The Smell of a School

Published July 28, 2012 | By Confessions of a single mum

My two children go to the same school that I went to, many many years ago. It has changed so much. There have been revamps, new builds, new systems and a new uniform. No more a-line air force blue skirts with old fashioned ties that could never be tied properly, they even got rid of the yellow shirts. Now its cool looking black and trousers allowed.

When I joined the school we were given a quick whistle stop tour of the building that went to fast it scared the living daylights out of you. Nowadays the newbies not only get a whole day in their new form rooms but a welcome evening too for the parents. Nothing prepared me for the welcome evening when my daughter joined. The school hall looked the same, smelt the same and even felt the same as we all sat there feeling all grown up. Few rows ahead of me was a boy that was in my form. How odd to see the same face, in the same hall but 20 years later. (his daughter and mine are now firm horsy friends) At the end of the evening, when we went to pick our children up from their form rooms, it did get rather too spooky for my liking. Not only was she in the same form room that I had, she was sitting in the exact seat I use to.

The support they get now from career advice to exam help is totally surpassed what we had when we I was there. I guess this is where adult learning can benefit us oldies now. Nowadays that get help every step of the way. We were sort of left to it and if you didn’t know what you wanted to do when you left school you were sort of told to go away, have a think and come back when you knew. I only figured out in the last few years what I wanted to do career wise. Better late then never I guess.