SECONDARY SCHOOL MEMORIES – AIDS TO LEARNING AND EXTRA ACTIVITIES
Pupils born in the 1950s
GD/P50/HiE91 Infant/Junior + Grammar, Liverpool
Extra activities
Had a visit to London to see historical sights but mainly cramming for exams.
Aids to learning
Learnt mainly from printed notes & books. Some maps – poorly produced. Occasional radio recording – not very interesting, class got bored.
GG/P50/HiE99 Primary + Grammar, Nottingham
Aids to learning
Remember only books. Really tedious.
GC/P51/HiE94 Junior + Grammar, Brighton
Aids to learning
Old text books.
MJ/P51/HiE88 Primary + Grammars, Hove & Bletchley
Extra activities
We were taken to the Houses of Parliament
We were encouraged to connect current news events with the past.
Aids to learning
Almost all learning was with books but there was a good variety. I remember that we read ‘Self Help’ by Samuel Smiles to help us understand the Victorian work ethic.
We also watched some TV programmes – schools TV was quite new then.
MM/P52/HiE95 Primary + Grammar, Derby
Aids to learning
We had text books, I can’t remember using any other resources.
PD/P52/HiE100 Primary + Grammar, Reading
Extra activities
There were no external trips or clubs. We only went out of school for sport, annual theatre trip and annual church service.
Aids to learning
All book and blackboard with some wordy worksheets. Most innovative aspect was using roller blackboards, rather than fixed ones. Radio/film/TV/video – not used through high school.
KI/P52/HiE92 Primary + Grammar, PontefractN.B. INTERVIEWED
Extra activities
Trips to places of historic interest during the A level course only.
Aids to learning
I remember the books I have mentioned [Elton, Rowse and Black] which were really useful and I have not forgotten them to this day. If I see them in a bookshop even now my heart does a leap! So mainly books, occasional banda sheets, maps in the early years.
JI/P52/HiE132 Primary + Grammar, Fleetwood, Lancs.
Extra activities
I don’t remember doing any fieldwork trips for history at school – though we did dosome for geography in the Sixth Form. I took history for A level and I still don’t recall any visits.
Aids to learning
It was only ever text books and the teacher writing on the blackboard. I don’t remember any worksheets ever and certainly never any TV. I was always interested, so I learnt.
EG/P53/HiE101 Primary/Junior + Grammar/Comprehensive, Doncaster
Aids to learning
Books – no other resources.
RT/P53/HiE90 Junior + Grammar, Ilford, Essex
Extra activities
I don’t remember any. The other O Level class went to see ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’ film that was released just before our O Levels. Our class wasn’t included. I think that summarised how Mrs Wren felt about us and our lessons. We did feel fairly unappreciated.
Aids to learning
I can’t recall anything other than text books being available to us.
EC/P53/HiE86 Primary + Grammar, Sheffield
Extra activities
We went to Roche Abbey and Conisborough Castle in the first year of Grammar School and I found both very uninteresting. I still have no interest in castles!
Aids to learning
Only books and they did help me learn.
HP/P53/HiE98 Infants/Junior + Secondary Modern, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancs.
Extra activities
We sometimes did work on a special topic may be if it was commemorative. Because I was also good at art and an excellent colourist, I got to do the posters for the theme. Not many trips, I think there should have been more but one great trip we had was 5 days in London where we visited all the historical sites.
Aids to learning
Books, worksheets & maps. I don’t recall using other media at all such as radio, TV/film/video which is a pity. I think it would have been great and would have enhanced the experience. As I was top of the History class with high results, it would have made it more enjoyable. I guess rather than give more marks.
AF/P54/HiE103 Primary/Junior + Grammar, Hull
Extra activities
We dutifully trailed around Beverley Minster, York Minster, Castle Museum, York, Fountains Abbey and Helmsley Castle at various times. There was a History Club, briefly, but it just expired.
Aids to learning
We used banda sheets sometimes (usually when we had students in) and the old standby “Common Ground” filmstrips. On very rare occasions we were taken to the ‘TV Room’ to use Schools programmes and we did sometimes get taken to see a film – “Cromwell” for example. These were all ‘add-ons’ and not central to the teaching, as I remember.
JS/P54/HiE89 Infant/Primary (Coventry/Croydon) + Grammar, Northampton
Aids to learning
I really cannot remember anything but the set book, which was dry and very forgettable, setting down facts and discouraging any original thought or reasoning
HM/P54/HiE202 Primary + Grammar, Gravesend, Kent
Aids to learning
I’m sure we had a text book as we did for all subjects but I doubt if I looked at it very much. I’m sure it would have been dry and tedious to read. We may have been given maps. The only ones I can remember were trade of tin between Phoenicia and Cornwall, and the battles of the first world war.
PC/P54/HiE96 Junior + Secondary Modern, Barnsley
Extra activities
Did not have a chance to do anything in history.
Aids to learning
Books were used often but can’t remember which ones. Maps were also useful.
SE/P55/HiE97 Primary + Grammar, Chigwell, EssexN.B. INTERVIEWED
Aids to learning
I don’t even remember any textbooks but we may have had some.
KD/P55/HiE102 Primary and Grammar, Northampton
Aids to learning
Textbooks.
HK/P56/HiE85 Primary + Grammar, Heywood, Lancs.
Extra activities
In grammar school, we had no trips – in sixth form, went on a few digs like Time Team.
Aids to learning
No TV or video – only paper + maps about Hitler. I would have liked to learn about medieval Britain, the 1700s and Queen Victoria.
SK/P56/HiE128 Primary/Junior + Grammar, Aldershot, Hampshire
Extra activities
No- other clubs and societies but nothing run by our department.
Aids to learning
Only as over the page [she refers to drawings and making a model village with a trainee teacher] – this was the sixties!
GA/P56/HiE199 Primary + Grammar, Leeds
Extra activities
There were some field trips in the lower school, notably to Kirkstall Abbey. In senior school we were spoilt for choice for venues as the West Riding of Yorkshire is full of England’s industrial heritage. We also participated as film extras in a production from Leeds University where we dressed up in medieval attire and fought a pitched battle – I still proudly show the scars.
Aids to learning - Text books, worksheets and maps were common. We occasionally watched BBC history lessons. All of these methods were useful.
AS/P56/HiE205 Primary + Grammar, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Extra activities
We definitely had a day trip to Lindisfarne at some point. We had a trip to York at some point that involved the story of the crushing by stones of St Margaret Clitheroe, and some of our school houses were named after English martyrs as well as leading Sacred Heart nuns.
Don’t remember clubs or competitions, and I would certainly have gone for anything like a quiz.
Aids to learning
Books, books and books, and I loved them and they helped me to learn. For some subjects there were “banda” copies, and I think we may have had these for things like maps. We certainly did use maps, and I do remember worksheets from school, but do not have a specific memory of them for history. I may be doing my history teacher a disservice about film strips, as I remember the class being darkened to see some things, but I can’t remember anything about them relating to history.
There were some excellent packs of papers that I had at this age with copies of original documents, correspondence and maps – I had them for the Boer War, the American War of Independence and the Irish Easter Uprising – but I think that I got my mother to buy these for my own interest rather than them being school source material.
MS/P58/HiE196 Infants/Junior + Grammar, Chatham, Kent
Extra activities
At O level we went to see lots of films of some relevance e.g. Nicholas and Alexandra, the Great Gatsby.
Aids to learning
Books, printed notes, maps and map books. Maps were very helpful. Printed notes at O level helped us cover such a broad range of history. I would have loved film or video but it was not available.
AG/P58/HiE192 Primary/Junior + Grammar, Romford, Essex
Extra activities
All trips were made by my parents. This was Romford in 1970s – no cash then, no cash now.
Aids to learning
Books – we lived in the school and local libraries, maps, at home TV and film.
ME/P59/HiE177 Primary + Grammars, Hayes, Middx. & Whitby, N. Yorks.
Extra activities
We had trips, one to medieval castles and abbeys in the area, and one to a Georgian church. There were others that I didn’t go on.
Aids to learning
Handouts, OHP slides, books. These were pre-computer days, and the school only had one TV.
Pupils born in the 1960s
AS/P60/HiE137 Grammars, Stockport and Macclesfield (History teacher)
Extra activities
All taken to the cinema to see ‘Nicholas and Alexandra’ when it came out.
Aids to learning
Books. One visit to the cinema. Obviously pre-video etc. Very different to how I taught History in my first year of teaching!
JG/P60/HiE111 Primary + Grammar, Oxfordshire
Aids to learning
I don’t remember every looking at primary sources but at one time interviewed my grandmother about her life.
AR/P60/HiE109 Primary + Grammars, Ipswich and Woodbridge, Suffolk
Aids to learning
Books, worksheets
DC/P60/HiE138 Junior + Sec. Mod., Gravesend, Kent
Aids to learning
Books, overhead projector. I loved books then and do now – it wasn’t the materials that were bad, it was the teacher and the narrow syllabus.
KS/P61/HiE155 Infant/Juniors (Manchester, Rochdale) + Grammar, Rochdale
Extra activities
I had one trip to York at Primary School. I had another trip to York at Junior High School. I had a walk around the locality at Junior High School when we were doing our local history project. When I was studying GCE O’ level Classical Studies, we had a field trip to the Roman Road near Rochdale known as Blackstone Edge – but this was in the middle of winter. It turned out foggy and rainy. We could not see anything, got soaked, and I got blisters on my feet because of the compulsory school walking boots. The teacher abandoned the trip and we took refuge in a room in a public house which was managed by another pupil’s parents. They warmed us up with cups of tea.
Aids to learning
Some of the booklets produced at Junior High School were very nice. At Senior High School we had a text book containing maps and data for O’ level. Sometimes the teacher produced her own printed sheets of information but they were frustrating because her handwriting was scruffy. I did gain an A in history at O’ level and a B at A’ level, so the basic teaching was sound although it was a little dry.
JD/P61/HiE156 Private primary schools + grammar school, Taunton, Somerset
Extra activities
There was a school cruise around the Mediterranean visiting these wonderful places of interest that Mrs Motley had enthused about, but this was in the 4th year at the Grammar School and by that time I had lost interest. I would have liked to have gone on the cruise, but couldn’t afford to do so. This is the mid 70’s, I came from a farming family and remember times being exceptionally hard.
I also remember being taken to Taunton Museum by the Nuns at the convent. We had been studying the Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans and we went to look at the artefacts that had been discovered locally.
Aids to learning
We used history books and had slide shows. We were regularly set essays on various topics. We also discussed television programmes about history and were always informed by Mrs Motley of any television programmes that she thought we might be interested in. I’m a visual person and this type of teaching worked for me. Interestingly enough, Mrs Kelly, didn’t use any teaching aids, she just read us notes all the time with no feeling or enthusiasm for her subject. No wonder I gave it up.
AG/P61/HiE152 Primary (Worcestershire) + Grammar, Kidderminster
Aids to learning
Primary: Books, magazines, posters, leaflets, slides, maybe TV.
Secondary: Text books, OHP, slides, TV
JB/P62/HiE149 Primary + Grammar, Ilford, Essex
Extra activities
No. I enjoyed family trips around London e.g. the Tower.
Aids to learning
Just books in the library.
NF/P62/HiE142 Primary + Comprehensive, Bewdley, Worcestershire
Extra activities
Went into the forest to see traditional charcoal burning. Visited Worcester cathedral. Visited various buildings in the immediate locality. Visited Blists Hill Open Air Museum.
Aids to learning
Books, video, artifacts. They all helped me to learn.
JY/P62/HiE173 Infants/junior + Comprehensive, Telford, Salop NB SCHOOL WORK PHOTOGRAPHED
Extra activities
We seemed to go on field trips regularly. Warwick Castle, Blists Hill, Birmingham Science museum, Jodrell Bank and Weston Park to name a few.
I was also a member of the radio club where we learnt about the history of radio.
Aids to learning
Film and video were never used. The TV was only used if the schools channel had something relevant showing. We had to research by visiting the Library. (School and local) We used to take notes from the blackboard mostly as worksheets and handouts were not common.
AW/P63/HiE159 Primaries overseas + Comprehensive (Hampshire) + Secondary Modern (Norfolk) NB INTERVIEWED
Extra activities
I remember going to a lecture at the Tower of London and visiting the museum there, but that was in the sixth form. For ‘A’level I also completed a project on the history of the Celts, which allowed me to research and design the layout of my presentation. I thoroughly enjoyed that exercise.
Aids to learning
I think I am of the generation which had much less choice in resources. Videos were used, but I mainly remember books and maps.
SW/P63/HiE105 Infant/Junior + Middle/Upper Comprehensive, Middleton, Manchester
Aids to learning
Books and handouts were used most. I feel that visual aids such as TV & video may have made history more interesting.
EH/P63/HiE 106Junior + Grammar School, Watford
Extra activities
We always had a history quiz for completion during the Christmas holidays which was popular with all students.
Aids to learning
History books & school TV programmes were used.
JJ/P63/HiE197 Infants/Junior + Comprehensive School, Littlehampton, West Sussex
NB SCHOOL WORK PHOTOGRAPHED
Aids to learning
We only had talks by teacher and a few books. That was it.
ST/P63/HiE144 Infants/Junior + Grammar school, Hertfordshire
Extra activities
We went to Ironbridge on the train. It took over 3 hours to get there and we were there about 3 hours and came back on the train, and there were not enough seats so we had to sit on the floor. I think I remember the journey more than the history!
Aids to learning
We did have maps of the Abyssinian Empire.
AS/P63/HiE167 Junior + Comprehensive, Bristol
Aids to learning
At that time only worksheets and note taking from the blackboard with regular homework and phase tests.
CW/P65/HiE162 Primary + Middle/Upper Comprehensive Schools, Manchester
Aids to learning
Textbooks, worksheets, some group discussion and copying from the board. Don’t ever remember using anything else. I was happy with that way as I am a ‘reader’.
FM/P65/HiE139 Primaries + Comprehensive School, Bury, Lancashire
Extra activities
Many field trips which to me made ‘the history’ more real.
Aids to learning
Predominantly work books; film strips, tv.
AG/P65/HiE146 Infants/Junior + Grammar, Finchley, London
Extra Activities
I only remember the trips made during primary school. At secondary school we were probably too rowdy to take anywhere nice.
Aids to learning
We had books and that was about all. Teachers re-wrote their own notes on the blackboard.
JB/P66/HiE104 Primary + Middle/Upper Comprehensive Schools, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Extra activities
We took field trips to local churches. The A level projects meant weekly trips to the county archives in Bury St Edmunds. Local pensioners were interviewed for the oral project in our own time.
Aids to learning
All of the above [books, worksheets, maps, radio, film strips, TV, video]. Trips to the AV (audio-visual) room were enjoyed as a chance to get out of normal classrooms.
CH/P66/HiE157 Primary+ Middle/Upper Comprehensive Schools, Newcastle upon Tyne
Extra activities
At middle school we went on a trip to the keep/castle of Newcastle Upon Tyne. At high school we had an outing to Beamish Open Air Museum. We also watched live on TV the recovery of the Mary Rose.
Aids to learning
Primarily text books. We were rarely offered alternative media.
HY/P66/HiE161 Infants/Junior + Comprehensive Schools, Dronfield, Derbyshire
Extra activities
Miss Shoot did introduce us, in 6th form, to Archaeology, which was her passion in holidays.
Aids to learning
Books and worksheets were used most, and maps,sometimes TV – I wish we’d have had access to the History Channel programmes available now.
SH/P66/HiE181 Primary schools (Wales) + Comprehensive, Bristol
Extra activities
I can remember trips to Caerleon Roman Fort and the Roman Baths in Bath. When I was an A level History student a few select students (including myself) went on a day trip to London and met with the brother of our History teacher who was a key member of the Methodist Church. We also visited the Tower of London.
Aids to learning
My schooling took place well before the advent of computers and the Internet. I recall mostly being taught from the blackboard with the aid of textbooks. I expect the teachers would have also used overhead projectors at some stage. We did watch TV (Schools Programming) in both Primary and Secondary schools but I don’t remember anything with particular reference to History.