Ivy Lane Primary School, Chippenham
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School established.
Ivy Lane School was opened in new premises on January 7th 1907, to replace the St. Andrews National School, which had closed down. It was a mixed age school, accepting children from the age of three until school leaving age.
A manager was appointed by the education board to check on registers and monitor the general running of the school.
The Head Master, Frederick Hinton was supported by 5 teachers, one of whom was uncertificated and 3 pupil teachers. The staffing numbers ranged between 8 and 13 up to the end of the 1940s and when teachers were off sick or absent on war duties it was hard to maintain an adequate range of lessons.
In 1907 the school opened with 245 pupils, many of whom were unruly. The school log records that intelligence was below average, reading and writing was weak, arithmetic hopeless and the children were reluctant and sullen when asked to do oral work. On January 22nd the Head Master, appalled at the results of a basic arithmetic test, wrote, ' It is difficult to decide what course to adopt with these children.'
However, the history of the school is one of gradual improvement. Much thought went into the best ways to achieve this. Phonic reading was introduced and number grouping for the infants. Teachers were asked to prepare and submit plans for their oral lessons and the classes were regularly regrouped to allow for fluctuating numbers and varying abilities
.
Ivy Lane School was opened in new premises on January 7th 1907, to replace the St. Andrews National School, which had closed down. It was a mixed age school, accepting children from the age of three until school leaving age.
A manager was appointed by the education board to check on registers and monitor the general running of the school.
The Head Master, Frederick Hinton was supported by 5 teachers, one of whom was uncertificated and 3 pupil teachers. The staffing numbers ranged between 8 and 13 up to the end of the 1940s and when teachers were off sick or absent on war duties it was hard to maintain an adequate range of lessons.
In 1907 the school opened with 245 pupils, many of whom were unruly. The school log records that intelligence was below average, reading and writing was weak, arithmetic hopeless and the children were reluctant and sullen when asked to do oral work. On January 22nd the Head Master, appalled at the results of a basic arithmetic test, wrote, ' It is difficult to decide what course to adopt with these children.'
However, the history of the school is one of gradual improvement. Much thought went into the best ways to achieve this. Phonic reading was introduced and number grouping for the infants. Teachers were asked to prepare and submit plans for their oral lessons and the classes were regularly regrouped to allow for fluctuating numbers and varying abilities
.
Inspections and exams.
The Head Master inspected the classes and the pupil teachers, besides teaching a large class himself. Teachers were sent on courses in response to new ideas issued by the education board.
The local vicar inspected the Scripture teaching and HM Inspectors visited regularly. A quote from an HM Inspectors report of 1925 shows how much the school had improved from its early days. 'This school continues to be conducted with marked skill and success' and the Head master was praised for the thoroughness and scope of the exams.
Exams were held quarterly and the logs record detailed comments on the results by the Head Master
At this period parents had to pay for places at the secondary school, but every year children could be entered for exams to win a limited number of free places. In 19139 places were offered and 5 Ivy Lane pupils succeeded, filling the 1st 4 places with highest marks.
Boys were also entered for the labour exams to help them qualify for trades when leaving school.
Range of Subjects.
A surprisingly wide range of subjects were taught. The infants were kept busy with drawing and crafts such as paper folding, basketwork and mat weaving, whilst games and stories occupied the little ones in the babies' room.
The Head Master inspected the classes and the pupil teachers, besides teaching a large class himself. Teachers were sent on courses in response to new ideas issued by the education board.
The local vicar inspected the Scripture teaching and HM Inspectors visited regularly. A quote from an HM Inspectors report of 1925 shows how much the school had improved from its early days. 'This school continues to be conducted with marked skill and success' and the Head master was praised for the thoroughness and scope of the exams.
Exams were held quarterly and the logs record detailed comments on the results by the Head Master
At this period parents had to pay for places at the secondary school, but every year children could be entered for exams to win a limited number of free places. In 19139 places were offered and 5 Ivy Lane pupils succeeded, filling the 1st 4 places with highest marks.
Boys were also entered for the labour exams to help them qualify for trades when leaving school.
Range of Subjects.
A surprisingly wide range of subjects were taught. The infants were kept busy with drawing and crafts such as paper folding, basketwork and mat weaving, whilst games and stories occupied the little ones in the babies' room.
The older children were engaged in reading aloud, composition, both written and oral, spelling, grammar, word building, arithmetic, history, geography, drawing, current affairs, nature study, needlework, woodwork, physical exercise, sport, local history, general science, cookery, singing. Religious instruction, and selected pupils were taken on outings to places like brick kilns for practical demonstrations of mathematical principles.
Health lessons replaced nature study in the winter.
In 1913 lessons in gardening began, after a visit from the County Horticultural Instructor to give advice on laying out the school gardens.
The reading books and some text books were circulated between the Chippenham schools, which meant that they often came in a poor condition, defaced and scribbled in. .In the 1920s the school joined the Wiltshire County Reading Scheme, where books were supplied to the schools by the emerging County Library Service. The list of books demonstrates that a high standard of comprehension was expected of the children. Among the titles mentioned were various Shakespeare plays, Ivanhoe, Gareth and Lynette, The White Company, Arabian Nights, Treasure Island, Coral Island, King of the Golden River, Alice in Wonderland, The Water Babies, John Halifax Gentleman, Oliver Twist, The Last of the Mohicans and Prester John.
Health lessons replaced nature study in the winter.
In 1913 lessons in gardening began, after a visit from the County Horticultural Instructor to give advice on laying out the school gardens.
The reading books and some text books were circulated between the Chippenham schools, which meant that they often came in a poor condition, defaced and scribbled in. .In the 1920s the school joined the Wiltshire County Reading Scheme, where books were supplied to the schools by the emerging County Library Service. The list of books demonstrates that a high standard of comprehension was expected of the children. Among the titles mentioned were various Shakespeare plays, Ivanhoe, Gareth and Lynette, The White Company, Arabian Nights, Treasure Island, Coral Island, King of the Golden River, Alice in Wonderland, The Water Babies, John Halifax Gentleman, Oliver Twist, The Last of the Mohicans and Prester John.
There was a prize giving at the end of the summer term. The children of the upper standards voted for best boy and girl. There were prizes for attendance, industry and progress, presented by the education committee. The Empire Day Medal Association also presented bronze and aluminium medals as exams prizes.
Holidays,
There were 2 weeks annual holidays at Easter, 1 week at Whitsun, 1 month in the summer and 2 weeks at Christmas. The one-day mid term holiday in November was later extended to two days.
Special holidays were also granted. In July the children were allowed to go on the United Sunday Schools outing to the seaside and were given a holiday on Mayor's Day in November. There were also once-off national holidays for royal occasions, and events like Armistice Day.
Attendance.
Although the numbers on the register stayed fairly constant right up to the Second World War, there was always a problem with attendance.
The majority of the children came from poor backgrounds and were often inadequately housed and dressed. Bad weather, such as heavy rain, snow or extreme cold or heat kept the children away from school. Sometimes, if they turned up soaking wet, they were sent home again to change into dry clothes, if they had any!
Classrooms were often very cold if the boiler was not functioning properly.
Holidays,
There were 2 weeks annual holidays at Easter, 1 week at Whitsun, 1 month in the summer and 2 weeks at Christmas. The one-day mid term holiday in November was later extended to two days.
Special holidays were also granted. In July the children were allowed to go on the United Sunday Schools outing to the seaside and were given a holiday on Mayor's Day in November. There were also once-off national holidays for royal occasions, and events like Armistice Day.
Attendance.
Although the numbers on the register stayed fairly constant right up to the Second World War, there was always a problem with attendance.
The majority of the children came from poor backgrounds and were often inadequately housed and dressed. Bad weather, such as heavy rain, snow or extreme cold or heat kept the children away from school. Sometimes, if they turned up soaking wet, they were sent home again to change into dry clothes, if they had any!
Classrooms were often very cold if the boiler was not functioning properly.
Outbreaks of illness also affected attendance. The school logs record at various times, chicken pox, measles, scarlet fever, mumps, impetigo, ringworm, whooping cough and flu. Sometimes the attendance was so low as a result of epidemics, that the school was closed.
Some children were refused admission because 'they were not in a sufficiently clean condition' and children were often sent home because they were verminous or had bad skin conditions like scabies
The school attempted to improve the health of its pupils. They were weighed and measured in March and October and medically examined if there was cause for concern.
Parents were advised to cut the long hair of their daughters to keep their heads free of lice.
In 1910 the Head Master distributed a half dozen pairs for used boots to the poorest children, who sometimes missed school because they had no adequate footwear.
Attention was given to encouraging the children to clean their teeth. It was recorded in 1924 that 119 children were in need of dental treatment,
During the cold winter of 1934, hot horlicks was served to the children instead of cold milk.
Attendance was always low just before the summer holidays and immediately after any holiday. This is largely explained by the fact that the children were needed to help with seasonal agricultural tasks like harvesting and potato picking, which provided and essential part of the family income.
Misbehaviour.
Some children were refused admission because 'they were not in a sufficiently clean condition' and children were often sent home because they were verminous or had bad skin conditions like scabies
The school attempted to improve the health of its pupils. They were weighed and measured in March and October and medically examined if there was cause for concern.
Parents were advised to cut the long hair of their daughters to keep their heads free of lice.
In 1910 the Head Master distributed a half dozen pairs for used boots to the poorest children, who sometimes missed school because they had no adequate footwear.
Attention was given to encouraging the children to clean their teeth. It was recorded in 1924 that 119 children were in need of dental treatment,
During the cold winter of 1934, hot horlicks was served to the children instead of cold milk.
Attendance was always low just before the summer holidays and immediately after any holiday. This is largely explained by the fact that the children were needed to help with seasonal agricultural tasks like harvesting and potato picking, which provided and essential part of the family income.
Misbehaviour.
Children were punished for misbehaviour by strokes of the cane on the hand, ranging from 1-5 strokes depending on the severity of the offence. No teacher was permitted to administer punishment without the consent of the Head Master. Punishments were recorded for offences such as throwing stones, bad language, insubordination, inattention, laziness, cheating, poor punctuality, scribbling on walls and in books, truancy and thieving.
Sport.
Sport was encouraged at the school from the start. There was football, cricket and swimming for the boys and hockey for the girls. The school swimming team won the shield for aquatic sports in 1910 in the inter schools competition. The girls were permitted to go swimming in 1915.
The boys won several football tournaments and were complimented on their gentlemanly behaviour on the field.
Throughout the 1920s and 30s the school always did well in the Elementary Schools Sports Day held at John Cole's Park.
World War I.
The entries in the school logbook reflect how the social and political situation in the country affected the school.
During WWI the male teachers were encouraged to volunteer for the army. Three of them did so and this gave more responsibility to the female staff. One teacher sent letters to the children from the front, describing the situation.
The Head Master was appointed Secretary of the Chippenham and District Recruiting Committee and his office was used for meetings.
The children were given lessons on how to economize on foodstuffs when the German submarine blockade threatened food supplies and parties of older children were allowed to pick blackberries for soldiers and sailors in October.
Reorganization.
The school had been growing throughout the twenties and continued to take children from 3 to 14, but in 1927 there was a reorganization and the Infants and Standard I were transferred to other schools. Ivy lane now accepted children only from Standard II upwards.
A report of 1928 gave an indication of the jobs that the children, who had left in that year, had taken up. The boys had taken jobs in a bakery, a confectioners, a carpenters, a grocers, Westinghouse, a garage, a builders, on a farm and in an office. Others were described as paper and errand boys and two were unemployed. The girls' occupations were listed as laundry work, Westinghouse, cloth factory, milk factory, retail shops, dressmaking and domestic service.
Robin Tanner.
The children were given lessons on how to economize on foodstuffs when the German submarine blockade threatened food supplies and parties of older children were allowed to pick blackberries for soldiers and sailors in October.
Reorganization.
The school had been growing throughout the twenties and continued to take children from 3 to 14, but in 1927 there was a reorganization and the Infants and Standard I were transferred to other schools. Ivy lane now accepted children only from Standard II upwards.
A report of 1928 gave an indication of the jobs that the children, who had left in that year, had taken up. The boys had taken jobs in a bakery, a confectioners, a carpenters, a grocers, Westinghouse, a garage, a builders, on a farm and in an office. Others were described as paper and errand boys and two were unemployed. The girls' occupations were listed as laundry work, Westinghouse, cloth factory, milk factory, retail shops, dressmaking and domestic service.
Robin Tanner.
In the 1930s, the Wiltshire artist Robin Tanner began working at the school. He so inspired the pupils that they began to produce work with a great sense of design, movement, colour and balance. When Tanner exhibited their work at a teachers' conference in 1936, his fellow delegates would not believe it was the work of children, but thought that he had done it himself.
This work is now preserved in the Edwin Young Trust Collection at Salisbury Library.
World War II.
When school started in September 1939 it had 395 registered pupils but also had to accommodate 51 evacuees. This necessitated the organization of an extra class and the use of the school hall as a classroom, restricting other activities.
The school already using the Methodist hall on Monkton Hill and the Baptist Church room at Station Hill as extra classrooms.
Preparations for war began. A local Brigadier was called in to advise on the best place for an air raid shelter and it was eventually decided to convert the nearby railway arch into a shelter by blocking up the ends with bricks.
Brown paper was pasted over the windows to minimize glass shatter and there was a gasmask inspection every month.
In 1942 the Home Guard was given permission to use the playground and some classrooms for training.
Moving into the modern era.
This work is now preserved in the Edwin Young Trust Collection at Salisbury Library.
World War II.
When school started in September 1939 it had 395 registered pupils but also had to accommodate 51 evacuees. This necessitated the organization of an extra class and the use of the school hall as a classroom, restricting other activities.
The school already using the Methodist hall on Monkton Hill and the Baptist Church room at Station Hill as extra classrooms.
Preparations for war began. A local Brigadier was called in to advise on the best place for an air raid shelter and it was eventually decided to convert the nearby railway arch into a shelter by blocking up the ends with bricks.
Brown paper was pasted over the windows to minimize glass shatter and there was a gasmask inspection every month.
In 1942 the Home Guard was given permission to use the playground and some classrooms for training.
Moving into the modern era.
In November 1940, Ivy Lane became a part of the reorganization of Chippenham schools that reflected the thinking that led up to the 1944 Butler Education Act. It was redesignated as a Junior school, taking pupils from 7 to 11. Senior pupils were transferred to the secondary school at Cocklebury. Frederick Hinton had retired in 1932 and his replacement, Sidney Greenwood was promoted to head the Chippenham senior school. So Ivy Lane Junior began with a new Head Master Alfred B Short, who took charge of 445 pupils.
Mr Cable Robbie became Head Master in 1948 and it was under his guidance that the school moved towards the philosophy of child-centred, rather than subject-centred education, although academic standards were still maintained.
A Parent Teachers' Association was formed during this period and the school log records trips for the pupils to many interesting places - Stratford, Glastonbury. Chedworth Roman Villa, Blenheim, and Warwick Castle, to name just a few.
There have been several alterations and additions to the school buildings in more recent years. In September 2005 the number of pupils on the register was 329.
Mr Cable Robbie became Head Master in 1948 and it was under his guidance that the school moved towards the philosophy of child-centred, rather than subject-centred education, although academic standards were still maintained.
A Parent Teachers' Association was formed during this period and the school log records trips for the pupils to many interesting places - Stratford, Glastonbury. Chedworth Roman Villa, Blenheim, and Warwick Castle, to name just a few.
There have been several alterations and additions to the school buildings in more recent years. In September 2005 the number of pupils on the register was 329.