What were lessons like when you were at primary school?

[marty21]

Same here. There was quite a fuss being made about numbers in classes, iirc

i don't remember anyone making a fuss about it at the time - and one teacher seemed to cope fine, when i was at grammar school, there were about 35 in the class

 

[_angel_]

And 'London's Burning' singing rounds. And we learnt the recorder

Oh yes, still going strong when I was at primary school.

 

[zoooo]

I think we had about 20 kids per year in my first school, one class in each year. Our head teacher Mrs Eden used to read Roald Dahl books out to us a lot. Awesome. She did an excellent German accent for the Witches.

Lots of projects about Victorians and nature and things. Lots of dressing up, and going to fetes and nature conserves and always an endlessly long Christmas project every year.

Oh god, can I go back please?

 

[panpete]

Art and making things, like needlework, etc were good.

 

[miss direct]

After lunch every day, we had ERIC: Everyone Read In Class. You could just read any book quietly. I loved it. I remember doing a project on the Victorians. Don't remember much else. We had the same teacher for everything apart from French.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Infants was a lot of playing and painting. Juniors was a lot of chanting of times tables and French verbs. Was alright I suppose.

 

[marty21]

we had milk! little 1/3 pint bottles, and also afternoon naps

 

[cesare]

Milk, yes, milk. Left out in the sunshine and it was all warm and horrible. Didn't help that I've always hated milk.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I started school in September 1962. We had the third of a pint of milk, but no naps.

 

[marty21]

Milk, yes, milk. Left out in the sunshine and it was all warm and horrible. Didn't help that I've always hated milk.

i loved the milk

I started school in September 1962. We had the third of a pint of milk, but no naps.

no naps?

 

[N_igma]

Primary school from 91-98. Standard English, maths and science lessons with the odd bit of art and Irish thrown in for good measure. Still got smacked by the teachers even though it was done away with years beforehand.

 

[Andrew Hertford]

I started school in September 1962. We had the third of a pint of milk, but no naps.

I must be about the same age as you. I remember the milk and how disgustingly warm it was in the summer, not to mention how the paper straws used to disintergrate in your mouth.

I remember 'Singing Together with William Appleby' on the radio on Monday mornings which we all had to join in with.

We had one teacher who used to punish boys by twisting their sideburns.- it really hurt! (don't think he ever punished girls physically).

Occasionly we were told to nap, resting our heads on our arms on the desk. Probably whilst the teacher went to the staff room for a fag.

 

[mentalchik]

I went to 5 different juniors/primary, 4 middle schools and 1 upper school..........it's a bit of a blur (started school in 1968) but i mostly loved school anyhoo !

 

[gentlegreen]

Quasi-village school 1964 to 1967 (ish).

Can't remember much except being made to sit out PE (such a cruel punishment ) for randomly scribbling in my book.

I can remember being given the polio sugar lump and them putting on a 78 of Myra Hess playing "Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring" every morning at assembly.

 

[marty21]

Occasionly we were told to nap, resting our heads on our arms on the desk. Probably whilst the teacher went to the staff room for a fag.

i liked the naps

 

[seeformiles]

I've just remembered the "Time and Tune" radio programme we'd have to sing along to every week. Every term would have a theme - Newspapers, Eskimos, some strange creature made out of leaves ("Twigwidge"?), etc.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BBC-Radio-4-S...4?IMSfp=TL090314126002r28212#ebayphotohosting

Quite enjoyed that bit and I can still remember a lot of the songs!

 

[gentlegreen]

"Time and Tune"

I've still got a Gaelic sheep counting earworm from about 1968 ... aen, taen ... edero .. pedero ...

 

[seeformiles]

I've still got a Gaelic sheep counting earworm from about 1968 ... aen, taen ... edero .. pedero ...

Mine is one about Nanook the Eskimo:

"Great the joy of laughing people
All the tribe must come
Tunics coloured like Northern Lights
For the Feast of the Deerskin Drum......"

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I was at Primary school from 1980-1987.

I think it was just before the NC and the move backwards traditionalism and behaviourism. I just remember projects and discovery-based learning. It was so constructivist (and I recall even thinking to myself "My god, Mrs xxx is such a constructivist!" ).

 

[scifisam]

Ooh, I loved primary school so much. Our lessons were mostly project work, too - Great Fire of London, Romans, Ancient Greeks (where we learnt Pythagorus' theorem), birds (we all joined the RSPB and I've retained the interest and a lot of the knowledge till now) and Victorians (we spent a week in costume writing on slates when the school had it centenary).

RE consisted of the teacher reading out a story and us writing down what we remembered of it, then illustrating it, in one of those books where the top half was blank and the other half lined.

There was always some reading out loud time every day (Tyke Tyler and the Hobbit stand out for me), and lots of creative writing and drawing.

We did do the 11-plus but there was no stress about it at all; there wasn't even any warning that I was aware of. I wish there had been, really - I took it while I had the measles and was barely functioning, but would probably have asked not to sit it that day if I'd known how important it was.

PE was mostly netball and rounders, athletics, or country dancing in infants. 'Here comes a chopper to chop off your head. Chip, chip, chip chop. Here comes a candle to light you to bed. Chop, chop, chip, chop. the last man's head is OFF!' All chanted in a whisper tll the shout at the end.

 

[scifisam]

Oh, and history included 'The Way We Used to Live' on video, which was a lot like a soap.

 

[Vamos666]

"The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler" Shit, i'd forgotten all about that!

*Heads of to Amazon*

 

[seeformiles]

Oh, and history included 'The Way We Used to Live' on video, which was a lot like a soap.

I remember that - I think it was "How We used to Live" - the one we saw featured a family with a son (called Tom) and girl (can't remember her name) and was set during the First World War.

 

[scifisam]

I remember that - I think it was "How We used to Live" - the one we saw featured a family with a son (called Tom) and girl (can't remember her name) and was set during the First World War.

Yeah, you're right. Peter Howitt played Tom.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

my favourite primary school teacher was the one we had for 2 years, 3rd and 4th year, and she was really into old (i.e. pre-1066) british history. She used to take us to loads of archaeological digs and stuff.