Alexander's checklist

Alexander as 'Minister of Information' for the
year-end play at his primary school

• Learn to say hello in at least 7 languages
• Learn your parents' mobile phone numbers off by heart
• Teach a younger child how to play a game, then play it with them
• Learn how to score in tennis
• See an original painting in a gallery

Thus begins the list of over 30 challenges set by the headmaster of Turing House school in London to the 11-year olds who are going to join the school as new boys and girls at the start of the school year in September. "How many can you complete by the first day of school?" There's a tick box to record each achievement and when everything on the list is checked off, the headmaster says that they must "send the form by post to me at Turing House. Buy the stamp and envelope, walk to the post box and post it yourself." They don't need to post any "evidence" with the form, but that will be required to be seen by their form teacher at the start of term.

Our grandson is one of those kids. I'm hoping to be involved with a couple of the challenges ---

• Write 50 words about yourself.
• Telephone a relative and read them your 50 words. 

--- having volunteered to be that relative, in Alexander's case. The other one I'd like to help with is "Learn a poem off by heart", although which poem to recommend to an 11 year old boy is a challenge in itself. I have thought of a few, but what would you recommend?