A Malory Towers Adventure

Some time ago, my ex-husband bought the set of Malory Towers books by Enid Blyton for our daughter Charis' birthday.

With the wealth of wonderful Young Adult fiction available these days, it seemed an odd choice. What possible relevance could such old fashioned books published in the forties have for children today?    The one dimensional characters enjoying midnight feasts and lacrosse games whilst at boarding school  did not seem easy to relate to. The books ended up being donated to a charity shop - but not before we all had a good giggle at the rather stilted dialogue and narration. Spiffing!

Little did we know, the journey Charis was on with her life (and in particular with her education) was about to lead her to a destination not too dissimilar to the world portrayed within the pages of those books.

When Charis announced that she wanted to be a doctor, it made perfect sense. I had never even thought about possible careers for her but as soon as she mentioned it, it seemed so obvious. She is very academic and hard working and has an unusually logical, matter of fact approach to life and problems. She also has a caring and empathic side to her that revealed itself when she did work experience in an old folks home. She respects people. She is fascinated by the workings of the human body. She is incredibly capable. If I were to go into hospital. I would want someone just like her to be responsible for any life and death decisions pertaining to me.

I always try to support and encourage all of my children in whatever ways I can. Sometimes it can backfire and certainly my relationship with one of my daughters was tested to the limit when my attempts to help her move her life forward in a positive way was perceived as unreasonable pressure. Parenting can mean walking the fine line between doing the right thing and getting it totally wrong.

I am as close to 100% certain as it is possible to be that what we are doing for  Charis, is the right thing. 

The school Charis currently attends is the local comprehensive. It is very convenient for us but I am under no illusions about the quality of the education the establishment has to offer. It has served her well enough thus far. She is predicted As and A*s in her GCSEs and she has a strong friendship group. I believe that she has learned many life lessons that have contributed to the roundness of her character and her resilience as an individual. However, in order to succeed in her ambition to be a doctor, we felt that the sixth form college that forms part of the campus would not necessarily be geared to meet her needs.

We started to look at the alternatives.

My husband has worked in private education for many years and he recognised in Charis the qualities  that would enable her to thrive in that environment. He suggested that she attend some open days.

The school that caught her imagination - the school that she could see herself a member of - was one that my husband had worked for previously. His familiarity with the entrance procedure and knowledge of members of staff meant that the process Charis was about to go through was not too daunting. She spent a weekend at the school taking entrance exams, being interviewed and doing auditions for the music department. She took the whole thing in her stride and impressed the people that mattered. She was offered a scholarship for a place with boarding.

Can Charis make the transition to lacrosse from baseball with a brussel sprout stalk?

I was unbelievably proud of her and could see that she had grown as a person simply from taking part in the admissions process. 

There were two reasons for not wanting Charis to take the place offered:

1) I would miss her terribly - especially all the help she gives so freely and willingly.

2) Even with the scholarship, there would be a considerable financial commitment.

There were countless reasons to ignore 1 and 2 above.

So come September, Charis will be packing her suitcase with posh new uniform and heading off for a Malory Towers style adventure at boarding school. 

In the meantime, I am tightening my purse strings and trying to find ways of economising that do not compromise our lifestyle. I am on a mission to live better for less - to fund the Malory Towers adventure without feeling like the token poor person in a more affluent world. I am actually really enjoying myself with it. You could even say I'm having a spiffing time - marvellously spiffing!

In Praise of Teachers

All too often, teachers are criticised and blamed when there are issues with our children's behaviour or academic performance.  Whereas no doubt there are some that deserve it, in my experience, most teachers are dedicated, caring professionals doing their very best under what can sometimes be difficult circumstances.

Teachers come in many different guises. I had an eccentric, unkempt teacher who would pick his nose and wipe it on the blackboard. It was hard to take him seriously. Another teacher, despised by many for his short temper and lack of tolerance for any sort of nonsense, was an absolute hero to me.

It is inevitable that in any group of people there are always going to be some that you relate to and feel an affinity with and some that for whatever reason, you simply don't get on with. Why should it be any different with teachers? Whether it be a teaching style that doesn't suit, a personality clash , or even disliking the tone of someone's voice - there are all sorts of obstacles that can stand in the way of having a good relationship with a teacher.

The education system isn't perfect - there will always be teachers who fail to support or inspire their pupils - but it is what is it and we have to work with it. I have always tried to instil in my children that their education is their responsibility. Teachers are there to facilitate it but if they feel that they are not being given everything they need, there are other ways to approach their learning. I have been so proud of how my girls have been able to do exactly that and thrive. It is more than just a means to achieve a grade in an exam - it is a lesson in life about taking control, putting in the effort to obtain a result and most importantly learning that there will always be situations that are less than ideal and finding the best way forward.

Good, bad or indifferent, our teachers are people we spend a lot of our childhood in the company of. They influence us and it is hard to forget them.

My youngest daughter is just starting out on her academic journey. So far, it has been a very positive experience and I can't praise her teachers highly enough for their part in making her feel settled and secure and I have been greatly impressed by how much my little Addy is learning. After just one term in her early years setting she is confidently writing her own name and blending letter sounds to read simple words.

She has many years of compulsory education ahead of her and I will do all that I can to ensure that it continues to be a positive experience for her and that her full potential is realised. The teachers that she encounters on her journey will have an enormous part to play in this and I hope that the memories she takes into adulthood of her schooldays will be the very best kind. And just maybe there will be a teacher or two in years to come that will look back on their career and remember a strong willed, feisty little blue eyed blonde with an appetite for learning and will wonder what became of her.