A young Alan Turing was told by his science teacher that he would never amount to anything with his "vague ideas", a school report card which has gone on display for the first time reveals.

The celebrated codebreaker and father of modern computing received a slightly better review from his maths teacher, who said that while he lacked the ability to display his ideas on paper he showed a "distinct promise" in the subject.

The document is part of a new exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, titled Codebreakers and Groundbreakers which is made up of pieces usually housed inside the Turing Archive at Kings College Cambridge.

In the 1929 summer term report card from Sherborne School in Dorset, Turing's physics teacher writes: "He has done some good work but generally sets it down badly.

"He must remember that Cambridge will want sound knowledge rather than vague ideas."

Other teachers scolded his presentation style and his mathematics tutor said Turing appeared to lack the ability to put a "neat and tidy solution" on paper.