Mere Secondary Modern School, Mere

When the British and Church of England schools merged in 1922 the buildings of the church school became Mere Senior School accommodating children from 11 to 14 years. A new school was promised in 1938 but plans for this were interupted by the Second World War.

In 1944 the school became Mere Secondary Modern School and children who passed the 11+ examination went to Gillingham Grammar School in Dorset. The school at Mere was still in the old National School building and the Grove Building, on either side of Barton Lane, with a mobile classroom in the churchyard. In 1947 children continued at school until they were 15 as the school leaving age was raised nationally. The long awaited new school finally came into being in 1965 and was name Duchy Manor Secondary School, under which heading further information can be found.