Photographer in Schools, March 1986
Sir William Romney’s School, Tetbury, Gloucester

The ‘Photographer in Schools’ scheme was organised by the Axiom Arts Centre, Cheltenham and funded by South West Arts. Its purpose was to place a photographer in two very different schools for one week. I spent a week at Sir William Romney’s School, Tetbury, Gloucester, an 11-18 years secondary comprehensive school, serving the South Cotswolds and Stroud areas.

Another photographer was placed at Cheltenham Ladies College, Cheltenham, one of the countries most prestigious independent boarding and day schools. The resulting photographs from these two commissions were to be exhibited together, drawing obvious comparisons between state and private education.

During the week spent at Sir William Romney’s School, I was expected to produce a number of images for exhibition, give illustrated talks on the history and merit of ‘photojournalism’ to various classes and discuss ways to improve camera techniques when taking photographs.

None of the pupils and staff are named at the request of the school. A selection of the photographs from this project can be seen here. They were taken at the sports field, sixth form common room, school crèche, playground, gymnasium, classrooms and locations around the school.

These photographs were taken using a Plaubel Makina W67 camera.

[WR 001] Sports teacher and boy on the playing field. He is going to have to run around the sports field for coming last in a race. The other children have returned to the school for a shower.

[WR 002] Sixth-former in the common room. He is planning to join the RAF as a cadet when he leaves school.

[WR 003] Boy sheltering in the bike shed wearing an oversized Parka coat.

[WR 004] Sixth-former clutching a cigarette packet.

[WR 005] Girls shiver in a cold wind after netball practice.

[WR 006] Boys prepare for inter-house football match.

[WR 007] Boys scrap in a pre-arranged lunch time playground fight.

[WR 008] Pals at lunch time.

[WR 009] Girl reads about her favourite pop group ‘A-ah’ during her lunchtime break.

[WR 010] Boys excluded from a classroom for disruptive behaviour.

[WR 011] Boy in after school detention.

[WR 012] Sixth-formers in the domestic science room.

[WR 013] Teacher and sixth-former in the science lab.

[WR 014] Gym teacher supervising badminton match.

[WR 015] Girls playing table tennis in the gym.

[WR 016] Table tennis girls.

[WR 017] Boys demonstrate breakdance power moves and freezes.

[WR 018] Boy practising the trombone in the music room.

[WR 019] School orchestra in the rehearsal room.

[WR 020] Mother and her child in the school crèche.