Day 1. Induction.

First day back. Im trying to remain positive and open minded about the prison sentence ahead.  To hang onto my relaxed state following a month holiday in France, I greet other staff members by kissing them on both cheeks. I kiss the deputy head. It is a mistake. She returns the kisses coldly, even tho she is French. Then I remember the end of last term and that she basically despises me. It sums up my presence in the system. I am the walking personification on " inappropriate"ness. At the end of last term I could barely stop myself swearing in my sentences. Im glad im a member of the NUT. One day im really going to need them.

I meet my maths teacher friend on the stairwell. She has just got her exam results. She has an 82% pass rate. She vows she will work even harder this year. She wants to achieve at least 95%.I suddenly really saw the Cambridge graduate in her. A 'B' is too average. She wants an A*. I have to hand it to her.  She is amazing. She held weeks of after school extra math session last term. Those girls were so lucky to have her.

Today we are just easing in to it all. No kids in yet. Its almost bearable. I clear out the office and rearrange the stock cupboard. I see some class lists and crow over the fact that some of the most hideous girls in the top set of year seven have this year been dropped to the bottom set. Thats quite a way to fall.

We have a big meet with the Head. She tells us the school got 48% A-C's this year. I dont think this is that great. I think Roedean got about 92%. 

We discuss the new house structure for the school. I ask if we are going to have a head girl. I read a lot of Mallory Towers and the Chalet School series as a kid. I always wanted to go the either of these girls boarding schools. The latter seemed to be a lot of ski-ing in the Austrian Alps before 'frustuck'.  I am living in la la land. 

Then we go over the classic teaching jargon. ECM is my favourite. It stands for Every Child Matters. It is a government directive on the Educations systems pledge to include and teach every lovely/clever/stupid/nightmare kid. It will be a great shock for them when they reach 18 and they find out that no body gives a monkey's anymore. Why not Every Adult matters? They will spend more of their  life as one.