Broken nose

We played the staff versus Year 11 football this evening after school and I ended up with a broken nose after a collison with one of the lads I've been teaching. There was blood everywhere as my nose went head to head with his forehead. Having been to A & E I am told to give it 5 days for the swelling (my nose) to go down and then they'll break it again to put it straight again. Can't wait.
I'm informed we lost 4 - 2, the first time we've ever lost to the students.
This is the only website you can read to catch up on the latest in my growing list of superb losses and injuries. I'm starting to believe my lucky shin pads aren't lucky anymore.

Iscape losers

Losers in every respect again. We played in the rain, not even warm rain, and played like a complete bunch of _______ (insert own word here). It was dreadful.

Hen Matt I Matt C Darren Dave Dom Iain

We went one up after a goal bound shot from Matt was parried by a keeper ill at ease with a greasy ball, and into the path of Dave who became the second player in the side to score this season.

Thereafter it just got worse and the less said the better.

Matt's business plans did get a thorough airing though and doesn't Dave know quite a bit about business! and I've just remembered I didn't pay match fee. Sorry Matt.

Cricket abandoned

We managed to start the game on Saturday despite rain falling all over the place. It was at what would have been a picturesque Woodgreen in the New Forest and was the only game in the division to even start. Play continued through several heavy bursts of rain which left players sliding all over the place and which made gripping the ball difficult. Woodgreen managed 200 for 6 off 42 overs with my contribution being 1 - for 30 off 8 overs.

Our reply started in near darkness with a reduced figure to chase using some very complex maths. After 5 overs torrential rain made all that entirely academic as the heavens opened leading to the abandonment of the game after all that effort.

We remain bottom of the league with one win but there is still time!

Another Inspection

Although the focus is not the school itself, we have another inspector in from OFSTED who is leading the Joint Area Review which looks at children's services across the local authority. Given the situation over school closure, it is hard being particularly upbeat about the authority but we've tried to put that to one side in the first meeting early this morning.
Having got that out of the way, I'm exhausting the opportunities offered by the internet to discover new and wonderful ways to waste time instead of marking mock exams. I fear that now I'm finished in inclusion I really am going to have to do some work after break.
Unusually it is all girls in the inclusion room today, 6 of them, none of whom came in for the tutuor review day yesterday which meant a day off for them apart from a 10 minute meeting with their tutor during the day. Being all girls for a change it is really quiet and settled as it should be. I only recognise three of them, one I teach in Year 10, one who had some problems earlier this year and one who is often in inclusion. The other 3 are usually no problem so I'm wondering why they didn't turn up for their meetings.
I was going to be observing a candidate for English teacher this afternoon but he went home after 15 miuntes with a bad throat. I'm not sure he'll be coming back!!

Blashford Lakes

Amongst the things we saw on Sunday were a Great Crested Grebe on its nest and two herons which overflew the lakes time and again. They looked pretty impressive as they flew low over the water. The final picture is a brown hawker dragonfly I think but I'm no expert. If only the football team were as good at insects as they are on football kits. How many are you on now?

Unlucky?

Despite scoring twice in the same game, Iscape lost a closely fought game last night although the referee played an unwelcome part in disturbing the routines of thoroughbred footballers used to a certain way of doing things. Instead of the usual hanging about whilst games kicked off late and finished later, we actually managed to start early which meant no preparation time and the late arrival of Dave and we were pretty clueless for the first moments of the match.
Nevertheless we began creating some excellent chances and we hit the frame of the goal three times in quick succession from a looping header which I connected with from a hooked cross by Matt who then hit a stunning right footed shot against the bar from distance and finally a right foot shot from Dave who had finally showed up.
Old weaknesses then came to the fore with a free header from a corner allowing thme to take an unmerited lead at half time. With Nick in goal and playing well, Darren standing in for a still absent Kevin, the regulars were putting together some decent football and we deservedly equalized early in the second half. Dom hit a cross field ball accurately to a defender who inexplicably missed it freeing Dave in front of goal. Three defenders converged on him but he unselfishly squared the ball to me to hit a low shot past a despairing keeper. Better still was the next goal which saw us 2 - 1 up as Matt hit a long abll forward only to see it blocked but rebound to him to try again. This time the ball fell to me and a defender but he missed the ball in the challenge letting it run goalward. As it bounced I managed to toe poke it over the advancing keeper and ran on to it as it fell toward an empty net. I let the ball fall and tapped it in to give us what should have been a winning margin but one goal leads are a dangerous thing (copyright Andy Gray) and a free header (notice a recurring theme?) from a throw in led to the equalizer.
It was game over when a familiar run across the box and loss of the ball but by Darren not me for a change meant three opposition players breaking in front of goal with just Dougie in the rear. I tried to get back but when the ball was played behind the strikers my momentum (insert own comedy at this point) meant I careered into the back of one of them planting him firmly to the ground.
The referee gave a penalty which was hit home comfortably and that was that. The ref managed the game reasonably well but was strangely reluctant to wear a bib as the other side were in black and confusion reigned at times. Dougie made the request over and over, even invoking the intervention of one of the other officials but the ref simply declined. At the end he mentioned something to do with official FA regulations but that is top secret and you aren't allowed to tell anyone.
A better performance again and two goals in one game again give us some encouragment as we move to fixtures against the lower league teams.

Nick Dom Matt I Matt C Dougie Dave Darren Iain 2

Goals this season which won't take long

og 1 Bolts 1 Iain 3

After 7 games!! Prolific we're not.

Fathers Day

I was up and about at 5.30 unable to sleep again so it wasn't the much anticipated lie in! Actually I don't think I ever remember that it is Fathers Day and I probably don't do enough to qualify for deserving a day off.
Having walked the dogs and spent an early morning at the gym I had to collect Glen from his sleepover at Alfie's where he and 6 other boys had celebrated Alfie's birthday with a trip to the Fantastic 4 movie before a quiet night where they were asleep by 4am apparently!
Alison and I had a walk round Blashford Lakes in the afternoon where I took some pictures I'll post later. Then it was round to Robin's to give him a mobile phone as a Fathers Day present. Alison and her sisters take it far more seriously than I do. I never thought I'd say this but I've lined up a Saturday away with my mother in law! A teacher at school umpires at Wimbledon and has given me ground passes for the middle Saturday so we're off on the train to the tennis as she loves the game. I don't really know anyone else who does.
I'm sure it will be great!
Iscape playing in the rain again by the look of it this evening with the momentum of a win behind us - more tomorrow.

Verwood lose by just 99!

Our home game was played away due to a six a side tournament at Potterne as we took on CBBEA who have made a steady start to the cricket season. Despite the forecast rain, we managed to escape any showers but wished we hadn't by the end.

They scored 216 for just 3 wickets with one of those coming from a run out. My opening spell was as good as I've been all year and I got one of the openers out early on with a catch behind by Charlie making his debut as wicket keeper. Sadly, the other bowlers struggled and it was all too easy for the batsmen who coasted through the final over confident they had more than enough runs. With Verwood 70 for 9 after 24 overs that looked about right.

However, Chris J and I managed to push the score up to 117 before I was out LBW as usual but at least this week the ball hit my pad. I managed to top score with 36 hitting 6 fours and a couple of threes to avoid having to run!

It's not looking hopeful for us at the moment.

Year 11

I wasn't sure whether to put this on to be honest but I thought it would give an idea of why I enjoy teaching. I received this yesterday from a girl who has just finished school and it speaks for itself I think.

"If it wasn't for you I probably would be here today. I have learnt so much from you, you are such a great role model for a teacher. Every time I was misbehaving at school and I had to go to do duty room or isolation, and I didn't want to go you would just keep pushing and persuading me to go in there and you could never keep a straight face and be serious about the situation. That's why so many students look up to you, because you can have a laugh and then you know when the right times to be serious are. You ask students who their favourite teacher is and its always 'Mr Salmon'. Well anyway thanks to you I will hopefully be getting most of my 8 A - Cs that's what I'm predicted. I mean two years ago look where I was, one of the worst students in the school so I'm dedicating this letter to the most wonderful teacher and friend in the world. Thank you so much helping me get my life back on track."

Isn't that lovely. I even had a phone call from a student in Scotland to thank me and the school for our help in difficult times and then coincidentally, his mother also phoned to thank us for the support we'd given in helping them through some pretty awful times.

Makes a nice change!!

I didn't leave till after 7.30 though as I had to be around because of a difficult parent coming in for a meeting with two members of staff with a catalogue of complaints - so it's not all sweetness and light.

Breakfast with a Conservative

I never thought I'd say this but this morning I had an early start at school with a breakfast meeting with the Conservative Counicllor who will decide the winner of the competition to run the new school. My class war hackles had been raised at one of the public meetings a couple of months ago when the Conservative group behind me had been behaving like a bunch of privileged, upper class mummy's boys and I was not looking forward to seeing this guy to try and influence his decision which is made public on July 2nd.
As it turned out, he actually listened and was aware of how successful the school is, was convincingly honest and open, and appears to be favouring our preferred option. That was the impression anyway. We'll see what actually happens.

Joe is home from Coventry now - loads of stuff collected over the past 9 months including two goldfish that sploshed about on the car journey back.

Iscape win!!!!!!!

At last! We did it at the fifth time of asking and managed to win our first game of the season against a side coming into the match with four wins out of four. Elementary common sense dictates that to win we must have scored and I am pleased to say I can use the plural as there were two goals.
The side was rocked by the shock loss of Kev to work commitments somewhere in Surrey that saw him a pub by the late afternoon and the unavailability of the Ironsides meaning we were again an unfamiliar group, especially with Hen missing from goal as well.

Nick Matt C (back from Cornwall) Dom (back from Dubai) Dougie (back from the States) Dave (back from Spain) Bolts and Iain

We played a careful game to start with everyone behaind the ball for the first ten minutes or so in which we hardly got a touch against a good side with one player who stood out in particular. As the time passed though we became more adventurous and it was slightly unfortunate to see us fall behind to a great strike left footed from the D. That has been enough to beat us throughout the games this season but we turned round with Bolts pushing forward and supporting Dave and myself up front.

In all honesty we could have equalized several times but a genuinely inspired display by their keeper kept us out. There were several stunning saves and it began to feel like fate was against us until a lovely cross from Dave fell to me in the area and a right footed volley finally breached the goal. There were more chances falling our way as they fell apart and bickered among themselves. Matt had their best player well under control and Dougie was spraying the ball about as in days of old. Dom even managed to overlap right till the final whistle, the momentum was clearly our way.

With a minute to go I took a quick throw to Dave to cross for the second assist of the game for him, Bolts taking the ball down and slotting home from close range. There was barely time to kick off but the ball still ended up at their end as we held on for our first three points of the season.

The atmosphere in the pub was a happy one for a change with debate about whether itwas the returning players who had made the difference, the ringers Bolts and Nick, or simply the absence of Kev Trill that enabled us to win. I think we all know the answer to that Kev!

Application time

With the school closing and reopening in a new guise in a year's time, I have been looking at a new job armed with the NPQH I hope which will enable me to get a Headteacher's position. I have applied for a job at Crofton School in Fareham with a view to gaining experience of interview etc as the process can be as much as three days and I don't want to miss out on a job I really want because of lack of experience in the demands of the selection process.

I don't want the job at Crofton as I'd rather work in Dorset or Wiltshire now and the students have to wear blazers! Not sure it's my type of school.

I did have an interesting visit to Blandford Brwery on Friday though. I didn't take advantage of the offer of sampling the products!

http://www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk/

Verwood fail again

Having missed last week's game due to visit to Yorkshire, cricket was on the agenda again on Saturday. With one win from four games and a match against the bottom placed side, victory was of paramount importance but it was not to be as too many players failed to contribute, something that has happened far too frequently this season.

We were at Exbury in the New Forest on a lovely warm day and were put into bat but were quickly in trouble. It was the first time this year Exbury had put out a full side and it showed with the return of two fast bowlers who bowled well on a difficult pitch. By the time I made it to the crease we were already 8 wickets down for just 67. The next two wickets helped put on a further 57 runs to leave us at 124 all out but almost all of those runs came from the new player, Jerry, was ended in the fifties not out after 3 towering sixes. My contribution was to hang around which I did for 4 runs before falling to an appalling lbw decision. The ball hit me at the top of the thigh and was going miles over but the finger went up. I know everyone complains about being out but it was a dreadful decision in every way.

We felt we were still in with a shout but the pitch settled a bit and ball got softer and batting became easier. I managed to get 3 for 30 in my overs but they ended with just 4 wickets down in reaching their target to leave Verwood very much in trouble with three teams being relegated at the end of the season. We're going to have to improve a good deal between now and the end of August.

Defeated but unbowed

Following a two week break, Iscape returned to action last night with yet another variation of personnel and formation. Matt C, Dom and Dougie were all out whilst Matt I and his brother Pete were still recovering from the trauma of nights in the police cells meaning we were always going to struggling against the second top team in the league.
Inevitably we lost and almost as inevitably we failed to score but it was a decent effort and perfomance in which we should have got something from the game. There were plenty of chances for a change with a radical 2 2 2 formation in front of Hen in goal. I had a great chance from a corner but misjudged the flight of the ball as I leapt too high! Dave had several efforts one of which was clear in front of goal but sadly hit wide to leave us without a goal after 5 games!!
All of which leaves us second bottom as they scored two goals, one in each half. Next week will be different.