Originally published in 1989, this is a book about managing a real primary school – but, unlike most management books, it places the child at the centre of the exercise. It concentrates on an untidy reality rather than a system – on a human perspective rather than one which is manipulative of human reality. The books narrative structure makes it unique amongst other books in the field. Sedgwick writes with warmth and perception. His insights into the relations between the children and their teachers form part of a collage of material. Many accounts from parents, visitors, teachers and children are included in his colourful prose, providing other points of view and changes in narrative gear. Letters, poems, photographs and drawings complete the collage so that the book takes on a form which is appropriate to its subject – the randomness and variety of a school’s life. Here Comes the Assembly Man is always absorbing, at times highly amusing – a rewarding read for all parents, teachers and educationalists alike.
