PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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Erected by the St Budeaux School Board. The site cost £500, which was borrowed from the Works Loan Commissioners at 3½% interest, repayable over thirty years. The schools themselves cost £2,890, which was financed by a loan from the Royal London Friendly Society, at an interest rate of 3¾%, repayable over fifty years. Mr Thomas Rogers Kitsell, ARIBA, of George Street, Plymouth, designed the buildings and Mr John Davey of Compton was the contractor employed to build them. The clerk of works was Mr J Partridge. The building was of a single storey, built of red brick from the Honicknowle Brick Works. The walls had a three-inch cavity, the inner and outer walls being bound by galvanised iron to ensure they remained dry. The coping and window sills were of local limestone and granite. The entrance porch was of Cornish granite, with simple classic columns wrought in one monolith nearly ten feet high. The style of the buildings were described as "Queen Anne". It was designed to accommodate 176 boys and girls and 76 infants. The rooms were well lit on both sides from the large sash windows and opaque blinds were provided to 'temper the light of a strong sunshine'. Sliding louvres in the ceiling provided air from the roof space. Warm air for the winter was provided by means of Musgrave slow combustion stoves at the end of each room. Dual desks were fitted throughout and a fixed blackboard ran the whole length of each room. The rooms were 18 feet high. A pitchpine dado rail ran around the rooms at window sill height. The floor was of wooden blocks paid in herring-bone fashion on top of a concrete base. The infants' schoolroom was 22 feet by 31 feet 6 inches. The special kindergarten desks were of varying heights to suit the different ages of the children. Unusually, there was only one entrance for all, through the central porch, but this led into separate lobbies for the girls and infants and for the boys. Playgrounds were provided and they were bounded by unclimbable fences. I wonder how many children proved that assumption was wrong!. The toilets were at the lower end of the playground, out of the view of the road. Wrought-iron shed were provided for the children in inclement weather. Wrought-iron was also used for the main entrance gates. The St Budeaux and Crownhill Board School as formally opened on Friday February 27th 1903, with the public being able to inspect the premises between 3 and 5.30pm. Those present included Mr H Doney, chairman of the St Budeaux School Board, Mr J Hubble, vice-chairman, Mrs Olver, wife of Doctor Olver, a Board member who was unable to be present, Mr & Mrs J C Henn-Gennys, and Mr Tresise, head master of Ford Board School. At 7.30pm a public meeting and entertainment was held. After the usual speeches extolling the virtues of education, the Church of England's foresight in starting the movement to educate the children of the poor, and praising the Board for securing such a good site and providing such excellent buildings, an evening of musical entertainment followed. Those taking part were Mrs Squire; Mrs Buckler; Miss Congdon; Miss Violet Hodge; Mr Squire; and Sergeant Page. A number of girls trained by Miss Packer did musical drills. Lessons began on the morning of Monday March 2nd 1903, when the head master, Mr R T Atwill, welcomed about 200 children and introduced his assistants, Mrs Pascoe, Miss L Medland and Mr C Martin. The local press pointed out that previously the children had been forced to attend schools at St Budeaux National, Pennycross, Egg Buckland, Compton, North Road and Oxford Street in Plymouth, St Peter's National, the Plymouth Public Free School, Ford Board School or the Garrison School at Crownhill Barracks, if they were lucky.
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