Woodlands School

I started at Woodlands in 1963. Like some other boys I hated the place, I was in Cresswell. Thankfully we moved to Warwick so I was only there for year. My Dad worked for Torrington Machine Tools and they moved to new premises in Nelson Lane, sadly no longer there. My Maths teacher was Mr Ratlidge. I hated him and he definitely did not like me. I was definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer when it came to this subject. I was terrified of him, any excuse I could think of to tell my mum that would get me off going to school was used. I do remember getting the slipper and a ruler across my knuckles but the one that I remember most was being pulled out in front of the class and being told to sit in the waste paper bin as I was rubbish. I cannot remember what I had done but it must have been bad! I started my second year at Oken High School, Myton Rd, Warwick. I enjoyed my time there, was never disciplined, even got a commendation in Maths. Having been told I was rubbish things did not turn out too bad for me.

Hi Hopeful1234 Joe Routledge was an evil man and a bully. He was also not a good maths teacher.

Hello, Thank you all for sharing what you honestly believe. Not all experiences are so easy to share. Brill.

I wonder if that's the same Joe Ratlidge who was at Broad Heath School in the mid to late Fifties, he used to get you to bend over a chair and whack you across your backside with a piece of black rubber 12ins long 2ins wide and half inch thick and it was known as his Black Jack.

I started at Woodlands in 1965 and can't remember anyone by the name of Ratlidge/Routledge or whatever, my Maths Teacher was Mr. Corbett (known of course as 'Sooty') ! He used to eat raw Chillies from a little paper bag he always had on his Desk, and if one mis-behaved (in his eyes), the said pupil was made to stand and eat a raw Chilli !

Just dug out my school report for Woodlands 1961 My maths section was signed J.J.R, Whom was Joe J Routledge (don't know what the middle J stood for) (perhaps JERK) Only ever had him for my first year, After that I had John Keith Corbett for the next 4 years.

Well what a fine example of a teacher he was eh, hope he was pleased with himself beating kids up.