THREE DOZEN YEARS

CHAPTER THREE - THE PRE-WAR YEARS

In the preceding chapters we have seen how the idea of the Central School evolved, how it took root at Downhills and how it developed. The strict narrative method must now be modified so that a consecutive account may be given of the various aspects of the school life and the numerous ancillary activities that developed in-the years before the war of 1939-1945.

An old scholar of the first intake returning to the School today would not observe many changes in the appearance of the building. The main block is, from the outside, just as it was in 1919. Certain minor structural alterations were made in these twenty years and must be recorded, although the main purpose of this story is not to concern itself with bricks and mortar. The cost of converting the first rooms taken over from the Senior School was £288, consisting mainly of equipping science accommodation. The chemistry laboratory was situated at the western end of the playground building (now the needlework room) and was opened in March, 1920; an emergency exit, in the form of an external staircase, was provided in 1922 at the cost of £90. In March, 1925, one of the class-rooms in the north-western wing was converted into a housewifery centre at a cost of £24. It was remodelled in 1936 at the cost of £95, when the two classrooms in the wing were knocked into one. The conversion of the staff room and cloakroom into a domestic flat was completed in February, 1937, when it was shown to the parents. The flat, which cost £633, consists of bedroom, sitting-room, bathroom and pantry. Today it is an normal item of equipment, but twenty years ago such projects were authorised only by the more progressive authorities and the Education Committee and the School were rightly proud of it. At the same time the playground building was reconstructed at the cost of £2000.

The "field" requires a paragraph to itself. In the words of an old scholar, "there was a rough old field behind the School on which we used to play the usual games at the usual seasons until it was ploughed, cultivated, and sown with grass in 1922 or 1923." At one time there were grass tennis courts at the top end. More than one attempt had been made to drain the field, which were as successful as could be expected in a field of clay. But sufficient allowance was not made for settlement and today it presents a gently undulating appearance. No longer is it used for the School sports for it is too small, and, for the same reason football and cricket cannot be played there with real success. In winter it is water logged and in a dry summer its deceptively green appearance is due to a flourishing crop of plantains which alone survive the wear and tear and the drought. And yet the "field" is held in real affection by all those who have been connected with the School. The children have the advantage of being able to play on a green expanse and this gives freedom and pleasure which cannot be attained in a drab asphalt playground. When the word is given that the "field" can be used at playtime, this is the sign that summer is here once again with its promise of the long evenings.

In 1919 there was a row of trees and a railing fence between the boys' playground and the gardens of Keston Road. Following complaints by the occupiers of the houses the trees were lopped in 1928. In 1937 they were found to be rotten and were replaced by two laburnums, one flowering almond and .two-copper beeches, of which the latter only have survived. The fence was replaced by the present brick wall surmounted by wire netting, at the cost of £258, and, at the request of the Headmaster, a gate was made in the fence between the "field" and Downhills Park for the convenience of pupils who live in the area north of the School.

In the words of one of the original members of the staff, "a school is not a building, as we all know that a good school can exist in the meanest of buildings. Neither is it the staff and the pupils in it. It is something spiritual which is the outcome of all three." The School building is compact and this must be partly responsible for the feeling of comradeship and friendliness among the pupils and the staff and between both which has, from the evidence in the testimonies of old scholars arid teachers, always existed in the past and exists today.

The School has had only two Headmasters. The place of the first Headmaster of a School is a very special one, and the responsibility resting on his shoulders is very great. The School was fortunate in its first Headmaster, Mr. F. O. Pinchbeck, who retired in July, 1932. He was regarded with great esteem and affection by his staff and the children. Every reference to him, both contemporary and reminiscent, makes this clear. "I believe the secret of his success was his uncanny knack of engaging the right staff and trusting them to get on with their jobs without too much interference. He was always approachable by teachers, parents and children. To the staff he was always very friendly and free but never lost any prestige through this. He was ready to jump with both feet, however, at any slackness. He was a very religious man. Nevertheless he was far from being narrowminded. At the Christmas parties he danced with the wildest. He was a man of great understanding, extremely generous, too. As soon as the first staff were appointed he called them to a meeting and, after explaining his plans, said: 'I have chosen you because you are the type of teacher I need and can trust and I am going to leave you very much alone. As long as I know you are doing your jobs I shall not put my oar in.' I believe these words had a profound influence on the future of the School." These are the words of one who was a colleague of Mr. Pinchbeck for thirteen years.

Under the direction of Mr. Pinchbeck the internal organisation of the School took shape. In the first four years the School was of two-form entry. In 1923, 112 children were admitted, making three forms in the first year, and in 1924 there was three-form entry again. In the next two years the entry was two-form again. This pattern was followed until at least 1930, and it appears that the purpose was to limit the number of classes to ten. There was no fifth form; some stayed on to prepare for Civil Service examinations and these were accommodated in a fourth year form.

Soon after the School opened, the House system was inaugurated. The four Houses of the School are named after the first members of the staff. The School badge was designed by Mr. Roberts; it depicts the water-tower, formerly the most prominent landmark in the district and recently demolished as being in a dangerous state and not worthy of preservation. At first the badge was worn in different colours, crimson on a blue background for Roberts, green on brown for Wilson, blue on orange for Mandall, yellow on blue for Semmons. These badges were home-made and stitched to the clothes. When the School uniform was adopted in 1925 the present colours of red and gold on a black background were introduced.

In February, 1920, some personal friends of the Headmaster presented a shield to be known as the House Shield and competed for annually, the factors governing its award to be efficiency and conduct. In June of the same year a banner worked by the students of the Hornsey Art School was presented by Mr. A. Burgess, of Cheshunt, the winner to be the House amassing most points in sporting competitions. The Shield and Banner were both won by Semmons in 1920, but Roberts seem to have gained a monopoly in the next few years.

On 1 October, 1920, a School tradition was established and recorded in the School Log Book in the following words: "The anniversary of the opening of the School. The children assembled in the Hall in the morning for the School Birthday celebrations. Mr.Linford (the Director of Education) was present, addressed the scholars and presented the School Shield and Banner to the winners, viz., Semmons House." This ceremony has taken place every year and follows the same pattern, the address now being given by the Borough Education Officer, who is traditionally the only guest, as being one of the family.

On 23 March, 1921, the first number of the School Magazine, "Reflections," appeared. For a short while four numbers were issued each year but this was later reduced to two. It sold at sixpence. Mr. Haber was the moving spirit behind the magazine until the war, being the teacher-editor, and under his direction a high literary standard was achieved. Mention should also be made of George Carpenter, the first pupil editor, who continued as an old scholar, and Cissie Woolley. An extract from the first editorial deserves a place here. "So, in conclusion, may we repeat our opening wishes that 'Reflections' may prove good company by the way and a sound counsellor at all times. Thus shall we, in the days to come, be able to retrace our steps at will and in its pages catch afresh the spirit of that fine freedom and friendship which now is ours." And so does the welcome to new entrants in the third issue. "We sincerely hope that they will be very happy; yet we, who are grown old in wisdom, would remind them that they will gain from the School just as much as they put into it."

July, 1923, provided another landmark in the history of the School, the first batch of leavers. Again we quote from "Reflections": "For the first time the full four years' course has been completed and those few - those happy few' who assembled as 'the School' four years ago are about to leave us. During their four years they have more than realised our wildest ambitions. They have created such a tone and set up such a standard that only the highest endeavour on the part of those who follow will enable records to be broken. "They have thrown themselves with enthusiasm into every side of school life and always by the sincerity and intensity of their efforts have they achieved success." In 1922 these leavers had been entered for the Cambridge University Local Examination and in 1923 the School Leaving Certificate. The results were such that the Headmaster received a letter from the Director of Education conveying the congratulations of the Education Committee to the Staff on the success of the School during its first four years. In the inter-war years the pupils of the "A" stream took the School Certificate at the end of the fourth year. The record of success is impressive, and the gratification and justifiable pride at the achievements of the Central Schools which they had founded is frequently seen in the Minutes of the Education Committee, for example in the following passage, referring to the Central Schools, in the Chairman's Report for 1925-1926. "Their list of Examination successes in 1925 was an astonishing one and afforded a clear proof that the foundations were solidly laid." Pupils of the School also achieved a considerable number of successes in the examinations of the Royal Society of Arts, the London Institute of Plain Needlework, the National Union of Teachers, and obtained several scholarships at the Hornsey School of Art. Not infrequently was the School awarded a day's holiday on the strength of its examination successes. An old member of the Staff records that "never in my time did the list of successes drop, and the School had many visitors from all parts of England to find out how such excellent results were obtained. To my mind such success was due to the excellence of the staff, the energy and eagerness of the pupils and, most important, the wonderful spirit which existed throughout the School."

The first batch of leavers determined to maintain their contact with the School and the Old Scholars Association was inaugurated on 23 July, 1923. Mr. Pinchbeck was the President and played a large part in working out the organisation. Mr. Haber supervised the Association, organising dances and social functions, and it was due to his work that, so early in its career, the Association produced, in April, 1924, "The Rivals." The "Tottenham Herald" reported that: "The play was the first public venture of the Association and received a great ovation. The costumes were elegant, the effects delightful and the stage arrangements admirable. The whole production was full of life and energy, it was a great triumph." The Association developed and sections were formed to cater for the interests of the members - tennis, cricket, cycling, art, netball, drama. From the capital built up the Association bought recreational equipment, and meetings were held every Thursday in the School. In 1929 the Education Committee gave permission for the erection of a shed on the field to store games equipment; it was removed in 1950. When war broke out the activities of the Association were suspended and its equipment was scattered.

In June, 1920, the first Annual School Sports was held and, in, September of the following year, the first Annual Swimming Gala. In 1921 the boys won the championship of the Schools Cricket League and in the following year the Football Cup. The girls won the Netball Cup in 1923. But the other schools felt that we had advantages because, although the age of entry was restricted, it was imposed at the beginning of the season and our pupils were more likely to stay right through the year. In the end we withdrew from district competition and entered the North East London Central School League, in which we more than held our own. This league was a war casualty and it has not been revived. In the 1920s an interesting series of matches was played with a Reading School. Two netball teams visited Reading and two Reading teams paid a return visit. The accounts in "Reflections" suggest that great social gains were achieved by these encounters. Inter-district events tend to have rather much of the "needle" element and it might be a good thing if sporting occasions without the incentive of a cup could be arranged today. Funds for games equipment had to be raised by a "Sale" in the summer term, when the Houses competed to raise money and everything saleable was sold.

In 1928, owing to the increase in population of North Tottenham due to additional housing, it became necessary to provide a new elementary school. Risley Central School was closed down, the pupils transferred to Down Lane Central School and the Risley building used for the new elementary school. Arising out of this, the Tottenham Education Committee suggested that the Middlesex County Council should take over the Central Schools and make available free secondary education for the children of parents who could not afford the fees of the Secondary (Grammar) Schools, which only offered a very limited number of free places. It seems probable that the Committee were hoping that Middlesex would extend the Central School idea, in which Tottenham had been one of the pioneers, on a scale larger than that which Tottenham could afford.

The team which started the School remained unbroken until 1931, when Mr. Semmons left to take up a post of Headmaster, and, when Mr. Pinchbeck retired in 1932, of the seventeen teachers who had joined the staff in the first four years, all but five were still serving in the School. Many of them had been attracted by the excitement of working in a school of a new type which was treated with special indulgence by the Education Committee and the Director of Education in respect of staff and equipment, and by the extra pay which was then attached. The enthusiasm thus generated was responsible for the success of the early days which has already been recorded. But as time passed and the staff grew older the first fine enthusiasm faded. They had stepped out of the main stream, and there are grounds for the belief that their prospects of promotion had suffered. In the series of financial and economic crises that characterised the inter-war period, education came up for punishment every time and, when Dr. Strong succeeded the first Director of Education at the time of the depression of 1931, staff, books, stationery and equipment were severely rationed and the Central Schools got nothing more than the others. Thus, by 1932, the School had reached a crisis in its development and the retirement of Mr. Pinchbeck had an unsettling effect, especially as there was an interregnum of some months before a new Headmaster was appointed.

On 17 October, 1932, Mr. N. S. Mercer became Headmaster and a period of calm consolidation ensued. The general organisation of the School remained substantially unchanged, but there was an extension of commercial training. Mr. Sawyer, who had joined the staff in 1923, had been teaching commercial subjects in Mr. Pinchbeck's time and, in 1933, arrangements were made for two parties a week to receive typing instruction at the Polytechnic (the Technical School).

In April, 1936, "Education Week" was held in Tottenham. Many of the staff of the School were active in organising various events but an entry in the Log Book for 15 May shows the other side of the picture. "The ordinary routine of the School was much disturbed from February onwards owing to preparation for Education Week."

It appears from H.M. Inspectors' Reports on the School in 1937 that there were then 410 children on roll; 93 were over 15 and 20 over 16 years of age. There were 11 classes and 16 assistant teachers.

In 1938 the international situation began to cast its shadow over the educational world. The first mention of evacuation appears in the Log Book on 23 September and the Headmaster had to attend several conferences during September and October. Hitler's seizure of Czechoslovakia in the spring of 1939 brought about further preparations and, on 18 May, a Saturday, the school was open for the registration of evacuees. But work continued as usual and a School Festival was held in July. The story of the last days of August is best related in the words of the Log Book.

25 August. Headmaster and Miss Ward present: crisis preparations began.
26 August. All staff present enrolling names for evacuation.
27 August. Sunday. As yesterday.
28 August. Practice evacuation. All staff and helpers present at 7.30 a.m.
29 August. Staff, evacuation children and some non-evacuation children present. Times 9-12 noon, 2-4.30 p.m. This was the nominal day for assembly after the Summer Holidays. Registers not entered.
30 August. As yesterday.
1 Sept. School evacuated to Cambridge.

Inevitably the outbreak of war arrested the development of the School and there were many casualties in September, 1939. The Old Scholars' Association ceased to function and did not recover life and spirit until 1952. The Magazine came to an end and has not yet resumed publication.

In these years before the war the conception of education by teachers, parents and public authorities was broadening. Schools made a great effort to interest parents in what they were trying to do, to explain their work to them and, to some extent, to try to bring them into partnership in the education of their children.At Downhills several exhibitions of the work of the scholars in the Arts and Crafts were held and, in 1937, a "Parents' Week," when 250 parents took advantage of the opportunity to see what the School was doing. Concerts were given. The success of the "Sales" held to raise money for games equipment depended upon the parents' support.

The custom grew up of holding a leavers' party. At first this seems to have taken place in the Summer term but, some time in the 1930s, it was changed to a Fourth Year Christmas Party, in which form it survives today.

Another innovation was foreign travel. In August, 1934, 66 boys and three teachers went to Scandinavia. At Easter, 1936, 18 children and two teachers went to Paris. The worsening international situation caused the suspension of this activity but, as will be seen, it was revived after the war.

These are examples of the ways in which the activities of one School indicate a broadening of the conception of education. But the most striking educational landmarks of the inter-war years did not affect the School, viz., the Hadow Report of 1926 concerning the reorganisation of elementary schools and the Education Act of 1936 which gave effect to many of the recommendations of the Report.

In the wider field, the period showed a great development in the school meals service, the medical inspection and treatment of schoolchildren, the provision of school milk, etc. The Tottenham Authority has always been in the fore in the encouragement of the Arts and, under the auspices of the Tottenham Schools' Music Association, an annual music festival was held in which all schools took part.

Wireless in schools became an accepted aid to education in the 1930s. In 1934 the Headmaster served as a member of the B.B.C. approval panel for the selection of receiving instruments for school use.

Another "aid" to education was provided by the Ship Adoption Society. The Headmaster was able to persuade the Education Committee to support the plan of the Society and to pay the affiliation expenses of any school that joined. Downhills adopted the "Beaverford," a cargo vessel of 10,000 tons owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway, trading between Hamburg, London and Montreal. The object of the scheme was to provide a link between the crew and the school which adopted the ship. Regular reports were received of the ship's progress and when it was in port members of the ship's crew would visit the School and children from the School would visit the ship.