Looking for a book set in a primary school and the children ran it themselves when the teacher didn't arrive one day

[OhMrDarcy]

Can anyone recognise this book please? I read it in the 70s, may have been older than that as we had lots of hand me down books at home.

It was set in a small primary school, likely in a small village, and one Monday the teacher wasn't there, just didn't arrive. The older children - think there were 3 girls around 11 years old - decided to just run the school without her, and teach the younger ones.

The bit that sticks with me most was that these older girls took the children's lunch money and bought and prepared lunch for the other children each day. I remember being fascinated that they could do this, and budget and cook lunch for 20-30 children.

At the end of the week the teacher came back and all was well. I'd love to read it again - I think it was very much of it's time and would be so interesting to read again now as an adult, when you pick up on all the social commentary that went over my head as an 8 year old.

It's No More School by William Mayne

Brilliant, thank you. Learnt something about the author tonight too unfortunately.

I was about to say you might have difficulty getting a copy of the book and why - but it seems you've discovered why 🙁

May be difficult to get hold of now. I loved his books but would hesitate to read/re-read them now, given his conviction for sexual offences against girls.

That took a dark turn, didn’t it! Bastard men, spoiling happy childhood memories by being child abusers on the sly.

Those poor kids - imagine seeing his books in the children’s library and knowing what he’d done to you.