King Henry VIII Grammar School

I used the word 'Trapped' because it reminded me of Bruce Springsteen's version of the Jimmy Cliff song. Maybe worth a listen if you like his sort of music. Best experienced live! Seems like I'm caught up in your trap again Seems like I'll be wearing the same old chains Good will conquer evil and the truth will set me free And I know someday I will find the key I know somewhere I will find the key Seems like I've been playing your game way too long Seems the game I've played has made you strong When the game is over I won't walk out the loser I know I'll walk out of here again I know someday I'll walk out of here again

Okay. I did some online research yesterday and make a couple of discoveries. The first one is this. Do not aspire to become competent in the Philosophy of Education. That is a dark, perplexing, Minotaur-filled Labyrinth, from which you will never emerge with your sanity intact. The second is the following. Ignoring all the obscure terminology, there are two main theories that influence ideas on best practice for schooling. (A) The teacher-centred approach. The salient features of which are: "The teacher is the centre of the classroom and, therefore, should be rigid (rigid, not dead) and disclipinary. Establishing order is crucial for student learning; effective teaching cannot take place in a loud and disorganized environment. It is the teacher's responsibility to keep order in the classroom. The teacher must interpret the essentials of the learning process, take the leadership position, and set the tone of the classroom. These needs require an educator who is well-qualified, with an appreciation for learning and development. The teacher must control the students with distributions of rewards and penalties. It tends to be authoritarian and conservative, and emphasise the values and knowledge that have survived through time." (B) The student-centred approach. "This is more focused on individual needs, contemporary relevance, and preparing students for a changing future. School is seen as an institution that works with youth to improve society, or help students to realize their individuality." There are no prizes for recognising that we had (A). Whereas I expected and wanted (B). And therein lies the rub. Damn.

Again, I think you make some very valid points. We were 'trapped' at KHVIII, not least because it was seen as an honour for your parents that you were smart enough to be there rather than the local comprehensive. After 2 or 3 years there I would have loved to transfer to Binley Park, where most of my friends seemed to be very positive about going to school. The teachers all seemed to engage with pupils there rather than threaten and bully them. But the thought of any such move happening was unthinkable. By the time I was 16 or 17 I actually knew some of the teachers at Binley Park as I regularly refereed their football teams, and they were of a different breed altogether. It is true that we lived in different times then, but I still believe that some of the behaviour was unacceptable even in the 60s. Any physical punishment was supposed to be recorded. Yet many teachers positively enjoyed it and some had their own speciality methods. Some pulled hair or twisted ears. By the time I left in 1971, KHVIII was a very unhappy and disjointed community, which fits in with what you are saying about the hopelessness that some must have felt.

Is Bebop the same guy whose nickname was Beeb when I was there? Barnes the music teacher? I don't know why he would have been referred to as Bebop as Bird etc would not have seemed to fit into his canon.

Yes. Beeb was just short for Bebop.

Bohica: I have said before that quite a few teachers at that time were still around from the post-war period and I suspect that many had no teaching qualification beyond a random university degree. They were simply time-servers awaiting retirement and had no interest in the pupils they taught whatsoever. Alfie Crocker, for instance, was apparently in industry before becoming a teacher and, while he knew his stuff, he had no rapport with kids at all and no patience. He was by no means unique. Some were happy to stand and scribble on a blackboard, others just got you to read a textbook or learn information parrot fashion. That is not teaching in my opinion.

Surprise find at home today. My invitation to the class of '65 Dinner. Included with it was a list of both staff who were at the school then, and my fellow starters that year. So many names I had totally forgotten, some of whom I can't put faces to even with the list in front of me. Strangely I can nearly always remember which house they were in. I look at the list now and see people I was friends with, people I despised, people who I thought I would always keep in touch with. Hell's teeth I don't even know if most of them are even alive still.

That is really odd you saying that, Disorganised. Like you, there are several names of form members of my starting year (1967) that I would not be able to put faces to, yet if their names were called out I would back myself to get 99% of their houses right! Just an amusing aside, a couple of lads in the 5th Form decided that they'd had enough of school KHVIII and its restrictions. Thus, they decided to continue their French education at Coventry Tech. They duly registered and turned up to their first evening class. The tutor? None other than 'Froggy' Irwin!!!

Thus, they decided to continue their French education at Coventry Tech. They duly registered and turned up to their first evening class. The tutor? None other than 'Froggy' Irwin!!! Big_grin I had exactly the same experience - as if the place had come back to haunt me! I have met quite a few (men) in my time who seem to have no life outside their day job. I guess RJI was one of them.

The posts on the last 2 or 3 pages by several of you reflect my experience exactly. That, coupled with several people I have met who went there after I did, reinforces the fact that I was not alone in being at loggerheads with the ethos of the school; e.g. "masters" (as they were called) who were early retirees, ones who called everyone "you boy!", some good teachers, a lot of indifferent ones, ones with short fuses prone to violent outbursts, an obsession with one-upmanship and winning at all costs... in the hope it would turn out well-rounded citizens, etc. It's amazing that some of us went through the whole senior school years, without ever encountering certain teachers: Droob, Dr Kolisch, Snoz Wyley, Mrs Webb, Miss Hunter, Maxie Gordon... plus a few faces I can recall, but not their names... like a big bloke with glasses who taught biology. Menhinnick, Pope Harris, another Harris who taught French. Fairy Light. Droob came over as an older bloke (the tash didn't help) who had been in the army, an officer barking out orders at the troops. In reality he was only about 30, and I doubt he'd had a career in the forces.

Neil David Stears (Bronco) - 1936-2011

Mister D-Di, you mentioned a governor's scholarship. I 'passed' the 11+ and was awarded a scholarship, but understood that was paid for by the local authority. How did one gain a Governor's scholarship?

There was a separate exam to establish this. We all had to sit the 11+ exam which was set by the local authority. That decided who would be eligible for the council's assisted places at the school, of which there were about 100 per year. In addition there was an entrance exam for the school, for which all the boys in the last year in the junior school were automatically entered. You could also take it if you were at another school but I presume you had to apply. Typically, the school required every boy to pass this entrance exam, in addition to anything they did in the 11+ exam. I presume you must have also taken this entrance exam, which I think took place on a Saturday. Every year there were about 5 or 6 of these governors' scholarships awarded to the highest scorers in that entrance exam. They almost always went to those who had been to KHVIII junior school, probably because we were coached specifically for the exam in 1A &1B. The scholarship was offered with a bursary of £5 a year, supposedly to cover uniform. However, you were on a loser straight away as you didn't get a bus pass unless you were on a council place, which was worth far more. So, when coupled with the extra expectancy, I would have been better taking a council place, which I was also offered. Of course, nobody would have turned down a scholarship, I guess.

Hi all You are spot on Mr D-Di with "However, you were on a loser straight away as you didn't get a bus pass unless you were on a council place, which was worth far more". The travel pass as it was called was not the all-singing & dancing ticket like todays passes. It was specified for specific journeys. I had three. One for getting to & from Paybody clinic on Holyhead Rd to school, Foleshill Station, by train to school as well as from home to school. I have an idea that some of the funding for my additional passes came from the traders guild that my mum was a member of.

Thank you both.