The First Fifth Form

Pat Morrison was keenly conscious of the fact that Rosebank Private School - where she, her sister Gillian, her best friend Betsey Woodruff, and Betsey's three sisters, Millicent, Winkle and Iris, were students - wasn't a "proper" school. Not like Wrinchley, where they played games, acted Shakespeare, and (most importantly!) passed examinations. Wrinchley, the expensive boarding school where superior Grace Whigham was a student...

But when Rosebank closed down, and was replaced by the Little Marling New Girls' School, it looked as if matters were finally improving! Enrolled, together with sister and friends, at the new school, Pat finds herself part of its first ever Fifth Form. Soon settling down to her work, Pat's scholastic show more achievement began to improve, as she also became involved in school projects, like the Shakespeare Garden, and school controversies, like the Fourth Form's secret sports day.

Although there were episodes in The First Fourth Form I found very appealing, particularly those involving the endearing Winkle and her mischievous projects, overall I found that the story didn't quite hang together as well as it might have. I'm not entirely sure why that was. I did find it interesting that some attention is given to what constitutes a "good" school for girls, with a clear preference being shown to the "modern" school, in which scholastic and athletic achievement in encouraged, rather than the more traditional "finishing" school, which emphasized deportment and manners. That alone made this a worthwhile entry in my school-story project! show less