Stockingford Junior School - Our School's History

History

The Beginning of Stockingford Junior School

We've just reached our centenary, so here is some information about how it all began.

Here’s what we’ve discovered so far: -

The population of Stockingford in 1846 was 1,382. A Sunday school provided education for 46 boys and 74 girls, but there was little other provision available. After an inspection of Nuneaton schools in 1904, the following comments were recorded in the minutes of the Education Committee -

“The Mixed school is overcrowded to such an extent that both teachers and scholars are put to the greatest inconvenience, and the work has to be done under continual pressure.

The Infant class is much too full to be worked with any degree of comfort…..the lack of accommodation elsewhere accounts for the presence of a considerable number of children who are over infant age.”

Photo taken between 1900 and 1909 - Source: Windows On Warwickshire

Land was purchased in Webb Street and Grove Road, upon which a new school was to be built. Meanwhile a temporary school was opened in Edward Street. The Committee received 160 applications for the post of Head Teacher. New schools erected by the Education Authority were known as Council schools, and were all built on a central hall plan, with costs varying from £3,907 to £9,483,depending on size.

So April 1905 saw Stockingford Council School being built. It came into existence at a time when Stockingford was developing rapidly, both in terms of population and industry.

The importance of the town was increasing due to its position on the main railway line and coalfields, and due to a growth of industries based on textiles, brick and tile.

When the school first opened, on 6^th April 1905, it had on roll 456 pupils in the Mixed Department (Junior and Senior), and 300 pupils in the Infant Department, but the continual growth of the school three years later necessitated the transfer of a classroom from the Infant Department to the Mixed School. Children were not admitted before the age of 5 years, but even so, the school proved so popular that in 1910 it was proposed to build a new infant block and to re-organise the Mixed School into two departments. A cookery and woodwork centre was also opened.

In 1913 the Mixed School was re-organised as a boys department, with Mr Joshua Axon as Headmaster, and a girls department in charge of Miss Nelly Hensman. The Head of the Infant Department at the time was Miss Hutley.

Photo taken between 1920 and 1929 - Source: Windows On Warwickshire

One local historian remembers that each morning the whole school would line up in their classes so the Headmaster could inspect each child’s hands and shoes. If any dirt was discovered, the child was likely to be caned. Mr Thistlethwaite was the local School Attendance Officer at this time, and he was a familiar figure to the people of Stockingford, in his long black raincoat, bowler hat and rolled umbrella.

Class sizes were large compared to today – in 1921 the smallest class had 42 pupils, while the largest had 56! The school day began at 8.45 a.m. and ended at 4.30 p.m. All pupils were expected to go home for lunch. Specialist teachers were employed for cookery, domestic science and PE, and many staff remained at the school for more than 20 years. Students from the local High School worked as unqualified teachers prior to going to college. The school year initially began in February, but was then changed to April, and finally to August in 1933.

In 1921 and 1926, during the Miner’s strikes, several pupils were provided with breakfast at school, as many families were struggling to cope financially.

The school was visited regularly by Inspectors and representatives from the Board of Education, and two of the earliest comments recorded in the school log books state that,

“There is no doubt that the school life exerts a beneficial influence on their development.”(HMI report 1925)

“All the work shows intelligent direction and excellent teaching……the pupils are getting a very sound schooling.” (HMI report 1928)

Attendance has always been an important issue. The Head teacher would keep a weekly record in the log book. Several factors affected these figures, including the weather (numbers dropped during harsh winters), potato harvest (many children were sent to help on local farms), and illness (the school was closed for a whole month in 1918 due to an influenza epidemic). The lowest attendance recorded was 51% in 1933, when there was an outbreak of measles and mumps.

Rewards such as ten minutes extra play on the recreation ground were given for consistent punctuality. Prizes were also awarded to pupils who had achieved perfect attendance, the most notable being Nora Windridge in 1917, who had attended school every day for 8 years!

There were times when the school was closed to all pupils, for Sunday School Treats, local elections, county cricket matches, and when the War Savings Association reached their fundraising target of £1000. School also closed in celebration of Royal weddings, the King’s Silver Jubilee in 1935, and as a mark of respect upon the death of King George V in 1936, and Mr Axon, who had been Head of the Boy’s School for 30 years.

Staff Photo from the 1930's.
Back row, left to right: Miss McGregor, Miss Noakes, Unknown, Unknown, Mr Taylor, Unknown, Unknown
Front row, left to right: Mr Yardley, Unknown, Miss Pickering, Mr Axon, Miss Hensman, Unknown, Mr Mills

Pupils experienced a wide range of visits. There were regular nature walks, outings to the swimming baths, and to Stockingford Picture Palace. Visits were also made further afield, to Liverpool, Whipsnade Park, Cheddar Gorge and London.

Visitors were welcomed into the school, and many gave talks on topics such as the Highway Code, the work of the RSPCA and RNLI. Older pupils were also given talks on career opportunities in factories, nursing, the RAF and railways.

With the outbreak of WW2 in 1939 the school took on an even more important role. Protective trenches were dug along one edge of the playing field and air raid shelters were placed at intervals. One was unearthed recently during the construction of the new Early Years Centre in St Paul’s Road. Several members of staff trained as ARP Wardens.

On 17^th May 1941 Nuneaton was blitzed. The school was used as a rest centre for the homeless and the domestic science room was turned into a canteen. Both staff and pupils were enlisted to help.

School dinners were served for the first time on 9^th December 1941, and pupils from St Paul’s School joined the Infant and Junior pupils for lunch.

When the war was over pupils were granted two days holiday in order to celebrate VE day with their families.

Stockingford Council School became Stockingford County School after the passing of the 1944 Education Act. The previous year Miss Hensman had retired after 38 years as Head of the Girl’s School. Miss Halford became the new Head.

Councillor Dot Webster has fond memories of her time at the school in the 1930’s and 1940’s. She attended from the age of 4 to 14 years. Between the ages of 7 and 14 boys and girls were taught separately and used different playgrounds. Girls were taught solely by female teachers, whereas boys were taught by both male and female staff. Girls had cookery lessons in the building on Cross Street, while boys were taught woodwork in the class next door.

Evening classes were held at the school, teaching mainly craft subjects, and a youth club met once a week.

The Golden Jubilee of Stockingford County School was celebrated on 6^th May 1955. Many former pupils and staff were invited to dine in the school hall.

In November 1955 Miss Halford received notice that she was to be appointed Head of Stockingford County Junior Mixed School when re-organisation took place.

Schools in Warwickshire were re-organised to a two-tier system and we became Stockingford Junior School in 1997, admitting children from the age of 7 through to 11.

Currently there are nearly 7000 inhabitants of Stockingford, and our school has 430 of them, with a staff of 55.You can find out more about our adult team by viewing our ‘Meet the Team’ page.

We are at the heart of a thriving community, and are proud of our achievements. Art has always been a strength of ours and we still have a reputation for producing work of a consistently high quality. We have won numerous awards in the Festival of Arts since the 1920’s (view our gallery for a selection of our work).

We have also enjoyed many sporting successes since our predecessors began winning netball and swimming competitions in the 1920’s.

Our school ethos is warm and inviting, and we work hard to make sure that people who visit our school have an enjoyable experience.

Photo taken May 2005

To read some accounts from former pupils please click the links below:

Ken Bond - 'From Mixed Infant to Failed Scholarship'

Dale Parr - Schooldaze!!!

Brian Guest - Memories

Charlie Cook - Memories of Stockingford

If anyone else has any other relevant information or memories of Stockingford Junior School to share, we would love to hear from you. Are you an ex-pupil or staff member? Please use our guest book to share any memories you may have.

This page includes information from the following sources: -

Bickerstaff, A - A History of Education in the Nuneaton Area
Eaves, GP - Here, There and Back Again
Eaves, GP - On Stepping Stones from Stockingford
Women’s Institute - A History of Stockingford
Log Books of Stockingford Council School (Girl's Department)

Many thanks to Mrs Jane Noble, Cllr Dot Webster, Ken Bond and The Nuneaton Society for their help.



	History The Beginning of Stockingford Junior School We've just reached our centenary, so here is some information about how it all began. Here’s what we’ve discovered so far: - The population of Stockingford in 1846 was 1,382. A Sunday school provided education for 46 boys and 74 girls, but there was little other provision available. After an inspection of Nuneaton schools in 1904, the following comments were recorded in the minutes of the Education Committee - “The Mixed school is overcrowded to such an extent that both teachers and scholars are put to the greatest inconvenience, and the work has to be done under continual pressure. The Infant class is much too full to be worked with any degree of comfort…..the lack of accommodation elsewhere accounts for the presence of a considerable number of children who are over infant age.” Photo taken between 1900 and 1909 - Source: Windows On Warwickshire Land was purchased in Webb Street and Grove Road, upon which a new school was to be built. Meanwhile a temporary school was opened in Edward Street. The Committee received 160 applications for the post of Head Teacher. New schools erected by the Education Authority were known as Council schools, and were all built on a central hall plan, with costs varying from £3,907 to £9,483,depending on size. So April 1905 saw Stockingford Council School being built. It came into existence at a time when Stockingford was developing rapidly, both in terms of population and industry. The importance of the town was increasing due to its position on the main railway line and coalfields, and due to a growth of industries based on textiles, brick and tile. When the school first opened, on 6^th April 1905, it had on roll 456 pupils in the Mixed Department (Junior and Senior), and 300 pupils in the Infant Department, but the continual growth of the school three years later necessitated the transfer of a classroom from the Infant Department to the Mixed School. Children were not admitted before the age of 5 years, but even so, the school proved so popular that in 1910 it was proposed to build a new infant block and to re-organise the Mixed School into two departments. A cookery and woodwork centre was also opened. In 1913 the Mixed School was re-organised as a boys department, with Mr Joshua Axon as Headmaster, and a girls department in charge of Miss Nelly Hensman. The Head of the Infant Department at the time was Miss Hutley. Photo taken between 1920 and 1929 - Source: Windows On Warwickshire One local historian remembers that each morning the whole school would line up in their classes so the Headmaster could inspect each child’s hands and shoes. If any dirt was discovered, the child was likely to be caned. Mr Thistlethwaite was the local School Attendance Officer at this time, and he was a familiar figure to the people of Stockingford, in his long black raincoat, bowler hat and rolled umbrella. Class sizes were large compared to today – in 1921 the smallest class had 42 pupils, while the largest had 56! The school day began at 8.45 a.m. and ended at 4.30 p.m. All pupils were expected to go home for lunch. Specialist teachers were employed for cookery, domestic science and PE, and many staff remained at the school for more than 20 years. Students from the local High School worked as unqualified teachers prior to going to college. The school year initially began in February, but was then changed to April, and finally to August in 1933. In 1921 and 1926, during the Miner’s strikes, several pupils were provided with breakfast at school, as many families were struggling to cope financially. The school was visited regularly by Inspectors and representatives from the Board of Education, and two of the earliest comments recorded in the school log books state that, “There is no doubt that the school life exerts a beneficial influence on their development.”(HMI report 1925) “All the work shows intelligent direction and excellent teaching……the pupils are getting a very sound schooling.” (HMI report 1928) Attendance has always been an important issue. The Head teacher would keep a weekly record in the log book. Several factors affected these figures, including the weather (numbers dropped during harsh winters), potato harvest (many children were sent to help on local farms), and illness (the school was closed for a whole month in 1918 due to an influenza epidemic). The lowest attendance recorded was 51% in 1933, when there was an outbreak of measles and mumps. Rewards such as ten minutes extra play on the recreation ground were given for consistent punctuality. Prizes were also awarded to pupils who had achieved perfect attendance, the most notable being Nora Windridge in 1917, who had attended school every day for 8 years! There were times when the school was closed to all pupils, for Sunday School Treats, local elections, county cricket matches, and when the War Savings Association reached their fundraising target of £1000. School also closed in celebration of Royal weddings, the King’s Silver Jubilee in 1935, and as a mark of respect upon the death of King George V in 1936, and Mr Axon, who had been Head of the Boy’s School for 30 years. Staff Photo from the 1930's. Back row, left to right: Miss McGregor, Miss Noakes, Unknown, Unknown, Mr Taylor, Unknown, Unknown Front row, left to right: Mr Yardley, Unknown, Miss Pickering, Mr Axon, Miss Hensman, Unknown, Mr Mills Pupils experienced a wide range of visits. There were regular nature walks, outings to the swimming baths, and to Stockingford Picture Palace. Visits were also made further afield, to Liverpool, Whipsnade Park, Cheddar Gorge and London. Visitors were welcomed into the school, and many gave talks on topics such as the Highway Code, the work of the RSPCA and RNLI. Older pupils were also given talks on career opportunities in factories, nursing, the RAF and railways. With the outbreak of WW2 in 1939 the school took on an even more important role. Protective trenches were dug along one edge of the playing field and air raid shelters were placed at intervals. One was unearthed recently during the construction of the new Early Years Centre in St Paul’s Road. Several members of staff trained as ARP Wardens. On 17^th May 1941 Nuneaton was blitzed. The school was used as a rest centre for the homeless and the domestic science room was turned into a canteen. Both staff and pupils were enlisted to help. School dinners were served for the first time on 9^th December 1941, and pupils from St Paul’s School joined the Infant and Junior pupils for lunch. When the war was over pupils were granted two days holiday in order to celebrate VE day with their families. Stockingford Council School became Stockingford County School after the passing of the 1944 Education Act. The previous year Miss Hensman had retired after 38 years as Head of the Girl’s School. Miss Halford became the new Head. Councillor Dot Webster has fond memories of her time at the school in the 1930’s and 1940’s. She attended from the age of 4 to 14 years. Between the ages of 7 and 14 boys and girls were taught separately and used different playgrounds. Girls were taught solely by female teachers, whereas boys were taught by both male and female staff. Girls had cookery lessons in the building on Cross Street, while boys were taught woodwork in the class next door. Evening classes were held at the school, teaching mainly craft subjects, and a youth club met once a week. The Golden Jubilee of Stockingford County School was celebrated on 6^th May 1955. Many former pupils and staff were invited to dine in the school hall. In November 1955 Miss Halford received notice that she was to be appointed Head of Stockingford County Junior Mixed School when re-organisation took place. Schools in Warwickshire were re-organised to a two-tier system and we became Stockingford Junior School in 1997, admitting children from the age of 7 through to 11. Currently there are nearly 7000 inhabitants of Stockingford, and our school has 430 of them, with a staff of 55.You can find out more about our adult team by viewing our ‘Meet the Team’ page. We are at the heart of a thriving community, and are proud of our achievements. Art has always been a strength of ours and we still have a reputation for producing work of a consistently high quality. We have won numerous awards in the Festival of Arts since the 1920’s (view our gallery for a selection of our work). We have also enjoyed many sporting successes since our predecessors began winning netball and swimming competitions in the 1920’s. Our school ethos is warm and inviting, and we work hard to make sure that people who visit our school have an enjoyable experience. Photo taken May 2005 To read some accounts from former pupils please click the links below: Ken Bond - 'From Mixed Infant to Failed Scholarship' Dale Parr - Schooldaze!!! Brian Guest - Memories Charlie Cook - Memories of Stockingford If anyone else has any other relevant information or memories of Stockingford Junior School to share, we would love to hear from you. Are you an ex-pupil or staff member? Please use our guest book to share any memories you may have. This page includes information from the following sources: - Bickerstaff, A - A History of Education in the Nuneaton Area Eaves, GP - Here, There and Back Again Eaves, GP - On Stepping Stones from Stockingford Women’s Institute - A History of Stockingford Log Books of Stockingford Council School (Girl's Department) Many thanks to Mrs Jane Noble, Cllr Dot Webster, Ken Bond and The Nuneaton Society for their help.