History of the School - 1961-1995

"Mum, we're on the wireless"

In 1959 the children took part in a BBC broadcast, singing on Woman's Hour, with a second broadcast a few months later and a third in 1964. By now Mrs. Ware had been awarded an MBE. She retired in 1971 after 40 years' service to the school, to be replaced by Mrs. Margaret Spence, who left in 1977 to become headteacher of Weeke Infant School.

No major changes have occurred in subsequent years. Numbers have fluctuated, sometimes going as low as 19, but averaging around 30. Mrs Hibberd was headteacher for the next ten years, to be replaced for three years by Mrs Kenyon. It was during this period that the school grounds were developed into a conservation area with 300 new trees, a large pond, a butterfly garden and a wild flower meadow. The children were involved with every aspect of the planning and construction.

On 1 May 1989 the school bell was re-hung and rung for the first time in many years. For nearly 60 years the school bell had remained silent, ever since its clapper fell out back in 1931, narrowly missing some children standing underneath.

Why no one had bothered to repair it remains a mystery, but three years before, headteacher Bridget Kenyon decided it was time once again for the 94-year-old bell to summon the children to school each morning. Hampshire firemen used their ladders to bring the bell down from the belfry and local garage owner "Lad" Taylor welded the clapper back on to make it once more as "sound as a bell".

 

'Lad' Taylor helps the bell to ring out once more.

Then at a special May Day re-dedication ceremony, as the children dressed up in Victorian costume and danced round a Maypo1e, the school's oldest ex-pupil Mrs Ethel Fradd, 79, grasped the rope and tugged it firmly to make it ring out again.

In July 1990 Mrs Adèle G1enn, who had been a part-time teacher at the school for ten years, took over as headteacher.

In 1992 the school celebrated its 150th anniversary, researching the history, upon which this section of the website is based, and staging events (see below).

150 years on . . .

Adults are (clockwise from left): Headteacher Adèle Glenn, teacher Jane Turner, secretary Susan Burt, teacher Pauline Prewitt and teacher Kathy Ring.

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. . . and, some thoughts on the next 150 years . . .

Laura Brooks, age 6

Emily Riley, age 8