BLETCHLEY & FENNY STRATFORD SCHOOLS

late nineteenth century to present day


CHURCH GREEN ROAD CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL

also known as Old Bletchley School and St Mary's Church of England School

An early picture of Church Green Road C of E School, circa 1850. Now a residential building

For further views of the School click here

For pupils recollections of the School click here

May 15th 1587 An entry in the Bletchley register records the marriage of ‘Willm Dye skoollem de Bletchley’, showing that a schoolmaster was employed in the parish in the 16th century. It may have been the same school that the Rev William Cole, Rector of Bletchley 1753-67, referred to when reporting that ‘In 1712 there were 20 children put to school and taught at the charge of the Lord of the Manor and the Minister’.

In 1720 a list of Buckinghamshire charity schools published states: ‘Bletchley, where there is a school erected for the teaching of 20 boys, in the charge of the Patron and Rector’.

Dr Browne Willis, renowned local benefactor and founder of St Martin’s Church, Fenny Stratford supported, at his own cost, three local charity schools, annually; namely Whaddon, Bletchley and Fenny Stratford.

1792 in the Fenny section of the Universal British Directory, a "William Lloyd schoolmaster", is mentioned, but no details as to what kind of school.

In 1811 the National Society was founded, for ‘educating in the principles of the Church, to co-ordinate the educational efforts of Churchmen throughout the kingdom’; and to found and maintain the building of National Schools.

In 1815 the Society contributed £30 towards building a school in Fenny Stratford, to be maintained by the local and gentry.

On January 10th 1838 Bletchley School (later to be known as Old Bletchley School) was united with the National Society. Prior to which time a Miss Sear taught children at Rectory Cottages.

In 1840 land known as Long Croft, was bought for five shillings from Sir Philip Pauncefort Duncombe for the erection of a school for poor children, ‘in the principles of true religion and useful knowledge’. It was to be built with a grant from the National Society, private subscribers and a grant of £1 per scholar from the government.

1861 St. Mary's Church of England School was built in School Lane (Church Green Road) with the help of Rev. William Bennitt (the Rector of St. Mary's from 1860 - 1906) and a Board of Managers elected by the church. The history of this school no doubt resembles that of many others in Buckinghamshire. Unfortunately the first Log Book is missing. The school was run on a grant from the church with the appointed managers contributing further sums, also the pupils, boys and girls, paid 1 or 2 pence per week according to age. The managers maintained the school and negotiated the wages of staff and pupil teachers. The school and teachers house stood on a triangular piece of land with fields around, there were only a few cottages in the lane at that time. On the roof was a bell, tolled by means of a rope to call pupils to school. Heating was by coal fire and inadequate in the 28 foot long main classroom. The toilets were a collection of buckets in an outbuilding next to the coal store.

In 1864 further land was conveyed to the Minister and Churchwardens for a ‘school and teacher’s house, to be managed by a committee comprising the Rector and six others, all bone-fide of the Church of England, with the Sunday School solely under the control of the Rector’.

In 1899 there were 33 infants in a classroom 21’ by 13’, the larger classroom measured 28’ by 18’ with 63 children. The school appears to have been overcrowded from the start.

By 1905 there were 116 names on register. HMI’s reported that the teaching was ’effectual under disadvantaged circumstances’.

June 16 1913 work started to build on another much needed classroom. Sometimes the pupils would be allowed to go home early, walking across the fields, because the school was to be used during the evening for a Whist Drive, bazaar, choir practice or Supper-Dance and on other occasions for a Wedding Reception or for use as a Polling Station. Teaching was quite advanced and used the Kindergarten Method invented by Friedrich Frobel in 1837, based on the activity of the pupils themselves using toys and games, and singing. They learnt their letters in shallow trays of sand and counted on a ball-frame, older children used slates in the early 1900’s, but later, paper.

There were lessons about wild flowers, newts and other live specimens. The curriculum also included sewing.

The children sat in "galleries" for assemblies and some lessons when the whole school was involved. The galleries were tiered benches, the youngest sat at the front and older pupils at the back so that all could see the blackboard and some Pupils arriving late had to join the infants in the front row. The HMI’s disapproved of the use of galleries and so by 1901 they were removed and further desks provided.

Pupils were examined annually by the HMI’ s and were not allowed to move up to the next ‘standard’ until they had passed the examination set. If too many pupils failed to reach the required standard or cheated at exams, the school grant would be reduced for the following year. The academic year started after the Whitsun holiday;

Standard I for 7 year olds, learned Reading, Writing and Arithmetic,

Standard II, multiplying by one figure, additions and subtractions,

Standard III were introduced to History, Geography and English Composition,

Standard IV extended to Poetry, brushwork and lessons in Stocks with Brokerage.

Dictation was regularly given with great emphasis on writing which had to be neat and correct.

Attendance was often poor due to serious epidemics, severe weather or harvesting - all the family was expected to help at harvest time.

Children attended the school from 3 - 7 years old, as Infants, and stayed on to the 6th Grade (12 years old). In 1882 a further year was added and this was the first move toward Secondary Education for all.

The 1896 Code of Education included the physical welfare of pupils. There were regular inspections of eyes, ears, hair and Swedish Drill was added to the curriculum.

From 1900 Mr Kenny Herbert was HMI to the school , he worked for many years in Buckinghamshire schools and was very much respected.

In 1902 there was a further Education Act which brought education under local borough and council authority and they became responsible for maintenance of schools in their area and payment of teachers salaries.

From 1902 the academic year began in early September. St. Marys was still a Church school and the Rector visited nearly every day, also pupils went to church once per week and on Holy days. Pupils were allowed to be exempted from Religious Instruction which was time-tabled at the beginning of the day to simplify arrangements. School continued to be over-crowded and some years the youngest groups had to be excluded.

A pupil-teacher system was formulated as a means of cheap staffing - brighter boys and girls served 5 years apprenticeship under a school master or mistress and then competed for the Queens Scholarship. If they obtained this they could take a 2 - 3 year course at a Training College and become Certified Teachers.

1928 The first Secondary School was opened in Bletchley Road for boys only

1935 Girls were also admitted

So, with the 11 - 12 year olds passing on to Secondary School, St. Marys Church of England School was designated a Primary School.

The following were taken from North Bucks Times and Bletchley Gazette

1939 The playground at the Old Bletchley Church of England School needed resurfacing and there was only one washbasin for 100 children.

November 26th 1940 - Miss Z. Bailey of Slough was appointed headmistress of Old Bletchley Church of England School and began the next Monday.

July 1941 When St Mary’s Church of England School broke up it was announced that the 139 members had saved a total of £142 15s.

May 26th 1942 - St Mary’s School raised £12 for the Overseas League Tobacco Fund by holding a social evening and competition on Tuesday. Included were novelty games run by the Scouts and Cubs of Bletchley Group. Miss Bailey, the headmistress, arranged a short musical programme and community singing was lead by the children.

March 9th 1943 - On leaving the Church of England School at Old Bletchley, having taught there for 20 years, Mrs Mabel Edwards was presented with a sum of money by the staff and pupils.

March 13th 1944 - A moving tribute was paid by the headmistress of Old Bletchley and Yeomanry Hall schools, Mrs Zilpah Bailey, children and parents, to the work of Mr Jackson, the LCC teacher who had just retired from the headship of the evacuated school using Bletchley Park Pavilion as a centre.

March 27th 1944 - A jumble sale held by the headmistress, staff and pupils of St Mary’s Church of England school raised £21 to be equally divided between the School Fund and the Overseas League Tobacco Fund for soldiers, sailors and airmen.

October 23rd 1944- The Old Bletchley Church of England School, of which Mrs Z. Bailey is headmistress, has in the last six months sent 15,000 cigarettes to local men serving abroad in the Forces. In the same period £173 9s has been collected as National Savings, exclusive of special events such as Wings for Victory.

During the summer holidays Mrs. Holdom, ‘a born camper’ and Mrs Bailey took a party of pupils camping for a week at Kimble, near Aylesbury. They visited many places of interest and went on 10-mile daily walks.

The school harvest festival, conducted by Mr Staniford and Mr Payling, realised 8 gns. Northampton, Aylesbury and Bedford hospitals received 2 gns each and 2 gns went to Bletchley Nursing Association. VJ celebrations were held on October 18th, and RSM Schofield, Intelligence, Corps and SSM Shepheard, RASC gave the 125 children a really hilarious time at the Yeomanry Hall. Mrs Cutler was the teacher in charge. A sumptuous tea then followed at the Old Bletchley schools under the supervision of Mrs Gladwin.

A former headmistress of the school, Miss E. Sinfield, now runs the adult section of Bucks County Library, thereby making weekly contact with the old scholars. Mrs Budd of Bletchley Park assists her.

26th November 1951 - When Holne Chase County Junior School opened in Buckingham Road, Mr H. Harding was appointed Headteacher and there were 116 pupils on roll

September 1960 - Mrs Littlewood was appointed Head of St Marys Church of England School

May 1965 - The top two classes of Holne Chase relocated from the old mansion into the newly built school with 3 assistant teachers, still under the Headship of Mr Harding. At the same time a class of older children moved over to Holne Chase from Church Green Road School.

September 1965 - The new school opened as Holne Chase Middle School with 8 classes of 8 – 11 year olds. The rest of the pupils from Church Green Road School moved across into the old mansion with their Headteacher, Mrs Littlewood - so forming the Holne Chase Infants School for 5 - 7 year olds.

Church Green Road Church of England School then became defunct as a school and was eventually sold as a private residence.

For further reading about Church Green Road School please refer to Notes on the History of Etone Manor, Church Green Road School and Holne Chase by Rose Hill July 1992 and ‘Fifty Years at Holne Chase - 1952-2002

More reading on the education in North Bucks, see the ‘History of Milton Keynes & District’, Vol. I, pp 233-237; and for Fenny Stratford, Vol. II, pp 141-144.

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