Organisation, Curriculum, and Standard of Work (continued)

MATHEMATICS (continued)

same time should relieve the pressure of examinations on some of the boys, leaving more time for general reading and for work in non-examination subjects.

With reorganisation along these lines, which has been discussed in detail with the headmaster and with the head of the department, there is every likelihood that the mathematics of the school, already at a very creditable level, will advance still further in quality and value.

SCIENCE

Eight masters teach physics or chemistry, and a part-time assistant mistress takes biological subjects; all are honours graduates, except for one master with a pass degree, and they form an academically well-qualified science staff. Although there is no head of the science department, there are two masters who are respectively in charge of physics and chemistry. Two masters have had no other teaching experience. As a whole the teaching is energetic, careful, and thorough.

For the first four years all boys have a science course consisting of physics and chemistry except for a negligible reference to biology in the first year, when only two periods a week are given to science; the boys of the A forms present physics and chemistry for examination at ordinary level after four years, and in the fifth year form VB presents both subjects. There is some setting in forms VC and D, and some boys drop either physics or chemistry in favour of economics. In the sixth form the majority of science specialists take physics and chemistry together with mathematics and applied mathematics, a few omit chemistry from this combination, and some six boys who have medical careers in view are taking zoology or botany together with physics and chemistry. The introduction of some reasonable content of biology in the general school course should be considered. In the sixth form, biology might well replace zoology or botany, and the number of main subjects might be better limited to three.

There are three laboratories, for physics, chemistry, and biology respectively, and two small advanced laboratories for physics and chemistry. The biology preparation rooms are used for teaching the small sixth-form groups in zoology or botany, and the main biology laboratory is used for physics and chemistry. Many science lessons are held in rooms other than laboratories, and considerable add1tions to the specialist accommodation are urgently needed. Entrance to the preparation rooms from the corridors might be considered, especially in the case of the biology room used for teaching. The storage of bulk chemicals and inflammable liquids should be reviewed.

Equipment is in good supply and well maintained by the laboratory assistants, who have themselves constructed many useful pieces. The range of textbooks is adequate, but although the science section of the library contains some reference books and various advanced textbooks for physics and chemistry, the biology section is not sufficient; there might be more science books for younger boys.

The pupils respond well to the demands of the teaching, especially in the more able forms; their attitude in class practical lessons is commendable, and the majority are very willing and able

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