Social Mobility

Credit where it's due, my eldest son, Zaahid, worked very hard aged 10, for the '11+" exams, and was lucky enough to get his choice of offers - deciding to go to Merchant Taylors' School, in Northwood.

I helped him prepare for those exams in autumn/winter of 2004 - it was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do: The boy rose to the challenge - and I am hopeful Kumail will Join Zaahid's ate MTS in September 2008.

In a country that apparently has a very low "social mobility", I guess the boys, burdened with their ethnicity [sic] will need all the help they can get!

Sports day, Manor Lodge School

On Wednesday 20th June I took a couple of ours out of the regular day to go to see my middle, and somewhat talented son, throw and run for Centaurs house, at Manor Lodge School, which he joined in September last year.

He has settled there as well as we could ever have hoped, and is happy there. He said the 'people (children) are nicer, which was very pleasing to hear, "but , dad, you really don't have any idea how hard they make us work!"

Achievement , academic, and otherwise, seems to be very important to Kumail - he's extremely determined, and motivated - he gets it from his mum "She who must be obeyed" . It was very pleasing to see him do well on Sports Day, and get a place on the Cricket team this week to add to his rugby b-team 'cap'.