This is a small collection of the work of children from Sherwood Park Primary School from the 1970s, which by chance has survived when so much has been lost. I was headteacher of the school from 1972 to 1987.

Its purpose is not to display the best. Rather, these are everyday examples which we used as evidence of the growth in the children’s ability to make considered choices, which was our prime concern. We believed that the absolute priority for teachers was to join with children to help them master the skills of learning, fundamental to which is the ability to choose within their capacity to choose.

In the Prime Minister, Jim Callaghan's Great Debate our practice was dismissed by the Government and the populist press. The evidence for what followed lies all around and I invite you to choose between that and this work of seven to 11-year-olds.

Geoffrey Marshall (geoff1928 at hotmail.com)