A pupil’s experience of life at a secondary school – answers

1 1800 students from year 9 (age 14) – to sixth-form (age 18).
2 That it’s better, when taking GCSEs, to get the more experienced teachers who know more.
Trainees and recent graduates are sometimes described as NQTs (= newly qualified teachers) in advertisements and elsewhere. Sometimes jobs are aimed at NQTs because they are paid at the bottom end of the pay scale, so save the school money.
3 Verbal bullying, and teasing, but not much ‘major bullying’.
4 He says it does well compared to similar schools. He says statistics are disguised, suggesting he does not believe some of what is said in promotion of the school.
5 It is a specialist language school.
6 If (s)he is ‘not a teacher’s pet’, and does not get nominated by 3 teachers.
7 That the sports hall is decrepit, very old-fashioned, and will be revamped in the future, so sport provision should improve.
To revamp – to improve and renovate. (Also to give sth a revamp – noun)
8 Not a great deal unless they do some while studying music as a subject – ie not after school or during the lunch hour in voluntary activities. Sam says people interested in playing music tend to do so outside of school.
9 That it received extra materials, and also has some gallery space, so pupils can display their work.
10 Once a week.
11 Every term.
12 The drama and music facilities – he says that the music budget is regularly spent on replacing guitar strings for instance, (so nothing new is provided).
13 As being good between students.
14 a) He is opposed to people being able to access private education on the basis of their parents’ wage – so he thinks it is financially and socially discriminating.
b) His view is that boarding schools develop ‘loner qualities’, and cites his father who is reserved as a result of having attended a boarding school.

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