Could Do Better

by Catherine Hurley (Editor)

From Lord Asquith to Charlotte Church, a selection of often hilarious, sometimes poignant, school reports of the great and the good. A few examples: 'Though her written work is the product of an obviously lively imagination, it is a pity that her spelling derives from the same source' (Beryl Bainbridge) 'His flying off the handle will only mar his efforts, and he must learn tact while not losing his outspokeness' (Jeremy Paxman) 'He is so regular in his irregularity that I really don't know what to do' (Winston Churchill) 'Certainly on the road to failure...hopeless...rather a clown in class...wasting other pupils' time' (John Lennon) 'She must try to be less emotional in her dealings with others' (Diana, Princess of Wales)

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, History, Anthologies

208 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2002

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Brilliant book with some amazing comments from their teachers. There were so many surprising quotes from school reports - especially the one about Richard Briers!

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A perspicacious collection of shrewd observation. Intriguing and fascinating.
However, one must observe the sources: predominantly the privately educated as opposed to the Mixed Comprehensive.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dull.

[Gerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read some of the reports of the famous and not-so-famous, I don't feel too bad about mine (although I probably never did at school with the arrogance of youth!). It just goes to show that poor school reports do not necessarily transmute into poor performances in later life. For instance Winston Churchill was "a constant trouble to everybody" (Hitler may later have vouched for that) and any ability that he had was "made useless by habitual negligence". On the other hand Margaret Thatcher was "ambitious and deserves to do well" (that teacher must have known something). P G Wodehouse would "certainly succeed" while Seigfried Sassoon "lacked power of concentration, shows no particular intelligence or aptitude for any branch of his work, seems unlikely to adopt any particular career". Overall the book is an enjoyable read and ideal for later browsing, probably particularly by parents who feel that their children's reports are not up to scratch and that they "Could Do Better"!

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

c2002. A fun little book. Some of the teachers really missed their true vocation in life by not writing books. The one I particularly liked was the teacher who commented on Harry Enfield's rugby skills. Sometimes I think he is just a spectator who has strayed. This is not his game, but he bore it nobly."

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's more like a library of school reports than a book you would sit down and read. Most of the famous mentioned are old so you're not going to get the likes of Lady GaGa for example, more George Bush. This would appeal to the older generation.