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Moving School
| In
1928, the head teacher of Bromley Common (C of E) School received a
letter saying, “On or after 15th
April, 1928, all scholars of 12, 13 and 14 years of age will be
transferred to other schools. There
is room for them all at the Raglan Road Council Girls’ and Boys’
Schools.”
The
school was starting to move out of its increasingly unsatisfactory
premises. Older children
from the school had been going to Raglan Road for cookery and woodwork
lessons since 1904 so they knew the school.
The 10 and 11-year-old children transferred after the summer
break. |
| Despite
the older children moving out, the school was soon as crowded as ever.
In 1930, there were 232 pupils and six teachers.
Two of the rooms (the original classrooms) were divided by a curtain to allow two classes
to be taught in the one room. On
at least one occasion the school was too dark for pupils to write.
A fire in 1930 (see
below) did not help.
An inspector wrote, “Taught
under none too favourable conditions, the pupils of this school remain
cheerful and are responsive to the efforts of their teachers.”
There was desperate need of a new building.
Fortunately, relief was on the way.
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| In
September 1935, the children moved into the newly built Princes Plain
Primary School, next door to the girls’ secondary school that had
opened two years earlier.
The
vacated school building was renamed The Holy Trinity Church Rooms.
The new school was much bigger and
better than its predecessor; it had seven classrooms, a hall, storerooms and a
staff room but the
new head
mistress, Mrs Elenor Beale, had plenty of problems. Things got off to a bad start. |
| Even
though the start of term was delayed a couple of days, "the school was not
ready for the reception of scholars as the workmen were still about the building
and there was no accommodation for children's clothes. Children assembled in
playground but were sent home for the day by the head teacher."
There were
also problems with the furniture; it arrived in dribs and drabs over the next
couple of weeks but some was so badly made that it had to
be returned.
When
the school finally opened there were 331 pupils and the average class
size was 47. It got worse. By
the end of the first year, there were 417 pupils and they had to put a
class in the hall. By the
end of the second year, there were 554 pupils in the school and they had
to hold some classes in the secondary girls’ school.
Relief came when Southborough Junior and Infant Schools were
opened in the summer of 1937 and the numbers dropped down to a more
manageable 330. |
|
Back in 1935, this was the new Princes
Plain Primary School. It became a teachers' centre when the school moved
out in 1984.
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|
Fire
in the old school
from the 1930 school log book |
| April
7 “Fire
drill taken today, schools cleared in thirty seconds.”
(This
entry was written in red, as were all fire drill entries, so that it was
easy to see when drills had been held.
The Education Office checked the log book every week.)
April
15 “Owing to fire
starting in the stoke hole, the school was closed at twelve o’clock
for the day. The fire
started at about 9.25 am. I
noticed some smoke issuing from the roof of the stoke hole and
immediately sent for the caretaker.
Owing to the promptness of Mrs Allgrove
[the
caretaker] and
other helpers, much of the children’s clothing was saved.
The children were marched out of the school in good order and,
owing to the fact that the fire drill has been taken so often, no
accidents happened. This
will be appreciated when it is known that close upon a hundred children
had to march through one door within three feet of flames and smoke, and
these all little ones under eleven years of age…
“When
the children were all safely lined up in the playground, I proceeded to
the fire alarm which unfortunately was over a quarter a mile away and
summoned the fire engine. This
arrived within ten minutes of the outbreak and the fire was speedily put
out … It was decided that, owing to the water and unsafe condition of
the burnt part of the premises, it would be unwise to open school in the
afternoon.”
April
16
“I received notice this morning that the school was to be
closed till after the Easter holidays from the education office.”
May
15
“Fire
drill taken today, time taken to clear schools 35 seconds.
Extra drill taken to see if the recent fire had any effect on the
children’s nerves.
No difference was noticed, the usual discipline was well
maintained.”
Notes
The Education Committee minutes record that the insurance company agreed
to pay £8 2s 6d as compensation for children's clothing lost in the
fire.
The
school did not have a telephone so Mr De’Ath had to go to one of the
red painted alarms on the main road which had a direct line to the fire
station. “In
case of fire, break the glass and press the button.”
According to a street directory published a few years earlier,
the nearest was outside Barham House, less than a quarter of a mile
away. |
A few years later, the
school closed because of
 |
