…Another day with none of the teachers here.
Only Mrs Davenport [the school secretary] and the dinner ladies knew what was
going on.
The supply teacher made us design coats-of-arms and
make models using balloons…

This kind of stuff would become off-limits once the National Curriculum was imposed. I usually felt irked by any sort of disruption to the school routine caused by teachers being away and lessons being changed. But given how things currently stood, this time I was really rather glad.

Besides, everyone knows it’s the secretary and the dinner ladies who call the shots in primary schools.