"Mike, not our fault you worked in a crap school in a crap area!"
I started my teaching career in a posh boarding school and loved every minute of it. I moved to a "crap" school in a "crap area", hoping I could make a difference. Sadly I failed, not realising that the prevailing social philosophy at the time was of more importance than the welfare of the children. i have never mentioned this before, and will not go into details, because even after 25 years it hurts me so much to remember poor little Simon. I am not given much to emotion, but even my mother said to me on arriving home from school one day, "Why are you crying, are you not well?" When a poor little boy standing in his form queue waiting to go into school hands you a jam roll, saying," Can you look after this for me, Sir, as it's my dinner," I defy anyone without a heart of stone not to be moved. I was warned off at the peril of losing my job from complaining to the authorities being told that,"...he comes from a loving home and his parents are members of the Salvation Army." For the avoidance of doubt, this was Newcastle, 1989. I'm on my pension now and they can't take that off me!