hated school couldn't wait to leave.

NO, never have been and no doubt never will be, but hey ho, my animals love me????

I loved school, except my secondary school, but this didn't stop me enjoying learning. Having gone to so many schools, I had experience of single sex and mixed schools, and which ever school I was at, I was always on the periphery, which never really bothered me. I never really understood other children anyway.

I was not popular either so not a particularly happy time, I just tried to become a shadow and get on with my work. I passed my 11+ which enabled me to get a really good grounding for many subjects, I’ve come to appreciate that more as life goes on.
As a Granny I can make people laugh but it’s take me as I am or leave me, I try to grow old disgracefully in the memory of the peer group pressure during those years.

Passed my 11 + and went to an all girls Grammar school but none of my contemporaries did so I was little nobby no mates when I first went. I did have an older sister already at the same school but I think she (at the time) would rather be with her own friends than me so no help at all. After what seemed weeks (probably only days) a girl came up to me and uttered those life saving words "would you like to be my friend" Oh joy of joys!! My sister was rather naughty at school so I was viewed as another one of those troublesome girls but I was incredibly shy - the polar opposite of my sister.

Looking back on it I don't know how, as young girls, we coped with all that, getting used to having periods, and all that too when we were still children. Now the cycle begins again as my granddaughter starts secondary school this September. I really wish I'd made more of the education which was on offer to me then.

I think that I was always seen as a bit eccentric as I was a bit of a bookworm and enjoyed painting and theatre and didn’t go to the local clubs and hang outs with the others. I was the only child in the lower school allowed to go on theatre trips as I had read the plays we were going to see so I know teachers saw me as a bit precocious . I never felt popular or unpopular at school but had enough friends to see me through.

Blondiescot

No, I was always the odd one out too, something which has stayed with me all my life. Never fitted in...

Me too, I was a bit awkward and have always been a bit different. However I've made some very good friends in my life who value me and my straightfordwardness.
We may be different but we're just not one of the crowd....

Middle of the road,never got picked on.Had 6 girls who were like minded l hung about with, kept out of trouble.

I wasn't unpopular, but I was shy and quiet and just liked to get on with my lessons (qualities liked by teachers but not other kids), and that often made me a target. I wasn't good at sports so wasn't one of the first to be picked for teams. But I was good at netball and continued to play for the 'old girls' team when I left school. I did excel in a few subjects, coming first in class, and indeed top of the school every year I was there, and that also brought 'criticism' from other children and sometimes their parents too. But I was a tough cookie and learned to ignore the jibes and comments or turn them back on the bullies. I actually enjoyed my school years (both primary and secondary) and wanted to stay on an extra year to take A-Level Art, my favourite subject which I had had to drop to do the commercial course my Mum insisted I take. Mum wouldn't let me do another year and possibly get into art college, she wanted me to start earning money.

Never popular at school. I was always different and didnt fit in. My mother was odd and wouldnt have anyone round to our house so my social skills were almost non-existent. With hindsight (I had counselling for many years as an adult) its probable mother had autism, and I had selective mutism as a result of her complete lack of interaction with me, but of course neither of these things were recognised or known about in 1950s Britain. I was a highly anxious child and at primary school frequently wet myself with fear. I can still remember the burning shame of it. I was bullied from day one at the girls grammar, but I discovered a store cupboard in my second year and used to hide in there at breaks and lunch time and read books or do my homework. I studied incredibly hard to take myself away from my situation and ended up being the first one in my family to go to university. I finally sorted myself out when I had my own children. No way was I going to let them grow up like me.

I can't say I was popular at primary, secondary, or FE college. I had 2 friends at secondary but we didn't really hang out together as a three. Then onto work. I've always struggled to 'fit-in' and moved about from job to job because I never felt anyone had any faith in me and always felt a failure and somewhat boring. But when I was 49 I took a huge risk, left yet another job, went back to college to retain as a sports therapist and found something I was really good at and really loved. This also brought me lots of good solid friendships which I cherish everyday.