Secondary Education in Wotton-under-Edge
by Doreen Wren

Since its foundation in 1384 Katharine Lady Berkeley’s Grammar School had suffered a somewhat chequered history until the beginning of this century. In 1900 about forty pupils attended the school in its eighteenth century building in School Road, yet if we move forward to the end of the century the school roll had risen to 1300 pupils who filled the comparatively new building in Kingswood Road.

From the outset of the century change was on the way by virtue of the government legislation (1902) with the introduction of secondary education for pupils up to and beyond the age of sixteen. In order to include pupils from the working classes a scholarship system was introduced. By this time girls were also admitted to the grammar school However it was not really coeducational in the accepted sense today for every effort was made to keep the boys and the girls separate apart from formal lessons. Well, you would have expected separate cloakrooms and lavatories but there were separate playgrounds, staircase and even entrance to the school. What is more the girls route to Church Mill was via Church Street, whilst the boys had to travel via Ludgate Hill. You will not be at all surprised to read that the boys were forbidden to speak to the girls outside school unless they were related.

The curriculum was designed to provide a good general education i.e. English, Mathematics, Science, one foreign language, manual training and physical exercise. The chemistry laboratory (built 1894) was to remain the sole science facility until the 1950’s. As for the practical subjects, cookery was taught in Church Mill but woodwork had several homes before a workshop was built in the 1950’s. There was no provision for gymnastics, physical jerks or drill took place in the Playground. However provision was made for games - cricket, football and cross country for boys, hockey and tennis for the girls. In the early days these were played in Merlin Haven until Dursley RDC wanted the land for council houses in the 1920’s. In due course the school bought the cricket field in Symn Lane. Matches were played against Dursley, Thornbury, Chipping Sodbury and Tetbury with a varying degree of success. Matches were played between the three houses - School, Berkeley and Wellicome. The rivalry was even greater on Sports Day when they competed for the Cock House Cup. This was a great occasion on the sports field in Symn Lane when the spectators were swelled by the appearance of mums and dads as well as a fair sprinkling of governors.

Most of the pupils (from the age of eight) came from Wotton itself, Kingswood and North Nibley, some even from Dursley. It was 1921 before the grammar school was built there. No special provision was made for transport apart from the local bus service, though later pupils who lived more than three miles away and not on a bus route were provided with a bicycle. It has been recorded that one pupil rode his horse to school, it was stabled in Haw Street.

School fees seem ridiculous by modern standards - £11 in 1925 - even so this was beyond the pocket of many and children had to pass the scholarship exam if they were to pass to secondary education from the elementary school. The exam consisted of arithmetic, mental arithmetic, spelling and an essay. In Mr. Fiske’s time, between 1924 and 1952 former pupils can recall the oral examination they also had to endure.

It was under Mr. Fiske that the school made great progress, not only in size, but also achievements. Copies of school magazines and speech day programmes reveal successes in School Certificate, Higher School Certificate and Universities. Under his leadership there was an amazing list of extra curricular activities. There were reports in the school magazine of such clubs and societies as Le Cercle Francais, Scientific Society and Stamp Club. The magazines also reveal school visits to London, Plymouth and Avonmouth Docks. Two highlights in the school year - Speech Day and the Christmas entertainment on both occasions music and drama featured prominently. Speech Day was held in the Town Hall and there are many who can recall the boys carrying chairs there.

There is another view of KLBGS which can be found in the regular reports of HM inspectors. There was always a compliment regarding the appearance, manners and behaviour of the pupils. But there were always two adverse comments, firstly concerning the early leavers i.e. who did not stay to take the school certificate examination. The other criticism concerned the inadequacy of the school buildings (the first reference to this appeared in 1891) yet there were no responses to these criticisms until the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Throughout the first half of the century the County Education Committee began to exercise more and more control over the school, until it became designated as voluntary controlled. However the governors continued to exercise a certain amount of independence and more than once thwarted the Education Committee. The most notable victory concerned the outcome of the Hadow report (1926) which advocated free secondary education for all and the raising of the school leaving age to fifteen. This would obviously impose great financial strain and the Education Committee concluded that the population in this area did not justify the presence of two grammar schools in such close proximity i.e. Dursley and Wotton. Owing to its inadequate buildings KLBGS faced closure in the near future. Not only were the governors roused by this but also the local people who were so proud of their grammar school. There were 3,000 signatures on the petition sent to the Board of Education in 1929. As you realise nothing came of this threat owing to the Depression and cuts in education expenditure. Later the governors expressed reservation concerning the future of secondary education in the post war years when there was talk of a bilateral school for Wotton.

By the 1930’s school members had increased and so had the size of the staff which now included Miss Sharp (Deputy Head and History), Miss Parkhouse (Geography), Mr Duffield (French), Mr Gillion (Maths), Mr Logan (English). These stalwarts served the school for many a long year and to this day they are well remembered by their former pupils.

During 1939-1945 there was a great increase in the school roll due largely to the war as families sought to escape from the blitz in the cities and came to the area. Also for much the same reason there was an increase in the number of boarders. For a time (1940-43) there was another school in Wotton, the senior pupils from Harwich Grammar School were evacuated here. They only used the chemistry laboratory, school playing field and the canteen in Church Mill, otherwise they were accommodated in the Parish rooms, the school rooms for the Baptist Church and the Tabernacle.

As for KLB school, the buildings were used for various wartime activities, e.g. Home Guard, ATC and collection of salvage.

The 1944 Education Act, which made provision for free secondary education for all and the raising of the school leaving age to fifteen, was responsible for a period of great expansion in the history of KLBGS. In addition to these changes the catchment area was widened to the south of Wotton and as a result the school roll had risen to 300.

The first additions were Carlton House (rented from the GPO) and two American army huts in 1950. One hut was used for PE lessons -rather dangerous if you jumped too high! It was the new headmaster, Mr Hornsby who had to contend with most of the building changes. The hall was refurbished to become a gymnasium with a sprung floor, ropes and wallbars. The hall was still used for assembly but the desks had at long last disappeared. Additional classrooms were built to further the teaching of science i.e. biology and physics. In building the foundations for the demonstration room a graveyard was revealed. The major change concerning Church Mill was the construction of a kitchen, the ground floor became the canteen for school dinners, so replacing the kitchen on the top floor which the dinner ladies reached by climbing two flights of stone steps. At long last woodwork was given a permanent. home in a purpose built workshop on the Church Mill site. As the school continued to expand Mr Gulwell (caretaker) lost his cabbage patch when two classrooms were built there for Mathematics and History. But still there was no sign of the new school. Yet for all the failings regarding its buildings, a high level of examination success was attained.

Before we end the examination of the buildings there must be included the near disaster; who can remember the fire in Church Mill? At one time there was a third storey, used by the ATC which housed part of a fuselage. The fire began by accident and the pupils enjoyed the thrill of throwing books out of the window. But did Mr Hornsby really bemoan the prompt arrival of the fire engine? In consequence of the fire the roof was lowered, only for a gale to blow it off!

In Mr Hornsby’s time as Headmaster there was a change to the school uniform, a change not welcomed by some of the older pupils, when the badge on the blazer was changed. The changes concerning caps and ties were easily accepted maroon caps instead of navy and maroon, ties also changed by the addition of gold to navy and maroon.

In the post war years there appeared two more functions on the calendar - the carol service in St. Mary’s attended by the whole school and parents, also the sixth form party when they entertained the fifth year and staff. Until the new school was built, Speech Day was held in the Tabernacle, refreshments were prepared in the domestic science lessons and served in the schoolroom for parents and governors. Talking of parties and food there was, of course, the first form party organised by Mr Logan after a long rehearsal for the games to be played, when the pupils were reminded "You will enjoy yourselves."

The other major change in the post war years also arose out of the Education Act which provided free secondary education for all. In 1950 the County Secondary school was established under the headship of Mr Leach. Initially only a canteen and four classrooms were built off Symn Lane. This was insufficient for the 160 pupils who had to attend lessons in the Baptist schoolroom, the Town Hall and Bear Street School. Within two years extra classrooms were built to coincide with the appointment of Miss Higgs as headmistress.

Provision was made for the teaching of commercial subjects as well as practical subjects. initially the able pupils took the O’level examination and once it was introduced most pupils took the CSE examination in a wide range of subjects.

The high spot of the school year was the drama production in the Town Hall. This was a combined effort by staff and pupils to produce the costumes, scenery, props and refreshments as well as acting and singing on the stage in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. indeed it was through the efforts of the County Secondary school that Wotton can boast a swimming pool - admittedly open air in its early days.

At last the Grammar School surrendered its hotch potch of buildings in the town and moved to its new site on the Kingswood Road in 1963. Now the County Secondary school were able to use some of the facilities for the teaching of gym, cookery. science and metalwork. In due course they also made use of the playing fields in Svmn Lane. thus ending the daily journey to the playing field in Wickwar.

There was just one further delay before the new school opened in January 1963, snow! Since there could be no guarantee of supplies of solid fuel for the heating system, the Christmas holiday was extended by one week (This had to be made up at the end of summer term!). At last the school was full of pupils. A brand new building, clean and spacious, new desks and new equipment all under one roof but the initial reaction of many of the older pupils was not favourable. They liked the old buildings with their history, friendliness, character and even discomfort, now it was such a long way to walk and there were no shops!

Imagine the drama hail in 1963 - the time 9am.- with all the pupils and staff in attendance. Later in the day there was a change of scene when the hail was converted into a dining room for pupils and staff. On the stage a table was set for the Headmaster, member of staff on duty and quite often two sixth formers. The food was cooked in the kitchen adjoining the hail (now an Art room) - meat and two veg. and a pudding, i.e. no choice.

Yet the hail was not large enough to house a seated audience of the whole school and parents. On such occasions as the official opening of the school or the carol service or speech day, once again the number of pupils in attendance was limited. Still other traditions remained, such as a performance by the school orchestra and senior choir as well as refreshments for the guests (served this time in the library, now the staff room).

The larger school roll was reflected in the number of pupils in the VI form. Now there was a steady stream of successful A level students seeking further education in the Polytechnics and Universities. Under the guidance of the English department, visits were arranged to the theatre and the science and geography departments organised field work in the locality. Some pupils even ventured further afield on the holidays arranged by the staff to parts of Britain and even Europe. Another innovation saw the increase in house competitions, now in addition to Sports Day and team matches, there were drama and spoken English competitions.

But soon comprehensive education became the main talking point in the staff rooms and the two schools embarked on a closer co-operation pending the establishment of K.L.B.S. Building of the extensions to the existing school began in 1972 and although these were not completed until 1975 the comprehensive school (K.L.B.S.) opened its doors to 840 pupils in September 1973. There was a nucleus of members of staff from both schools experienced in the ways of the locality and its children. Generally speaking the grammar school teachers became the heads of subject departments, whilst the senior county secondary staff took on the pastoral duties.

There is a similar story on the sports field. As before there are pupils who achieved county standard in several sports. In recent years the most notable achievements have involved the boys in hockey teams, with some even winning international honours. Parents and friends have been able to enjoy, first hand, the high standard and virtuosity shown by pupils from the departments for arts and crafts, music and drama.

There has still been need for further buildings brought about by the ever increasing numbers (1300 at the last count and expected to go even higher). This also brought about change in the administration where the house system has given way to year groups responsible for pastoral care. The house system has been further modified by the addition of a fourth house (Berkeley) for the crucial competitions on the sports field.

By the late 80’s developments were being hampered by the swingeing cuts in education by the central and local government. In consequence the decision was taken to become grant maintained in 1992. Thus the governors and the school regained something of their independence, which had been undermined earlier in the century by increasing LEA control. The school now had control of its budget over all aspects of school life, Throughout the century the governors had given ever increasing financial support, whether for new innovations, seeking further education and training, support for the library and various social functions. Even this status has been changed yet again and the school has become a foundation school and assumed the status of voluntary aided in September 1999.

There have been other changes recently. In this day and age of technology the curriculum reflects this advance with the introduction of Information Technology and the increasing use of computers. Far and away the most noteworthy change concerns the creation of the Language College, which now offers the teaching of seven languages. Thus, in the last decade K.L.B.S. has sought to prepare its pupils with new skills to meet the demands of the twenty-first century.

Former pupils may wonder what there is left of the Grammar School of 1900 (the eighteenth century school building has been converted into flats and the chemistry laboratory is derelict). At the present site, if you look hard, you can find the board naming the headmasters, the war memorial board and the old school bell. On official documents, prizes and notepaper the personal seal of Katharine Lady Berkeley is still used. The seal shows St. John holding the lamb with the Latin inscription SIGILLA DOMUS SCOLARI DE WOTTON SUB EGGE (The seal of the school house of Wotton-under-Edge). The school motto remains unchanged NON PALMA SINE PULVERE (No reward without effort).

The ethos of the school is basically the same and thus success is ensured.

Believe it or not 2000AD does not mark the end of changes. There are plans for yet more buildings and the extension of sports facilities with a view to accommodate a school for 1500 pupils.

The copyright ownership for this extract from the Wotton-under-Edge Millennium Book resides with the author - Doreen Wren.  All rights reserved. No part of this extract may be reproduced in any form, except for the purposes of review, without prior written permission from the copyright owner.