My memories of Denton School by Gillian Parris – written around 1980.

I recall sitting on a tiny wooden chair with a semi-circular back rest at the front of the class where I was given a sand tray to draw in. The number on roll at that time must have been about 40, with ages ranging from four to fourteen years, split into two classes. Quite an age range that. To a four year old, boys and girls of 14 years seemed really big but we seemed to mix very well. At the age of 14 pupils were transferred to Yardley Hastings for their last year at school or, at 11 years, to the Boys Grammar School or Derngate High if the 11 plus examination was passed. Wollaston School opened in 1958 so was very new when I attended it.

Mr & Mrs Battison were our teachers in 1951. My first couple of years at school must have been very happy for I cannot recall any bad moments, but certainly remember Mrs Battison’s February birthday each year when we were treated to chocolate biscuits.

When I was 7, Mr & Mrs Jones replaced Mr & Mrs Battison on their retirement. I remember Mrs Jones very well, a kindly person who could raise her voice at times but, in retrospect, must have been very patient.

Our lessons were based on the 3 R’s and I particularly remember chanting our tables every morning and the regular writing practice we had. Our handwriting was inspected every Friday morning and a small prize was awarded to the neatest writer of the week, and with a bar of chocolate to gain I can tell you there were quite a number of tidy writers.

We also had mini exams each term with prizes awarded for top marks in each age group. I loved the nature table, it consisted of wild flowers, berries, plants or grasses that we children had picked, put carefully into water and labelled. This display was always kept very neat and tidy.

Needlework was not my favourite subject and I would rather have joined the woodwork class the boys enjoyed. No sharing of lessons then, boys did boys’ subjects and girls did girls’ subjects.

Music was a subject I greatly enjoyed, whether it was singing or percussion and this prepared us for the Christmas concert that we put on for 2 nights each year.

At the age of 9 we went into the ‘big class’,  meaning Mr Jones’ class and it was there that we were drilled for the 11 plus. Again plenty of the 3 R’s plus history, geography, P.E and Art.

Our P.E lessons were held in the playground each day except in rain or snow. We certainly weren’t pampered, having only a hard rubber mat to lie on to do our exercises, but I certainly gained a lot of pleasure from it.  Our sports lesson was on Friday afternoon and in the summer we all used to walk down to the recreation ground which, in those days, was the field before Stone Pit Cottage along the road towards Yardley Hastings. Each year we would compete in the sports at British Timken Sports ground and to our joy won a shield or cup several times.

Our annual outings bring back memories of Whipsnade Zoo, London Airport and the Tower of London. Quite a trip to us with no M1 to travel on. Most of us were loaded with bags of food, most of which was eaten before we arrived at our destination.

The Christmas party too was a source of delight, the tree was dressed by Mrs Bettles, our caretaker, and we each had a present and cards plus food, drink and games of course until finally exhausted we made our way home, on those dark winter evenings (with no street lights), for our Christmas holidays.

During the Summer Term Mr Jones always joined us at break times to play cricket on the green (there were very few cars in the village then). Most of the school used to play and we all seemed to get a batting session at some time or another.

The school building was much the same as it is now other than the toilets. These were outside and awfully cold, one didn’t hang around there in the winter. In what we call the ‘wet area’ were coat hooks on racks, these were removed to provide a larger area for craft activities. Mr & Mrs Jones lived in the school house and of course the garden was their own private ground, although in the garden at the front of the school we used to plant seeds in order to watch their progress.

I think I could write for ever on this subject but having returned, as an employee, to the school I left in 1959 gives me great pleasure. I feel proud to have worked within its walls as a pupil and now can give back some of the knowledge I gained.

It will be sad to see the old building lost as a school but we must help the children to make the walls of the new school ring with laughter and fond memories as this one does for me.