Education: Passed/Failed: Lisa Jardine

An author and broadcaster, Lisa Jardine was the first female fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. Her latest book, 'Ingenious Pursuits', was published in September.

Primary colours: At school I was totally obedient. I was a very, very anxious child. I had nightmares about not coming top. People were offered bicycles if they could beat me in exams! I was over-achieving, anxious, focused. An obnoxious child.

I still have nightmares about Pates Junior, a CofE state primary school in Cheltenham, where my family were living. I had a terrifying teacher in the top year. I'm sure she was a terrific teacher: we all got our 11- plus. But I was so frightened of her that when I lost the needle she gave me for the needlework class, I borrowed one from another girl, sat in the toilets and pricked my finger - marking the length of the needle in blood so that my mother could give me a new one of the right size.

When my parents decided I should take the scholarship to Cheltenham Ladies' College, the scary teacher told me that this was a gross misjudgement on their part. When I got an exhibition (bursary), she said I would be unwise to go there.

Secondary characteristics: I only took the maths paper of the Cheltenham Ladies' entrance exam. I was regarded as a sort of mathematical prodigy. My father [Jacob Bronowski, scholar and presenter of the TV series The Ascent of Man] was a mathematician and maths was easy for me. I also had to get in as part of the Jewish quota; it was a CofE school and there was a Catholic quota as well.

My younger sister Judith got expelled but I had a terrific time there: a) I got a stunning education; b) one never heard the words, "Girls can't..."; and c) I learnt independence. It was a ruthlessly academic school.Looking back, I realise that it was highly regimented; I succeeded with such ease that I lacked the ability to be intellectually creative.

School rules: It was a very schizophrenic life. School was full of regulations. You couldn't run, ever. Your dress was checked every morning by prefects. You couldn't go into the shops. I rather liked all this. At home, I lived in a Bohemian household.

We were told that if we achieved under 90 per cent in Latin, we would bring shame on the school! It was assumed we'd get As at O-level - and we did. At A-level I took pure and applied maths and physics; I got As or distinctions.

University challenge: I got a place at St Anne's, Oxford but my father wanted me to go to Cambridge. I worked for the rest of the year as a statistician at the Consumers' Association, mostly on car reports, and then took the Cambridge entrance and got into Newnham.

I did not do well in maths. The first time in my life that I heard the sentence, "Of course, girls don't do as well as boys", was in the maths induction session at Newnham. Probably I should have changed subject the next day but I did maths Part I and Prelims to Part II. I then did Part II English in a year and got a 2.1.

Speech Day: By the time I had my own children, I thought it was important to use the state system: Rachel went to Camden School for Girls in North London, where I think she got an equally good education. But Cheltenham is still my school.I'm giving away the school's prizes next year: Speech Day 2000 - watch out!