School Reports - Then and Now

‘Jax spends too much time daydreaming’
‘It’s a shame Jax doesn’t give as much attention to her Maths homework as she does to doodling on her exercise book cover’
We used to have to cover our books, usually spare wallpaper, or brown paper, anyone else?

theworriedwell

TerriBull

Best ones, made public by former pupil who goes on to achieve outstanding success, "will never amount to anything" Eat your words dismissive teacher

I remember Emlyn Hughes on This is your life. They brought on the teacher who'd said something like "if Emlyn is as good at football as he thinks he is he'll captain the England team". And he did!

😂

Oh, some teachers do like to put your in your place!
Of course, that place might be totally wrong and lack vision.

I remember someone on TV years ago saying his geography teacher reported "This boy would do well to find his own way home".

I am 70 i have all my primary school reports.
A few from secondary school.
My school leaveing school report was absolutely awful, even tho i passed my C.S.E exams, and very good R.S.A typing and speedwriteing.

It is interesting how report writing criteria have changed over the years.
When I first started teaching we could write anything. Later, although we had to refer to the pupil’s work, we could say nothing negative about their personality. Finally, only certain banks of phrases were permitted, purely about attainment and potential for progress. No negatives without a positive.
Nowadays, I have to ask my daughter to interpret my grandchildren’s reports as they are full of numbers and letters, not words.

watermeadow

When I was a child and growing up it was not the norm to praise children ever. Neither at home nor at school was I ever told I had done well or that they were proud of me. I think parents believed praise would make you big-headed.
School reports were all about pushing you to work harder. Fun, satisfaction and pride were unnecessary.
I hope things are different now.

How true, it was just not done for parents or teachers to offer much encouragement or praise in case you got above yourself.

I remember the mother of a very clever girl saying "I'm really proud of Susan." (Susan had just heard she had got into Oxford). My parents and the other parents stared at her in stunned silence and disbelief. One just did not say that sort of thing.

The correct thing to say, according to the other parents, would have been "I hope Oxford doesn't turn Susan into one of those awful spinster type, blue stockings who can't stand men and never marry."

I think now parents and teachers are more open to encouraging children and helping them to develop their strengths.

In French Redrobin met her Waterloo.

One which stayed with me - sodapop is a born leader, unfortunately she leads her form in the wrong direction. Oh dear.

😂😂😂

Neither at home nor at school was I ever told I had done well or that they were proud of me. Indeed this. If I achieved 10/10 for spellings, I was told I should have got 11. If I won an IDTA dancing competition, I was told I didn't point my foot enough at one minute 7 seconds into the routine. For goodness sake, even top wasn't good enough.
My reports were always that my potential exceeded my attainment. Luckily, I didn't turn out to be a shrivelled nervous wreck!

sodapop

One which stayed with me - sodapop is a born leader, unfortunately she leads her form in the wrong direction. Oh dear.

😆

escaped

^Neither at home nor at school was I ever told I had done well or that they were proud of me.^ Indeed this. If I achieved 10/10 for spellings, I was told I should have got 11. If I won an IDTA dancing competition, I was told I didn't point my foot enough at one minute 7 seconds into the routine. For goodness sake, even top wasn't good enough.
My reports were always that my potential exceeded my attainment. Luckily, I didn't turn out to be a shrivelled nervous wreck!

My mother was like that with me. Even being top of the class wasn't enough to please her.

In the 6th Form in my Catholic Grammar school there were Religious lessons, although there was no exam. The teacher wrote on my report, S produces real nonsense at times.

That was because at that stage I was seriously questioning many aspects of religion and she didn't take kindly to that.

I always got top marks
And out of 1,000 students came Third against two guys. They were really brainy and I was so proud to come in third. I wanted to go to medical school but unfortunately my parents were horrified. No point in looking back.

DH got "What John does is good but John does not do enough."
English or history - he can't remember which.
I got "Reckless is advised to drop this subject! " [Latin] I was hoping it would be useful for my future in medicine at the time.