Sunday March 2nd
It strikes me that, I was so busy beavering away at a February entry that would actually go live in February, I forgot to explain about the new school I am going to. So let me make up for that now.
1. It's a co-educational independent school, part boarding and part day. If you want your child to board, the fees are £6000 a term. Yes, that's £18000 a year.
2. There are between 10 and 15 pupils to a class.
3. The pupils say "thank you" to their teachers at the end of each lesson, stand up when a teacher enters the room and hold doors open and stuff. They also know the meaning of the phrase "taking notes".
4. Pupils sent into the corridor for being late to class remain there, standing to attention, until recalled to class, no matter how long that takes.
5. The behaviour management runs to "sit up straight" and that's about it.
6. Anything above a whisper is classed as "shrieking" and dealt with accordingly.
7. Three mornings a week, the whole school processes to the local parish church for assembly, led by the local vicar.
8. They have a three week Easter holiday (yeyy!!)
9. They have classes until 5pm every day (booo)
10. They have sports day and speech day on consecutive Saturdays in May, which I will be expected to attend (double booo)
11. My affiliated tutor has a "bolt hole" flat where she goes at the weekends. It is an apartment in Gunwharf, the most expensive, brand new development in Portsmouth. Luckily though, because of the Pompey connection, she knows of and respects my school.
12. Both the deputy heads (both affiliated tutors) mentioned that the headmaster (a youngish bloke in a very smart three piece suit) likes his staff to dress snappily, and said that they realised not everybody can afford to dress like him but an effort...&c. &c. Both were wearing silk scarves and expensive-looking brooches.
13. I get a free three course lunch daily in the new purpose-built dining hall (yeyy if I'm feeling lazy but kind of booo for the diet)
14. Knowing that I have an ICT assignment to complete, my mentor was a bit worried about lack of sophistication when it came to the network software. "If there are any CD-ROMs or software you need, let me know and we'll buy it for you," she promised. With network licenses, HOW much money?!
I'd better not mention the name, some of those sixth formers are sharp and I don't want this suddenly being tacked all over the school notice boards, extracts being read by the headboy during assembly and so on. I am teaching history, current affairs at sixth form level, and possibly RE, special needs and year 6 (I won't know for sure until my first day, Monday).