Image of the Month

Churchill's first school report, from St George's School, Ascot. Up until the age of seven, Churchill had been educated at home, but in November 1882, a few weeks short of his eighth birthday, Churchill began life as a boarder at Ascot. St George's was one of the smartest and most expensive schools in the country, but Churchill was not happy there, giving a vivid description later in life of how much he hated the school, and explaining that where his reason, imagination or interest were not engaged, he would not or could not learn. Given this attitude, it is hardly surprising to read comments from his masters describing him as "a regular 'pickle'", or to know that Churchill was regularly beaten for bad behaviour. He was taken away from St George's in 1884 (possibly after his nanny discovered the wounds from his beatings) and transferred to a smaller school in Brighton where he was much happier, before going on to Harrow in 1888.