First School

Anyway when I was six years old I couldn’t speak and they said I had a Speech and Language Problem, they didn’t say anything about schools that could help me. So I went to school near my home but with loads of help, someone came into school to try and help in lessons and took me to Speech and Language Therapist in the town near me. Mum and Dad sometimes took me and they had to take me all the way to London, which I cant remember what I had to do in these sessions in London or in Speech and Language therapist near me as it was when I was very young! But they didn’t get me to start talking, I’m not really sure how they helped but they did one way or another!

My mum learned how to sign simply and she taught me how to sign so I could communicate to everyone (but that was when I was tiny when I was five years old and signed like that until I was about seven!) I used to like the school and the staff and the students even with my speech and language problem. The speech and language problem didn’t bother me a lot and I felt annoyed that I couldn’t say anything so I mostly stayed with one of my brothers who was at the same school so he could understand me but he got annoyed sometimes because I wouldn’t leave him alone. When he left I finally able to be on my own with some friends from my class. My temper has always been bad and I think it’s mostly because of my speech problem, not being able to say what I want, even when I was little!

Anyway then the school found out that there is a school, which would help me with my needs, and be able to help me through, Mum and Dad were so pleased that there was a school to help me. So I started at this school when I was six years old till I was ten with my lovely doll called Rose. She used to come with me all the time and everywhere I think I stopped carrying her the last two year. I loved her and she was a good friend to me – I know she’s a doll but she was a friend to me!! I am not sure how I felt because it was so long ago and I can’t remember much about this school but I have some memories of it! So I went to (as I cant use the proper names of the schools I went to I gonna use nicknames or made up names!) Enchanting School and it was a good school this is the school which helped so much, they got me talking at seven years old my parents were so happy when I started talking. I was talking ok when I left this school when I was ten – I had quite a lot to work on but they helped me so much! (It’s a shame they had to close the school when I was in my third school. I think that’s when I heard they that had closed! They didn’t have enough people going to the school so they had no choice, but I was sad when I heard that they had closed, even though I cant remember much but they have always been a great school because they helped me so much!) Anyway I tell you what I remember of Enchanting School.

I remember getting there every Monday morning with a boy I travel, with my parents and his share the journey, his Mum did the journey mostly on Mondays.
On Friday nights it was mostly my Dad because he used to go to places in the week and it made sense for him to get us! Fridays used to be the worst day to travel because of all the traffic and it was bad, we got home between seven to nine o’clock, sometimes much later! But I don’t always tell the difference as I usually am asleep most of the way, because the journey used to make me feel down and horrid! But I do try and talk to Dad about my week but usually fall asleep quite quickly, then sometimes I don’t wake up until we were nearly home (or school). When I got home, Mum usually stays up to see me and talk about my week and see how I am, but because I still had trouble talking, I never really talked much, that’s when they started using the home/school books! – Better tell you a bit about the Home and School book it was to tell the parents or the people at school how I am doing or if I had any problems it would go in there, and what I have been up to that week or weekend! It helped mum and dad to have it has they love to hear what is going on at school!

On Monday mornings Mum would woke me up and I had a shower got ready for school at four o’clock in the morning (so we can get to school in good time) and I then had breakfast! Then they drove to the meeting spot where we would meet the boy and his Mum and sometimes his brother and sister, but not very often. Anyway we get to school sometimes while they are eating breakfast and sometimes when the assembly begins (its up to with the traffic!) the boy’s Mum always said goodbye to me and kissed my cheek, she was really kind to me!
Anyway when I was there I used have to have a speech and Language session few times a week! In the sessions they used to help my to speak and pronounce the words, they used to write it a card and we used to try and say it , we used to do it in symbols it did help I still do it when I speak if it’s a new word or a word I cant pronounce I do it in symbols sometime out loud (if I know the person) or in my head (if I don’t know the person).

We didn’t wear uniforms at this school it had to be casual but smart clothes – our own chose of course!
I cant remember much about what lessons we did: I think we did Maths, English, Science, History, Geography, Art – I think cause one of my art work is on the cover of the book!
And the activities I did while I was there: I did Swimming – we had to walk to the swimming pool, it was a public swimming pool but we learned to swim there. I also did Trampoline (what I used to really love doing and did very – it’s a shame that I stopped doing it, may have been a good trampoliner now!) Horse riding – last session I remember riding on the road on my own without anyone guiding the horse. We used to go on the beach a lot it was so good to have the school just a few minutes away from the seaside and I used to love it. We also used to go to the shops what was very close to us. I remember going once to the pantomime kind of thing to see Fantastic Mr Fox (or something like that) with the school and I really enjoyed it! I also joined Brownies and it’s so different from Brownies they do now, used to do loads of badges like make teas and used to go around to old peoples homes and give food and help around houses give them company it was good back then! It was useful and enjoyable!

I also remember dressing up as a dwarf for a play – I think it was for Christmas play of Snow White and I remember all the fetes we did – we did country dancing what I always enjoy (and I realise the children don’t do it anymore – what a shame! Anyway we went on stalls to sell things! And the sports day was good I remember waiting for the races to start and I had a very loose tooth and the teachers told me too pull it out! What I wasn’t happy with but I did it cause I have to confess it was annoying and it was so loose that it could have fallen out anytime!
And we had a day trip every year what we used to call Kids day out. We had a T-shirt with kid’s day out and few cars with balloons on it and we always went to Butlins it always was a good trip we used to go swimming then went to the restaurant there and walked around. I used to love the day when we went here, I think everyone really enjoyed himself or herself there!
Because I had to board there: at the start the girls was in a small room next to few younger boys and in the end we told them this isn’t fair, we hardly get any sleep cause one boy messed around or talked a lot! Then we moved in to another room with four bedrooms and the boys who was in this room moved in the other one! We had toys and games in there as well cause we were in that room a lot!
When we get nearer to ten years old we used to be able to stay up later and we used to go down to the hall also there was a TV room down there where we stayed up or watched a film in one of boy’s room! I remember one night when it was thunderstorm it scared me and one of the lady who was in charge of me and also a night watch that night came in the room and took me to someone’s room because there was another person scared and she talked to us to soothe us!

I used to get a lot of letters from Mum (mostly) and my brother, my godmother sent loads of letters and I also remember getting letters from the lady who helped me from the school before and she stayed in touch with my mum to see how I am getting on! Mum kept all the letters I received and the letters that I sent to her! I used to love getting letters
I had a few friends, I was very close to five girls who I used to play with a lot, and I had two good friends one was in my class and we were close! But I enjoyed being with them. In the play ground I remember playing what’s the time mister wolf, play with play horses – you know a pole with a horse head (we used to play with them loads!) and other games. We also went to the beach for someone’s birthday cause she had one of those huts there and we had tea and played together, and then we had someone else’s party at their house and played party games. I also went to one of the girl’s who wasn’t really in the five girls and me so I went to hers on my own to her tenth birthday what was good! And I went to the other girl’s house for tea and we played all sorts and it was good! I also had some boys who I was friends (not as close as the girls) but I got on with them, I kind of wish I kept in contact with the girls and also the boys! Maybe one day we will find each other and keep in contact with each other! This school been very helpful and I had really had a good time here, I had loads of friends and no problem!

I know a few people who were at this school moved to Prison (that’s the nickname me and my friend called it when we were there, I kind of feel bad it now but it stuck to me now, I hope the school wont go mad with me by calling it this but also hope it will make them laugh. To tell you the truth it’s not that bad, but as the nickname stayed with me I might as well use it!)