Embedded Files
The School Log
The following notes were from Copthorne School's Log held in the city’s records' office. Most of the log simply mentions when members of staff were off ill and when they returned to work. Listed below are some of the more interesting events it mentions. If any reader examines the log for themselves and thinks I've missed something that should be added please let me know.
Paul Buttle
1951
September,
4th School opens - 204 pupils - 120 boys and 84 girls. There were no desks and the chairs were on loan (the desks arrived the next day) some nissen huts on the site served as temporary toilets.
1952
January
8th - Mr. D. A. Lamb joins the school staff.
25th - Telephone installed.
February
6th - Memorial service for George VI in the “as yet unfinished school hall”
15th - Funeral service in the hall for George VI - workmen building the school took part.
19th -Visit to Keresley Colliery.
March
5th - Visit to Foleshill Gas Works.
April
4th - Mr. and Mrs. Hall take eight boys and nine girls on a week’s holiday to Wyre Farm Camp.
23rd - Staff room, library and boys and girls toilets completed.
25th - The first assembly held in the completed school hall.
May
2nd - “School captain” Ann French attends annual mayor choosing ceremony.
June
12th - School trip to Portsmouth. 85 children went.
20th - Margaret Kingham represents Warwickshire in the discuss event at the English Schools Athletics meeting.
July
15th -Open day - included a display by the “Puppetry Club”.
22nd - First inter-house sports day took place in “Waste Lane Park”. (This suggests what became the school playing fields was still being cleared of the hostel nissen huts).
September
12th - Joining the staff: R. Holcombe, D. Brown, H. J. Jenkins, Mrs A. Will and Miss Pettifor
Intake 128 - 336 pupils in total
19th,
First Speech day and prize giving.
December 16th
A social evening for all those who had left and those to leave at Easter.
1953
January
6th - Wall bars for the school hall considered.
March
27th - Mrs. G. Hall becomes occasional teacher
April
30th - Mrs A. C. Price retires.
May
5th - Examinations.
June
11th Coventry Schools’ Coronation Display - Butts stadium.
16th to 17th - H.M.I. Inspection.
18th - Annual Outing approx. 200 went to bath, Cheddar Gorge and Weston-Super-Mare
24th - “Received the keys to the administration block of Keresley hostel following vacation of Ministry of Works”.
July
9th - Head girl Valerie Hopkins attends Lord Mayor’s ceremony.
14th and 15th - Open evenings. Excerpts from Macbeth performed.
21st - Visit by officials paid to Keresley hostel - “which it is hoped will become an annexe to Copthorne School.”
22nd - Inter House Sports in “Coundon Hall Park”.
August
31st - As Coundon Court Girls School was not finished they are to use the “hostel rooms” and not Copthorne. Copthorne will use instead four classrooms at Keresley Grange - which will accomodate four 3rd year classes.
September
1st - school opens - 136 pupils admitted - total pupils 427.
Teachers joining staff:- Miss Beryl Bonus, Miss E.M. Goodwin, Mrs. M. Miles B.A. Miss K.R. Miller B.A., Mr. G. J. Gascoyne.
October
16th - Tennis Courts - completed except for fencing.
26th - Gordon Moor awarded cup for “champion cyclist of the year”.
November
12th - 2nd Prize Day in School Hall
19th - 4th year girls visit Sutton Bakeries.
20th - 14 boys with Corley colliery with head and Mr. Jenkyns
December
9th - Nativity Play - 300 parents attend.
12th - Christmas Dance and Party approx. 125 attend
15th - Combined leavers service
17th - Carol Service - school closes
1954
January
5th - school opens
March
22nd - School Boxing Club competes against Broadway School - Copthorne wins 6 bouts to 3.
April
28th - “took possession of adjoining industrial hostel as an annex”
May
13th - Municipal Elections
18th - Mr Lamb met with an accident motorcycling.
[Norman Jones, now living in Australia, recalls the school praying for his recovery. He recalls that Mr Lamb fractured his sre his skull in the accident and the motorbike was a Bantam BS.]
22nd - school relay team wins 3rd place in Warwickshire AAA in Leamington.
29th - 1st and 2nd year girls win 1st prize for Scottish Dancing at Nuneaton Festival of Arts. Teacher Mrs. Bamford.
26th - meeting of 125 parents form school P.T.A.
June
25th - 251 pupils and staff visit Liverpool Docks and Mersey Tunnel
July
13th - Annual Open Day - about 500 friends and parents attend
19th - Mr Lamb returns to duty.
Staff leaving:- Mrs. Pittaway, Mr. R.H. Halcombe, Miss M.P. Miles
August 31st - 166 pupils admitted 5 classes - total pupils on roll 511 - 17 classes.
Teachers joining staff:- Mr. E.G. Dunn (Art and Crafts), Mr. G.R. White (English and Drama) Mr. S. D Evans, Miss P. Bonham (Girls P.E.) Mr. A. Bloxham (Boys P.E.)
December
20th - Christmas celebrations - two performances - two separate excerpts from “Twelfth Night” and “The Dear Departing”.
Parties for each year.
22nd
Carol Service
1955
January
11th - school reopens.
March
3rd - 13+ - 19 girls and 12 boys take part.
April
24 girls and 23 boys venture on a ten day holiday in Belgium and Holland
May
12th - Municipal Election
26th - General Election.
27th - Nuneaton Festival of Arts - School wins drama first prize “1066 and All That.”
July
1st - School Dramatic Society perform “1066 and All That.” to an audience of 250.
20th - school closes
Staff leaving:- Miss S. Richards, Miss. K. M. Miller, Mr. D.A. Lamb (emigrating to Canada!)
August
23rd - Reported to educational office that adaptations at Keresley hostel to provide extra classrooms were not even commenced
August
30th - school opens
176 pupils admitted 6 classes - total pupils on roll 576 - including the schools first fifth form.
Teachers joining staff:- Mrs. E. Williams, Mr. B. R. Bentley, Miss J.O. Turner, Miss B. Griffith and Mr. A. Wildsmith.
Mr. D.A. Lamb recommenced on his return from Canada.
1956
February
15th - representatives from the city's architects office visit "to discuss the adaption of the hostel buildings for pratical work"
April
4th to14th - a school party visits Germany
May
8th - Nuneaton Drama Festival - school placed 2nd
(George Rushton responded to this entry by observing: "I went with the school to an arts festival in Nuneaton, the play I think was, An Unlikely Enchantment, an updated 'Sleeping Beauty' I was an aged courtier. There was a second visit but can't remember the name of the production, but it was based on an Edwardian group of people travelling by train somewhere in Europe, with a baby that was mistakenly diognosed as having Typhoid..... A bit of a comedy !!!! I was just another traveller on the train.)
Sept.
17th - a scheme submitted for the provision of games and athletics on playing fields.
1957
September
3rd. Mr Ward becomes a member of staff.
6th - 113 pupils absent due to influenza
20th - 220 pupils absent
30th - 115 pupils absent
1958
January Mr B. Mahonay of Trinadad joins the staff to study secondary education in England stays until July.
7th - Mr Pollard joins the staff
June
23rd- Mr. E. H. Smale joins staff.
December,
2nd - Gideon bibles given to all 4th and 5th year pupils.
8th - 45 4th years visit Caburarys and Fort Dunlop in Birmingham
1959
January
6th - Mr. C. Evans commences duties.
9th to 19th - Performance of the Mikado.
March
31st - School Trip to Switzerland.
May
15th - Mr. Evans takes a party for a weeks holiday in Dymchurch
October
9th Visit to Ebbw Vale steel works - Mr. Ward, Mr. Cook, Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Hall accompanying.
9th November - Boys visit Standard Motor Works
1960
February
17th - Mr newton of the Belgrade Theatre gives a talk to 4th and 5th years.
March
31st - "the girls staged a manaquin parade" about 40 parents present.
April
Mr Bennett of Coventry Savings Committee addressed the school assembly
School trip to Austria. 10 days. 32 children went,
May
2nd - girls from various schools visit for a "fashion talk and parade".
6th - school closed for the marriage of Princess Margaret.
July
2nd - "Gala Field Day" in conjunction with the PTA - approx 1000 people attend
13th - Prize Day - in the evening - "hall filled to capacity".
October
24th- 160 pupils attend Technical College to view "British Association Films".
1961
March
Party of 4th Year boys visit Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Ltd.
June
8th - six 4th year boys sit Alfred Herbert apprenticeship examination
10th - 2nd Gala Field Day.
July
12th - Secondary Modern Schools Sports day Radford Aerodrome.
17th - "divine service" at the cathedral for school leavers.
August
31st - joining the staff Mr. C. Fairbrother and Mr. P. Bannister.
September
30th - 10 teachers strike including the head.
18th December - carol service.
19th - school leavers devine serce at Holy Trinity.
1962
January
16th - 18th, School Inspectors visit.
April
School trip to Switzerland - 32 pupils.
October
1st - soccer and rugby teams with the headmaster and Mr. Fairbrother visit carpet factory in Kidderminster
November
6th and 21st - School Choir toured area singing carols with members of Rotary collecting for charity.
21st - Mr Bannister returns to work after long illness.
1963
January
15th. - A party of 4th year boys with Mr Lamb visited Standard Motors
19th - Power failure causes boilers to overheat and crack - no heat.
21st - temporary timetable - two classrooms at Keresley Grange borrowed. Dining Room used as classroom.
22nd - heating engineers worked all night. 14 radiators burst.
23rd - bad weather disrupts transport delaying arrival of staff.
Temporary heating (paraffin stoves) installed in rooms - 14, 16 and 17.
25th - 45 children absent due to bad weather.
February.
4th - Heating restored in all rooms but “woodwork shop”
14th - New tables delivered for Domestic Science Room
26th - Heating turned off in hostel block for repair of radiators.
March
4th - heating restored.
20th - Mr Fairbrother and forty boys visit Twickenham for international match
May
17th - a party of 12 members of the O.A.C. (Outdoor Activities Club) with Mr. Lewis and Mr. Fairbrother spent the weekend (17th - 20th) camping and canoeing at Rowington.
June
27th - School hosted Secondary Moderns Inter-School sports and dancing. The afternoon time-table suspended.
July
3rd - All rooms in the school thrown open to parents to enable them to see the work done in the school. Displays of dancing, boys and girls P.E. and “mannequin parade”.
4th - Inter-House Sports Afternoon.
9th - school leavers with Mr. Bannister attend divine service in the cathedral.
11th - End of School Year 3.30 p.m.
1964
March
11th - Mr Fairbrother takes a party to Twickenham to see an International Match
24th - Leavers service at Warwick Road Congregation Church
25th - 20 girls visit E.M.E.B. demonstration - "Automation in the Kitchen"
April
20th - Mr. C. Evan attnds a special course at Oxford University on the background of immigrants.
22nd, 23d, and 24th - performance by the School Dramatice Society.
May
20th - Mr Cook and Mr Lanb take 35 boys to West Wales.
26th - Commercial Class visit Marks and Spencers and G.E.C.
June
2nd - 20 girls visit Central Hospital in Warwick.
9th - Commercial class visit the G.P.O.
July
3rd - Mr Caddock takes a party of boys for a weekend camping and walking in the Black Mountains
6th - service for school leavers in Coventry Cathedral.
October
14th - showing of the film "Africa" in school hall
30th
Royal Navy Careers Unit visit school to talk to 4th and 5th years.
November
2nd - visit by lord mayor - Mr J. Whiteman.
December
19th - school choir provide music on the the "illuminated bus" - tours Radford and Coundon on the 21st.
1965
February
17th - Mr Hall and Mr Jenkins attend conference to consider implications of the C.S.E examinations.
March
3rd - slide presentation on Palestine
April
15th - 30 pupils go on a ten day visit to Holland, Germany and Belgium.
May
26th- Coffee evening attended by the mayor and the director of education - £31 raised for the "Save the Children Fund"
27th - Head girl Lynda Mitchell attends mayor making.
July
2nd - two records broken by David Cadden and Michael Burn at the Coventry School Swimming Gala.
5th - staff-school cricket match.
November
3rd - 27 boys and three members of staffvisit Ebbw Vale Steel Works.
1966
January
24th - Influenza attack - head away until the 14th February
March
23rd and 24th - School Dramatic Society present "The Paper Chain"
April
2nd - C.S.E. examinations commence
14th to 25th - 30 pupils visit Holland and France led by the head.
June
13th - G.C.E. examinations commence.
22nd - girls visit Marks and Spencer
27th - 13 boys visit the Royal Navy ar Tor Point for three days.
July
8th - 200 pupils and staff visit the Royal Agricultural Show.
October
5th - approximately 75 parents attend a social evening organised by the school P.T.A.
31st - girls model clothes.
November - a party of 20 girls stay for a week at Coventry's outdoor pursuits Centre Dol-y-moch in Wales. The following week a party of boys go.
December
The School's Dramatic Society present "A King is Born"
1967
February
10th - school visit to London
March
15th - the school's Dramatic Society present "Mrs. Mabel" a three act play
29th - 16 pupils embark on a week's holiday in Belgium, Holland and Germany.
May
1st - presentation of a film showing the work of "Save the Children" in Jordon.
July
3rd - 30 childen visit Wimbledon Tennis Championships
7th - 102 pupils and five staff visit the Royal Show.
November
2nd - Army Recruiting Ogfficer visits school
24th - party of 4th formers visit the Belgrade theatre to see "Murder in the Cathedral"
Decmber
5th - Mr Jenkins and Mr Lamb attend conference to discuss raising of the school leaving age.
20th - Carol Service. Coventry and District Gospel Male Choir sing in "the modern idiom"
1968
March
27th, 28th, 29th - School Dramatic Society peform "The Winslow Boy"
April
10th - Coffee evening and manequin parade. £46 raised for charity. Dresses made by pupils. Other pupil's craftwork on display.
18th - weeks holiday in Belgium. 24 puils head and four members of staff.
May
9th - C.S.E. examinations begin.
June
2nd - 10 girls and 23 boys take part in a "Long March" in support of Christian Aid. 22 complete the full distance of 30 miles. Sponsorship raises £140.
July
8th - Mr C. Evans retires
September
19th - Theatre in Education visit to produce "If it were not for the weaver."
26th Mr. E. H. Smale dies
October
20th - memorial service for Mr. Smale.
November
4th, 5th, 6th - Youth Employment Officer visits school.
.
1969
January
6th - Mr. Gascoyne new head of handicrafts
February
12th - party of 2nd and 3rd year girls visit International Festival of Dance in Birmingham
April
10th - 30 pupils Mr and Mrs Hall and two staff set out for a week's holiday in Belgium and Holland
May
8th - 34 boys visit the national Coal Board Exhibition in Leicestershire
28th - visit to Stratford to see "When thou art king"
June
19th - 4th year pupils visit Cadbury's
24th - Open evening approximately 600 visitors
26th - Evening of Music and Drama. Music from "Sound of Music" and "Half a Sixpence" Three girls perform "current folk songs" accompanied by two boys on guitars.
28th - Field Gala. Profit exceeds £55
July,
2nd - 150 pupils and 7 staff visit Royal Agricultural Show
8th - Mr. Hall’s retirement social evening. Over 100 in attendance including past head girls and boys. 5th year girls provide a "sumptuous buffet".
11th - School closes Mr. L. F. Hall retires
September
3rd - New head Mr H. T. Jenkins - deputy head Mr. P. B. Bannister
October
9th - visit to Paris cinema to see "Romeo and Juliet".
13th - "Taming of the Shrew".
21st - Break in approx £50 stolen
22nd - Film and talk on Smoking and Health - the first one organised by the Department of Health.
December
Prize giving - G.C.E and C.S.E mentioned. Handicraft prize in Mr. Smale’s memory.
1970
Jan.
7th - £200 presented to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. Money raised over two years reported in the Coventry Evening Telegraph the next day:-
20th - for the first time girls cometed in a cross country match. 26 took part.
February
3rd - Mr Bannister appointed deputy head.
11th - evening discotheque 150 attended £4 raised for charity
25th - second evening discotheque £4 5s 6d raised for charity
March
4th - heavy snow. Approximately 150 pupils arrived at school. Those with parents at home sent home
12th - ten girls sat exams for maternal child welfare after a three months course - school paid half the fees.
26th - school trip to the Rhine led by Mr. Lamb and his wife.
May
11th- first meeting of school council
15th - Thirty second year pupils visit Jubilee Crescent Library to hear the author Pauline Clarke speak on her book "The Twelve and the Genii" (N.B. this book had won a Carnegie medal. The author has an entry on Wikipedia.)
19th - interview for P.E. post. Of the three short listed only one attended. Mr. Callaghan appointed.
28th - Mr. Rees (P.E.) takes a party of boys camping at Wynettes Pass in Derbyshire
June
19th - Mr G.N. Cooke absent with sunstroke
July
10th - 220 pupils visit the Royal Show
17th - Mr. Pollard transfers to Three Shires School
September
18th - school broken into - a few papers burnt
23rd - a new four period time table is introduced. Last period in the week for House Meeting and "Home Room Period"
October
12th - a system of merits and demerits is introduced
20th - Caretaker and his assistant go on strike. School closes as temperature drops in classrooms
24th - sponsored swim
December
3rd - Prize day
6th - Christmas Fayre - 600 attended £169 profit.
7th - vandals break in. Damage done to main hall and science room.
.
1971
January
15/16 - school broken in to some vandalism indulged in.
February
5th - Dinner money collected in £ s. d. for the last time prior to decimilisation.
23rd - Mr. Lamb called for jury service.
March
- Mr Bannister appointed “Year Head” at President Kennedy. Deputy Year Heads: Mr. Lamb, Mr Barr and Mrs. J. L. Brand.
10th - C.S.E. English orals.
15th - performance of school play written by Mr. Combes.
April
2nd - Easter P.T.A. social.
13th - 20th - Mr and Mrs Jenkins take a party of 23 pupils to Belgium, Holland and Germany.
May.
21 - P.T.A present school with camping and archery equipment
June
14th - Seven 5th formers go on work experience in Torrington
30th - N.A.S. strike.
July
8th - 220 pupils and 7 staff visit the Royal Show.
September
New caretaker replaces Mr Warden who retires
8th - Lord Mayor joined morning assembly
14th - the P.T.A decides to disband as no similar body exists at Kennedy.
October
8th - Mr. Combes takes D1 to see "Love Story" as part of his personal relationship programme.
December
20th - A fifth former is expelled for truancy and bad behavior.
21st - four prefects excluded from school until the 10th January for bringing alcholic drink to the school and drinking it in front of younger pupils. "The parents of the boys were interviewed."
22nd - Mrs. Bachelor cook supervisor retired after 15 years
1972
February
17th, 24th and 28th power cuts due to miners' strike closes school
April
5th - 12th - 8 girls and 21 boys visit Belgium and Holland. Group lead by Mr Jenkins and his wife and the school secretary.
May
19th - D1 see "Family Life". Forms 5/D3 received talk on personel reletionships by a member of the Birmingham pregnancy services. "boys and girls received seperate lessons."
June
School present with a photo of "Copa" the guide dog bought and trained by the money the school had raised two and a half years earlier (see 7th Jan. 1970). A further £100 was contributed to the the Guide Dogs for the Blins Association, the final amount remaining in the school's charity fund. The school was assurred it would go towards buying another dog.
15th/16th - two intruders caught. Domestic Science classroom windows broken
20th - 5th year girls entertained the staff to a social evening providing all the refreshments themselves.
26th - city architects visit to check details of alterations necessary for reorganisation.
July
11th - transferal of stock betwixt president Kennedy and Copthorne
13th - “The final assembly was held during the morning and school dismissed at 12 noon...Copthorne ceased to function as a secondary modern school at 4.0 pm. The premises will continue to be used for the first year intake of the amalgamated school.”
The School Log is held in the Coventry City Archives now part of the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum complex. Tel. 024 7683 4060.
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