Brief History of
1937 – 1976
DEEDS NOT WORDS
There were a total five
heads. These were
|
1 |
5/4/1937 – 20/7/1945 |
Mr. Cyril Vincent Jenkins JP |
Left to become Divisional
Executive Officer of the Central Division of Surrey. |
|
2 |
20/8/1945 – 23/7/1954 |
Mr. Wilfred H. Bean, BSc. |
Left to become head of Fullbrook school, when the school divided. Retired from Fullbrook in 1968. |
|
3. |
31/8/1954 – 31/7/1967 |
|
Retired, joined British
Aircraft Corporation in Sept. 1967 and died in Sept. 1968 |
|
4. |
|
Mr. Bernard Roder MA. |
Left to become head of
Winston Churchill school |
|
5. |
1/8/1970 – 23/7/1976 |
Mrs. Wyn M. Wilson |
School closed |
The school was divided into
four houses named after local dignitaries and benefactors when the school
opened in 1937 as follows:
|
1. |
CHEVERTON (yellow) |
Named after Lt. Col. Rev.
F.J. Cheverton (1890 – 1968), who was
Rector of Byfleet, and had commanded the Durham Light Infantry in WW1. |
|
2. |
(green) |
Named after Rev. C.A.
Hamilton, (the local vicar in Pyrford – 1913-1948). |
|
3. |
MACLURE (blue) |
Named after Sir John E.S.
Maclure (1869-1938) a local benefactor, one-time Chairman of
the Byfleet Parish Day committee |
|
4. |
STOLLERY (red) |
Named after Alfred William Stollery
(1875-1959), a local upholster originally from |
The records for the period 1937
– 1961 are well documented and here are extracts. In all cases the person writing is the
appropriate headmaster.
These extracts cover:
a) opening of the school in 1937 See
article on the Opening that appeared in the “Woking News and Mail” in May 1937
b) arrival of evacuee children and teachers from schools
in south-west London and Croydon
c) declaration of war, lessons initially undertaken on a
voluntary basis pending construction of the air raid shelters
d) dates and times of the frequent air raids during the
Blitz and later in 1944
e) transition of the school following the departure of
Mr. Jenkins in July 1945
f) division of the school in 1954 with the opening of
g) development of the school during the late 1950s and
early 1960s.
Sports day results are available for the following years:
|
|
There are also copies of six SPEECH DAY programmes in 1957, 1958,
1959, 1960, 1961 and 1962
|
|
Further information on
subsequent speech days can be found from press reports at the time:
A complete SCHOOL ROLL for the period 1972-1973 showing 630 pupils.
|
|
A complete SCHOOL ROLL for the period 1973-1974 showing 611 pupils.
|
|
Article
appearing in the "Woking News and
Mail" upon the school closure
School attendance officer: Mr. Clarence Walter Jarman 1896-1996
Copy of the Woking and District School Music Festival in 1943
The following report issued
in 1960 by the HM INSPECTORS on the school makes interesting reading and
explains probably what became the rationale that led to the closure in 1976
After 1961 I can only hope to
record details of the school history in a piecemeal and anecdotal
information. Should any past pupil or
teacher have any interesting material such as photographs, the school magazine The Link” or “The Lantern”, speech day
or sports days programmes please get in contact.
Of interest may be the story
behind the construction of the pylon
in the corner of the playing field. I
know little about the structure as it was skilfully assembled before I arrived and
taken-down, just prior to closure, after I left. If Mr. Peter Gibson who managed the project
and indeed attended the school 1953 – 1959 and then started as a student
teacher in 1960, could contact me I will be happy to write-up the details.
Finally, sadly, I know about
the deaths of the following teachers.
Please contact me at enquires@westbyfleetsecondary.org.uk