BELINDA AUSTIN-LOCKWOOD The New Headmistress

Tel 01612806092 or 07984593046

I seriously believe that given time and patience, and the right amount of corrective techniques – most pupils can be brought into line. Repeat offenders are rife – these are the times that one must look beyond setting lines, or ordering detention and venture into more physical punishment. These are the times it’s necessary to delve into the psychology behind the behaviour. One can’t go far wrong by heeding the advice given (half in jest, of course) by Messrs Gilbert & Sullivan – Make the Punishment Fit the Crime. For example – young Smithson was sent to my office the other day. Now, over the course of his time in the school – Smithson has been a rather frequent guest over my desk. This time, it transpires that he’s got a young gal pregnant. Feisty little devil – who knew he had it in him! I had his underpants filled with nettles as I set him a maths test. You see, it’s this sort of lesson that will make him think twice before he goes getting up to no good in the future.

How I remember my first foray into teaching. 30 boys – all bad! And I was a shy and sweet newly qualified teacher. I sat demurely, requesting politely that they get on with the exercises from their books. I reasoned that by talking to them as adults and rational human beings, I would achieve the connection with them that so many of my colleague’s seemed to fail to achieve. How naïve! They made mincemeat of me. Within fifteen minutes there ensued a classroom chaos I’d only seen in boys comics. I was shaking for hours. The Headmaster was kind but firm. ‘You must understand that whilst these young men are in your class you have complete control over them! You can have them stripped naked and running around the playing fields for all I care – I only ask that you don’t make them late for the next lesson as that plays havoc with the scheduling.’ It was a lesson I never forgot. Within weeks I developed a fearsome reputation amongst the pupils, regarded as the strictest of the staff.

Mostly though, it’s just steering back to the right path those students who slip slightly off the straight and narrow. Missed homework, late attendance, talking in class – some inappropriate back-chat. All these things can easily be eradicated by swift and firm punishment at the outset. I learned very early in my teaching career that it was best to start strict and relax later than adopt this new-age namby-pamby getting ‘down’ with the kids.

Prior to my move to the frozen north, I plied my trade in East Anglia, Cambridge to be precise – a centre for academic excellence – some would say. I’m keen to see what the quality of behaviour is in the North. Mmm – we shall see.

Tel 01612806092 or 07984593046