Woodlands School

I remember him being my rugby coach for a couple of years. He was alright, but then again I think I was one of his favourites.

Remembering Woodlands, I joined Stringer house in 1961 and the staff as far as I can remember were. Jock Edney - housemaster Sammy Howes- deputy housemaster and French teacher Ron Ravenhall - English teacher Jock Pennman - brickwork teacher Clive Bentley- geography teacher MK Twistleton - art teacher Anyone remember any others?

Flip me, Mr Bentley was still there in 1980!

I think when I joined in 61, it was either his first or second year as a teacher. He was also an old boy of the school.

Hottot - French (A bully) Bowden - French (Half decent) Jackson - History (Completely bonkers, but fantastic, best 'Master' in my opinion whilst I was there) Edney - (Who knows, who cares, think he became an Anglican priest at St. Georges in Coundon, hope he said sorry to the man in the sky for his behaviour towards us before he was ordained!!!!) Tranter - Geography (Another half decent person) Lee - tended and cared for the immaculate gardens with lads that struggled academically (Had my absolute respect) Baker - Games (No comment)

Does anyone remember a Midlands News team visiting Woodlands School in the early 60's?

Tranter was also there in 1980 and was the Smith-Clarke head. I came in under Borgen in Stringer.

Not sure if it was from a post that was hacked, but talking of bullies. Anyone remember Joe Routledge (maths teacher)

Routledge - what an horrible nasty bast@@d he was. Used to give himself a lot of praise for the book on fractions he wrote, but could not teach the subject himself. Him and Corbett used to come back into school after lunch break, having had their break in the pub and start bullying kids with a smack at the back of the head or a threat of a caning. He once gave a lad who just moved into the area an almighty whack across the a**e with the back of a chair. What the the nasty little bas@@d did not know was the lad's dad was a Police Inspector. On our next "Maths" lesson the Police Inspector walked into our classroom and ordered nasty Routledge outside to talk about a problem. Nasty Routledge returned 10 minutes later white as a sheet and with a "sobbering" attitude. We never saw the new boy again, I think his dad transferred him to Hearsall Secondary. I hope Routledge's family read this input.

At last, some forum members are painting a far more accurate picture of this school (in my opinion and experience) than earlier dewy eyed posts. In the mid to late 60s Woodlands was a cesspit for bullying 'Masters', with its Headmaster boasting of it being a 'model' comprehensive school. Hardly.

During the first five years of the school under 'Knocker' West there did not seem to be any abuse by the standards of the day. Certainly 'Sooty' could be a bit lively if you misbehaved and some teachers offered you out in gym. The housemaster of Mclauchlan House (can't remember the correct spelling) 'Birdy' Burdett enjoyed using a pump and could be prone to throwing books at you in class but was always liked and respected. Remember quite a line up somedays waiting for the dreaded pump, but it was usually deserved. Perhaps the problems came with the retirement of 'Knocker' who always seemed to run a tight ship.

I was there '65-'70. Wasn't a bad boy but suffered detentions and canings mainly due to lateness. That was down to having to catch two buses and not being able to use the bus pass before 7.45 am. I remember getting quite a few attendance certificates with two red lines through the word "punctuality". Think I've still got them some where. People found them amusing.

How about RR Panter the science master, what a nasty piece of work??

I remember that curved chair back, and was really glad when we no longer had him for maths.

I was a pupil here between 1966 and 1970, in Gibson house, this was a time when you could leave school at 15 and still find a reasonably paid job. I can remember the house master Jim Newton, Mr Panter first form tutor, not sure what his first name was, Mr Patterson the woodwork teacher. I recollect having to make a tea-pot stand constructed with 4 different joints at the corners, covered in formica, he asked each individual to bring their stands out for him to mark, when it got to my turn he looked at it for quite some time and then just threw it over his shoulder where it smashed into pieces, at this stage I knew I hadn't got top marks. Creep Rogers, for science, I can remember an occasion where one of the lads got hold of a girlie mag which he brought into the lesson, obviously with testosterone levels on the increase we were more interested what lay beneath the cover of this mag than a boring old chemistry book, so engrossed we were, we didn't see him walking towards us, he confiscated the mag from us, and after the lesson, went straight back to Perrins houseblock and straight into the staff toilet where he stayed for quite some time, we never did get the mag back, not that we would have wanted it.