Felbridge School
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c1904 |
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| Felbridge School can claim to be the oldest school in Surrey that is still using its original school building, being founded and endowed by James Evelyn on 3rd November 1783. The school house was built in 1783, extended in 1860 and again in 1882 to the form seen here. At this date there were two school rooms one for infants and one for juniors. A school inspection in 1904 provided the following details: The School consists of one building with a Mixed and an Infants department, and one male and one female teacher. There were 13 boys, 19 girls and 16 infants, giving a total of 48. Average attendance: Boys - 10.9%, Girls - 16.9%. Number at school for dinner, about 12. Donated by Christine Tweed |
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c1910 |
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| By 1906, the two chestnut trees had been felled, the old entrance was sealed off and new boys and girl's entrance and cloakrooms were installed. It was also probably at this time that the front door to the schoolmaster's house was moved to its current position and the windows either side of the old door position were replaced and also moved. The provision of School meals was also introduced for those in need, and in 1907, medical examinations became compulsory. Donated by Felbridge School |
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c1911 |
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| This picture shows the school children ready to leave on a trip using the local carriers carts. Donated by R. Towes |
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1919 |
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| In 1918, as a result of the war, food rationing was introduced to Britain and the children of Felbridge School rose to the challenge by collecting blackberries for jam making. In all, nearly 400lbs/180kg of blackberries were collected during the month of September 1918. The blackberries were forwarded to the War Women's Association for the use of the troops at home and abroad. It was also in 1918 that the Fisher Education Act was introduced, raising the school leaving age to fourteen. Donated by Brian Roberts |
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1920 |
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| By 1923, as well as doing PE, the girls were also playing rounders, netball and hockey and the boys played football and cricket, with Games every Friday afternoon. These activities were generally carried out on the Village Green but Games were occasionally prevented by the presence of gypsies setting up camp on the Green.Donated by Felbridge School |  |
c1930 |
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| In July 1929, the Education Authority proposed a re-grouping of schools scheme whereby boys and girls between the ages of eleven and fourteen would attend a senior school, in the case of Felbridge this was Lingfield Central School, but this was not introduced until 1939. In 1930 the School Roll had seventy-one children but by the end of 1935, the School Roll had dropped to thirty-five children.Donated by Sheila Martin |  |
c1935 |
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| In 1933, now under Council Control, the Surrey Education Committee sent a surveyor to measure up for an estimate for re-building and renovating the School, and in 1934, work commenced. Two new classrooms were added to the classroom built in 1860. A boiler room was built onto the southwest side of the two old classrooms that were converted to a cloakroom and store, and the cloakroom that had been converted from the schoolmaster's old parlour became the staffroom. Donated by Mark Heselden |
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1938 |
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| Back row L-R: ?, ?, Bill Darling, Robert Heselden, ?, David Pellet. next row: Tommy Taylor, Patricia Taylor, ?, Agnes Wheeler, Vera Saunders, Barbara Clark, Eileen Ringshaw, Isabel Hewitt, Joan Chatfield, Roy Humphrey. next row: Ken Wedge, Norman Maynard, Marjorie Saunders, Eileen Corke, Poppy Swain, Betty Draper, Audrey Pentecost, Doris Shinn. 3 girls in centre behind front row: Joan Balchin, Pat Wedge, Margaret Hewitt? Front Row: Ray Parkes, Billy Pentecost, Josie Keel, Doris Curtis, Freddie Redman, Bob Heselden. Donated by Felbridge School |
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1938 |
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| Miss Elsie Dowding became head teacher in 1935, at this time the curriculum included English, reading, arithmetic, tables, scripture, history, geography, embroidery, gardening (the vegetables grown being used for school dinners) and music & movement that included music, drama, country dancing, sword dancing and maypole dancing. The girls played rounders, netball and stallball, and the boys played football and cricket. After school activities included boxing and ballroom dancing for the boys under the direction of Miss V Thorne and three old boys from the school. Donated by Brian Roberts |
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School House 2002 |
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| The original school house that was built in 1783 is still used as part of the school buildings containing a library and staff room. The original one small classroom being to the right of this picture and originally entered through a door at the rear. |  |