Age 36 to 45 ... Work
I think I need to pause from my story a moment, and explain a little about Special Schools and their designation. There have always been children who, for whatever reason, failed to thrive in their mainstream school. Until the end of the 20th Century, it was normal practice for such children to be removed from the mainstream system and educated separately in Special Schools. There were a number of different types of special school to cater for the identified needs of the pupils. Psychiatric issues now diagnosed as, for example, Asperger's Syndrome, Autism, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were not much understood, and medical issues such as Irlen Syndrome or developmental disorders such as Dyspraxia were only just being discovered. So children with special needs were lumped together and either categorised as having 'Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties' (EBD), 'Moderate Learning Difficulties' (MLD), 'Severe Learning Difficulties' (SLD), or 'Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties' (PMLD).
Gradually, over the latter part of the 20th century and into the 21st, the segregation of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) was reduced. Improved SEN training for mainstream school teachers, developments to the schools psychological service, and the funding for additional support staff in mainstream schools has enabled mainstream schools to cater for the needs of a much wider range of pupils with SEN. Such Special Schools which continue to operate now cater for pupils with very specific needs, and even here, programmes of inclusion will mean that most Special School pupils will be spending at least part of their school life in mainstream environments.
James Street Centre, Gillingham, Kent
I took up my post at The James Street Centre in Gillingham, Kent in September 1988, when I was 37 years old. The Centre was an annexe to Danecourt School, which was located in another part of Gillingham a couple of miles distant. Danecourt was an age 5 to 15 Special School for pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties, operating under the jurisdiction of the Medway Education Authority. All the Danecourt pupils graduated to James Street for their final couple of years of schooling - Special Needs pupils then being funded to stay at school until they were 17. There were about 20 pupils at the Centre when I first worked there, rising to around 35 by the time it closed.
Gradually, over the latter part of the 20th century and into the 21st, the segregation of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) was reduced. Improved SEN training for mainstream school teachers, developments to the schools psychological service, and the funding for additional support staff in mainstream schools has enabled mainstream schools to cater for the needs of a much wider range of pupils with SEN. Such Special Schools which continue to operate now cater for pupils with very specific needs, and even here, programmes of inclusion will mean that most Special School pupils will be spending at least part of their school life in mainstream environments.
James Street Centre, Gillingham, Kent
I took up my post at The James Street Centre in Gillingham, Kent in September 1988, when I was 37 years old. The Centre was an annexe to Danecourt School, which was located in another part of Gillingham a couple of miles distant. Danecourt was an age 5 to 15 Special School for pupils with Moderate Learning Difficulties, operating under the jurisdiction of the Medway Education Authority. All the Danecourt pupils graduated to James Street for their final couple of years of schooling - Special Needs pupils then being funded to stay at school until they were 17. There were about 20 pupils at the Centre when I first worked there, rising to around 35 by the time it closed.
James Street was possibly unique. It was housed in a tired and shabby old building with just four huge classrooms which had been built as a Junior School sometime in the Victorian era. You had to stand to see out of a window, and the ceilings were open to the rafters. Floors were concrete, and heating was by inadequate wall-mounted gas fires. James Street was called a Practical Centre, and aimed to equip the pupils with training in real life skills. It was felt that by the age of 15, the youngsters would have learned all they were ever likely to learn from books, so during their school day at James Street they learned to shop for food, cook a meal, serve it, and wash up. They learned how to sew on buttons and repair torn clothing, and also made soft toys, which were then sold. The pupils learned to use a typewriter and picked up some office skills. The main activity within the Centre took place in the craft workshop, where large wooden items such as climbing frames and wendy houses, and smaller items of playgroup or infant school furniture and toys were made. The pupils all became proficient in the use of screwdrivers, hammers and chisels as well as power tools such as drills, sanders and jigsaws. These wooden items were all made to be sold, and the profits made by the Centre were allowed to be used to spend on improving the Centre for the benefit of the pupils. Pupils were frequently sent to the nearby town centre to buy items needed within the Centre, and the money also funded occasional outings.
All the pupils also undertook work experience. Their placements varied in duration depending on the abilities of the student and the patience of their temporary employer. But a few students went on to take up full time jobs as the direct result of their placements. I was interviewed for my job by the Head of Danecourt, a Mrs Ann Storm. This redoubtable lady was wise, strong-willed and a very popular Head. She warned me that the future of the Centre was uncertain. Although the Centre was certainly successful in its aims, it did not fit comfortably into the pattern of National Curriculum requirements. But she was determined to do her best to keep the Centre going as long as possible. My appointment at the Centre brought the number of teachers to two, the third member of staff being an unqualified Instructor. I was introduced to bring a National Curriculum subject to the Centre - that being Art - and to deliver the subject to GCSE level - something which had never been done before. I also delivered general subjects such as Current Affairs and PSHE (Personal, Health and Social Education). |
My colleagues, Alan and Stella, were great, and we got on really well. Staff and pupils worked their socks off to create an Art room out of a filthy space which had been used for occasional metalwork projects. I was provided with some second-hand tables, but we made our own stools to sit on and storage units to store our artwork, and we cleaned and painted the whole room, the pupils learning some decorating skills in the process. The atmosphere in the Centre was wonderful. It operated almost like a big family, rather than a school. We didn't really have any rules, and never any behaviour issues. Everyone simply knew what was expected of them, and everyone was happy.
Although Art had not been delivered at James Street in living memory, the Centre did have a large pottery kiln, housed in what had been an outside coal house (and still containing a quantity of coal... ) Considering the small size of the school, I was allowed quite a generous budget, and was able to buy an electric potter's wheel and pottery equipment. The pupils took to the Art course really well, and I thoroughly enjoyed this phase of my career.
I Move Away - Broughton House School
During these few years, my personal life with Becky was progressing well (see Becky >) and we made a decision to move away from Kent. I sought a new teaching post, looking almost anywhere in the country, and secured an Art and general subjects post at Broughton House School, a privately run residential Special Needs Secondary School in rural Lincolnshire. We put our house in Kent up for sale (See Home >) and looked forward to the move. I started the new job on 1st April 1991, but within just a few days realised that I had made a big mistake. I felt like I was working in a borstal. The all-male pupils were like nothing I had worked with before; foul language, theft and violence being commonplace. The facilities I was provided with for delivering an Art course were crude to say the least - little more than a few boxes of broken crayons. Worst of all, I really missed James Street!
One morning, in desperation, I phoned Ann Storm at Danecourt to discuss my situation, and learned to my delight that my vacant post at James Street had not been permanently filled, and if I was interested in a promotion, I could return to James Street after the summer holiday. The Head at Broughton House was extremely understanding and supportive. He obviously saw my distress in the situation in which I found myself, and allowed me to leave his school with only a couple of days notice. I left quickly and quietly, very thankful that this little episode had done so little harm to me or my career. Becky took a little consoling, as she too was looking forward to our move, but things settled down again quite easily.
Note: Broughton House exists today (2014) as an Educational Care Home. The establishment is now under totally different ownership and management to that when I was there in 1991, and bears no resemblance to the school in which I was employed.
I move Back...!
I spent the rest of that term (Summer 1991) working on supply in a Junior school in Gillingham, and in September 1991, returned to James Street. By now, additional requirements of the National Curriculum had become statutory, and to get round some of the regulations, it was decided that Danecourt's 14 year-old pupils would also attend James Street, and that a full curriculum would be delivered. This meant another teacher, Tony, joined our happy team, and I now found myself teaching formal lessons in Maths and Geography, and managing accredited courses, in addition to delivering my other subjects, plus my GCSE Art and Pottery of course. The annual summer exhibition of GCSE work, which was held in the Sports Hall at Danecourt School, had became a highlight of the school calendar, and the Danecourt School Sports Day was timed to coincide with the GCSE exhibition so that parents and other visitors could be invited to attend special viewings of the Art work. I was enormously proud of the efforts of my pupils, especially when for the first time, one of them was awarded an A grade for their Art GCSE.
There was no proper facility for teaching Games or PE at James Street, so frequent trips to the local park took place, for a kick-about with a football or a game of rounders. At other times, I planned and led long walks from the town-centre based school up into the downs which surround the Medway Towns, or along the banks of the River Medway. I would often take Bentley, my Ridgeback dog, into school on days when we were going for a walk. He would spend the morning lying on his blanket on the Art room floor, then thoroughly enjoy an afternoon racing about with the students on our walk. We also all went swimming once a week (staff as well...) to public sessions in the local Sports Centre, or in summer to the open air Lido at Gillingham Strand.
James Street Closes
James Street Centre managed to satisfy the Local Education Authority that it was a proper school for a few more years, but Ann Storm had moved onwards and upwards - becoming an Ofsted Schools Inspector, and the new Danecourt Head was worse than useless at the job. Sadly, much of the practical work which took place in the centre was phased out, as demands of a 'proper' curriculum took over. The making of wooden toys and furniture all but ceased. Then it was announced that a reorganisation of Special Schools in Medway was to take place. Danecourt was to become a Junior School, and another all-age Special School in the borough would become the Special Needs Secondary School. James Street Centre was therefore no longer required, and it was to close. Our pupils were pushed into courses at the local Further Education college, where most of them floundered. Alan and Stella took early retirement. Tony and I were offered jobs at Danecourt Junior School.
The James Street Centre building still stands (2014), and has now been refurbished and extended to become part of Skinner Street Junior School.
Teaching Juniors...
The job I was given was to be the Year 6 class teacher at Danecourt, teaching all subjects to a small class of 10 year-olds. I hated it. In part, this was because I had been pushed out of a job I loved, and in part, it was because I preferred to work with older pupils. Additionally, I did not get on at any level with the Head. To cap it all, my personal life was in a state of flux. I was by this time living on my own - Becky had moved out - so it didn't take too much time for me to decide to make a few radical changes to my life.
Jobless...!!
I had no personal responsibilities, other than to myself and my dog. I didn't need a lot of money to survive. So I cut my living costs by selling my big house in Sittingbourne and bought with cash (mortgage-free) a little run down house on the Isle of Sheppey (see Home >). I sold my nearly new 4x4 car and bought an old banger. I resigned from my well paid post at Danecourt, and walked out of the school with a happy smile on my face. This was July 1996. I was 45 years old.
Age 45 - 57 Years: Work >
Although Art had not been delivered at James Street in living memory, the Centre did have a large pottery kiln, housed in what had been an outside coal house (and still containing a quantity of coal... ) Considering the small size of the school, I was allowed quite a generous budget, and was able to buy an electric potter's wheel and pottery equipment. The pupils took to the Art course really well, and I thoroughly enjoyed this phase of my career.
I Move Away - Broughton House School
During these few years, my personal life with Becky was progressing well (see Becky >) and we made a decision to move away from Kent. I sought a new teaching post, looking almost anywhere in the country, and secured an Art and general subjects post at Broughton House School, a privately run residential Special Needs Secondary School in rural Lincolnshire. We put our house in Kent up for sale (See Home >) and looked forward to the move. I started the new job on 1st April 1991, but within just a few days realised that I had made a big mistake. I felt like I was working in a borstal. The all-male pupils were like nothing I had worked with before; foul language, theft and violence being commonplace. The facilities I was provided with for delivering an Art course were crude to say the least - little more than a few boxes of broken crayons. Worst of all, I really missed James Street!
One morning, in desperation, I phoned Ann Storm at Danecourt to discuss my situation, and learned to my delight that my vacant post at James Street had not been permanently filled, and if I was interested in a promotion, I could return to James Street after the summer holiday. The Head at Broughton House was extremely understanding and supportive. He obviously saw my distress in the situation in which I found myself, and allowed me to leave his school with only a couple of days notice. I left quickly and quietly, very thankful that this little episode had done so little harm to me or my career. Becky took a little consoling, as she too was looking forward to our move, but things settled down again quite easily.
Note: Broughton House exists today (2014) as an Educational Care Home. The establishment is now under totally different ownership and management to that when I was there in 1991, and bears no resemblance to the school in which I was employed.
I move Back...!
I spent the rest of that term (Summer 1991) working on supply in a Junior school in Gillingham, and in September 1991, returned to James Street. By now, additional requirements of the National Curriculum had become statutory, and to get round some of the regulations, it was decided that Danecourt's 14 year-old pupils would also attend James Street, and that a full curriculum would be delivered. This meant another teacher, Tony, joined our happy team, and I now found myself teaching formal lessons in Maths and Geography, and managing accredited courses, in addition to delivering my other subjects, plus my GCSE Art and Pottery of course. The annual summer exhibition of GCSE work, which was held in the Sports Hall at Danecourt School, had became a highlight of the school calendar, and the Danecourt School Sports Day was timed to coincide with the GCSE exhibition so that parents and other visitors could be invited to attend special viewings of the Art work. I was enormously proud of the efforts of my pupils, especially when for the first time, one of them was awarded an A grade for their Art GCSE.
There was no proper facility for teaching Games or PE at James Street, so frequent trips to the local park took place, for a kick-about with a football or a game of rounders. At other times, I planned and led long walks from the town-centre based school up into the downs which surround the Medway Towns, or along the banks of the River Medway. I would often take Bentley, my Ridgeback dog, into school on days when we were going for a walk. He would spend the morning lying on his blanket on the Art room floor, then thoroughly enjoy an afternoon racing about with the students on our walk. We also all went swimming once a week (staff as well...) to public sessions in the local Sports Centre, or in summer to the open air Lido at Gillingham Strand.
James Street Closes
James Street Centre managed to satisfy the Local Education Authority that it was a proper school for a few more years, but Ann Storm had moved onwards and upwards - becoming an Ofsted Schools Inspector, and the new Danecourt Head was worse than useless at the job. Sadly, much of the practical work which took place in the centre was phased out, as demands of a 'proper' curriculum took over. The making of wooden toys and furniture all but ceased. Then it was announced that a reorganisation of Special Schools in Medway was to take place. Danecourt was to become a Junior School, and another all-age Special School in the borough would become the Special Needs Secondary School. James Street Centre was therefore no longer required, and it was to close. Our pupils were pushed into courses at the local Further Education college, where most of them floundered. Alan and Stella took early retirement. Tony and I were offered jobs at Danecourt Junior School.
The James Street Centre building still stands (2014), and has now been refurbished and extended to become part of Skinner Street Junior School.
Teaching Juniors...
The job I was given was to be the Year 6 class teacher at Danecourt, teaching all subjects to a small class of 10 year-olds. I hated it. In part, this was because I had been pushed out of a job I loved, and in part, it was because I preferred to work with older pupils. Additionally, I did not get on at any level with the Head. To cap it all, my personal life was in a state of flux. I was by this time living on my own - Becky had moved out - so it didn't take too much time for me to decide to make a few radical changes to my life.
Jobless...!!
I had no personal responsibilities, other than to myself and my dog. I didn't need a lot of money to survive. So I cut my living costs by selling my big house in Sittingbourne and bought with cash (mortgage-free) a little run down house on the Isle of Sheppey (see Home >). I sold my nearly new 4x4 car and bought an old banger. I resigned from my well paid post at Danecourt, and walked out of the school with a happy smile on my face. This was July 1996. I was 45 years old.
Age 45 - 57 Years: Work >