ORIGINAL MESSAGE
NAME: Vic CoughtreyDATE: 14 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-1959
It's about time we had another of of our little challenges, some of which have turned out to be the kick-off of some very popular threads (especially Thread 32). This one is suitable for those who were at the school in the late '50s / early '60s. Someone (who will remain anonymous until a few people have taken up the challenge) has found a small cache of QE documents, and intends to send them to me bit by bit. He wonders if anyone can work out whose end-of-term report this is and / or identify all the masters' initials on the report? The name has of course been temporarily removed from the report. The identity of the subject of the report has now been revealed - see replies 3-5. The report has now joined these others in the museum, with a link to the PDF file.
.JPG "Nick Dean gallery")
DATE: 15 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Interesting to see this report, but I've no idea whose it is as he would have left before I arrived. "Terminal report" makes it sound like a post mortem (which I suppose, in a way, it was). Initials I recognise are those of Wakelin (JW), Finnett (JwF), Townsend (KT) and Fairbairn (DWF). I was amused that Jenkins appended "MA (Oxon)" to his signature - Edwards certainly didn't do that. Is the geography master Dilley (again, before my time)?
DATE: 19 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1960 - 68
PA (Chemistry) must be P. Ambidge. I presume BAR (English) is B.A. Reid.
3rd REPLY
NAME: Nigel Wood (see reply 4 below).jpg "Nigel Wood")
DATE: 21 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1957-64
Well done Nick and Andrew! That's all the initials sorted. I was clearly lucky that year to have been taught by a star team; most of those masters have already had very positive things said about them on this site. I'd single out K Townsend for a special mention as a very clear maths teacher. It looks as if the 'position' and 'percentage' columns were filled in by the same person, the form master, who I think was K W Carter. I'm pleased he refrained from writing a comment for my French. Biology must have been Eric Crofts, as I think he was the sole Biology master at that time.
4th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen
.jpg "James Cowen gallery")
Then & NowDATE: 23 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
Clearly the subject of this report joined QE in the year after me (1957), provided he did not join in a later year. There are 15 contributors already on the site joining in 1957 and there after 1960. One of these would probably be able to identify the person involved. The person was clearly very good at science subjects (1st in Chemistry and Physics and 9th in Biology). That at least we can deduce, dear Coughtrey. I know that Nigel Wood went on to teach physics in another school, so that is a possibility, though he has also expressed an interest in history on the site. Of the others already on site as contributors I personally know nothing of their prowess in different subjects. Of course the fact that the person was in 5B did not mean he started in 1B as like our year probably there was a redistribution of pupils amongst forms at the fourth year stage. The production of this 1960 5B report got me again to look at my old school reports, which I have kept together on a file. I could send any of them to the site but wonder if any would be of much interest to others other than myself, my wife and family. However as some reference has been made to teachers of the various subjects on the report some, of the masters on that report correspond with mine (John Wakelin, Richard Dilley and Mr Ambidge). Others differ. I had Mr Hoyte for Latin, Bernie Pinnock for Maths, Jack Covington for English, and Gabby Hayes for Physics. There was also a comment on mine for Scripture from Poker Pearce - "Good."
5th REPLY
NAME: Vic Coughtrey
Then & NowDATE: 23 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1954-59
I think it's time to reveal the mystery subject of the report. Well done Sherlock Cowen (even though you made Nigel only a possibility).
DATE: 24 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1957-63
What I'm wondering about is how Nigel was in 5b in Michaelmas term 1960. We both started in 1b (see famous thread 32 [replies 24-26] ) in September 1957, therefore 2b in 58, 3b in 59, surely 4b in 1960. I'm guessing if you got all your O-levels after one academic term of one of the years you jumped from, say, 4th form to 5th form mid-academic year?
7th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 24 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In regard to the subject English, I have written elsewhere of my experiences generally through the years at school. I note that Nigel's report for 5B of Michaelmas 1960 has BA Reid as his teacher with the comment "A pleasing term's work". I do not recall being taught by him at all but I note that there is a fair amount of info about him elsewhere on the site [See register of contributors]. My teacher for that year was Jack Covington, whom I have no recollection of as to what was taught. I believe he taught A level English also and maybe others have more recollection. I did come 2nd= in the subject that term, however, and received a good comment ("His work is very promising. His reach for the right expression is most praiseworthy") and so presumably I did write some fairly good essays. In regard to Nigel's 1960 report I am surprised that BOP just wrote "Unlucky." In my own case he usually made much longer comments not only about my capability but also my untidy writing.
8th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 26 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
Yes, I wondered about the dates at first, Brian [reply 6] but you are right in saying there is a jump in forms mid academic year and in fact a couple of times. In my case there is the following chronology: Michaelmas Term 1958 = 3B. Spring Term 1959 = 4B. then 2 terms as 4B. Michaelmas Term 1959 = 5B. Spring Term 1960 = Transition X Arts. 3 terms as that. Spring Term 1961 = Lower 6 (Classics side). 2 terms as that. Michaelmas 1961 = Upper 6 Classics. 3 terms as that. Autumn 1962 = 7th Form Classics. 3 terms as that. It still seems odd to me this progression, but QE was notable for being different, as take the process of just doing four O levels (except exceptionally like my brother leaving pre A levels) and four A levels unlike schools like my wife's old school doing many more O Levels. You and Nigel, a year later at school than I, presumably followed a similar pattern, except in Nigel's case being in Transition X Science, Lower and Upper 6 Science and if in 7th form,Seventh Form Science.
DATE: 26 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1951-58
With reference to reply 4, Nigel must have been in one of the fast streams: September '57: 1B (1 year) September '58: 2B (1 year) September '59: 3b (1 term)- reorganisation of 3A/3B/3C into 3/4A/4B for January '60 (2 terms) September '60: 4/5A/5B (1 term) For the fast stream, January '61 (3 terms) taking O-level at Xmas 1961. I set the system out in 32/39 ! I was a bit surprised that Nigel thought Ken Carter was the form master as it doesn't look like his writing (which I have on my reports, one saying "he finds translation very difficult indeed") and Ken seemed to be permanently attached to 1B from 1952 when the three first year classes were started
DATE: 29 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
Yes, Watson [reply 9], I was doubtful that the form master was Ken Carter. But the writing does look very similar to that of the English master, Mr Reid (whom I never knew).
11th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 29 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
I agree with you, Ian, in regard to Ken Carter as form master. He was my form master in 1b and I do not think he moved to another form in later years, certainly when I was at school. This could be the subject of another competition. Who can name their different form masters? I confess that after 50-60 years I recall little. I know that besides Ken Carter one form master was Tiger Timpson when i was in both Upper 6 Classics and 7th form Classics. It is possible we shared a form room with the Classics form above us, as the number of classicists in our year was small. I got to know Nigel Palmer and Richard Beeny (both in Harrisons House like me) quite well and I played tennis with them both. I believe my form master for 2b was Winky Wingfield and I think that maybe we retained the same form room over the years. For my one term in 5b I think my form master was Bernie Pinnock and maybe he was the form master for Nigel when in 5b. I thought momentarily that maybe the headings for all the reports (Name,Term, Average Age of Form, Final Position in Form, No "Placed" in Form) may have been headed up by someone in the school office but if so different people were involved.
DATE: 31 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: pupil 1957-63
Bloody hell, guys - the form numbering was a bit mind boggling [replies 8 & 9]. I'd forgotten about the "transition" forms. As class duffer, would I be right in thinking I spent time in "Transition S"? Also, Ken Carter was our 1b form master, but I have no recollection of later years. I would be interested if others do. Finally, I attach a photo taken by Mike Cottrell, showing Nigel, myself and John Symons after the recent OE dinner
13th REPLY
NAME: James (Jas) Cowen Then & NowDATE: 31 January 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 56-63
In connection with handwriting by masters on school reports, I notice how neat and readable the comments were and in some cases the writing is quite identical. I wonder if school reports are still done in this manner, as so much is now done on the computer/word processor. I am glad that I am able now to type words in rather than continue with handwriting, which I admit was often too quickly done and hence untidy and even abominable. Thankfully, though, examiners at GCE and since were able to read my writing and pass me through. Maybe my writing had improved in later years but I still rejoice in modern day computers / word processors. Another point I regard as of some interest in regard to my reports. They were sent to my Dad with admonitions about how I could improve but my Dad never admonished me on these lines, though he did let me read what was written. At least, unlike some he did receive the reports to read them [see comments at head of reports page]
14th REPLY
NAME: Nigel WoodDATE: 01 February 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1957-64
Glad to have provoked some discussion, though my suggestion that K W Carter was form-master of 5B [reply 3] was simply silly. He did seem, though, to loom larger in my QE life around my time in TXS (sounds like a medical condition) than if he were just teaching French to the form. Perhaps it's because of the huge amount of Mateo Falcone he set me to translate as a punishment around that time. The 5B form-master could indeed have been BA Reid BA, but I remember him only as one of a succession of wonderful English teachers. To be honest, I can't remember the details of my academic route through QE, though my time in 1B is etched in my memory (the horror, the horror!) and I can recall the sixth form (with Hayes, Clarke, Pinnock, Rev Kaye, and, oddly, Ambidge as form-master).
15th REPLY
NAME: Shaun McSweeneyDATE: 01 February 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1970-77
This reply has been moved to Thread 28
DATE: 01 February 2017
CONNECTION WITH QE: Pupil 1964-71
It may be incidental to earlier posts on this thread, but, by the time I arrived in 1964, 1B was presided over by H G Thomas. I think Ken C was my form master in the L6.