In deference to my sex, however, I know nothing about football – especially the offside rule

As for boys and girls not misbehaving together, some misbehaviour requires the participation of both sexes – but that tended not to happen until secondary school.

Must be different parts of the country, as you suggest. I’m a Londoner by birth and upbringing, even though I now live at Bletchley Park. Both my schools were in what is now the London Borough of Brent, although in those days it was the borough of Willesden: I recall that our esteemed contributor  is familiar with those parts.

I’m glad that you were good at maths, though seriously unimpressed that you can’t read a knitting pattern (I can!)

No, there wasn’t much serious misbehaviour at my primary school either, or at least not much that we knew about. One rather obvious case was when a boy set off the fire alarm and we all had to assemble on the playground; the boy was caned for that.

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