| Rawreth School - A
time capsule |
| I have titled this 'a time
capsule' as that is exactly what it was during my nine years as the secretary.
The changes in education and its peripherals have drastically altered the
school I knew. |
| The school had celebrated
its centenary two years before I started there. Echoes of the school of a
century before still lingered. The original school bell had been unearthed and
restored by SEEVIC and hung in the entrance hall. The original school building,
housing the hall and lower junior class, was intact. Extensions had been built
to house the infant class, staff room, toilets and entrance area (which
encompassed a tiny kitchen section) and staff cloakroom. The upper junior class
occupied a demountable that had seen better days. |
| Where did I
work? You may well ask. The small staff room was also the office, medical room
and anything else that was needed. One of the outstanding features of this room
was the wall safe. It had no key and contained nothing other than the kettle.
Well, it had to go somewhere. |
| When I was interviewed for
the position there were four other candidates, all of whom were more qualified
than me. During the interview Mrs Rosslyn, the head teacher, asked me if I
could do shorthand. I replied "no, but I can write very quickly" this,
apparently, got me the job. She later told me that anyone who could say such a
daft thing would fit in. I should have realised then just how different this
school was to the norm. |
| I went to the school each
day during the week previous to my starting day. This was, hopefully, to learn
what to do. Unfortunately Beryl, the current secretary. broke her wrist before
the week was up so I was thrown in the deep end. Horrors - it was Friday -
DINNER MONEY DAY. I survived this and never worried about the work again. |
| There were 48
children, infant and junior, in the entire school. All of them came from the
Rawreth catchment area. Rawreth was a virtual enclave surrounded by Rayleigh
and Wickford. The families that made up the school had, for the most part,
lived in Rawreth for generations. Many of the parents and grandparents of the
pupils had also attended Rawreth School. Their names were in the admission
book, which dated from the 30s. The school was one of the hubs of the area.
There were a no shops or police station or doctor's surgery just the church and
the school. Many parents treated it as a meeting place. All of the staff, head,
infant teacher and 2 part time junior teachers, secretary and welfare
assistant, knew the children and their families very well. |
| The school log books. from
the very opening of Rawreth C of E School, were kept in the filing cabinet of
the office. During my nine years at school I was to read every page. They were
history come to life. Records of how many children became ill during a measles
epidemic, how many stayed away during haymaking, how various teachers fared. I
shall never know why one early mistress was dismissed after only two days. How
I should love to know. Wartime measures were recorded, stringent methods used
to teach the pupils early in the twentieth century, how privileged I was to
read these books. They are housed in the Essex record Office now, as they are a
textbook on the past. |
| Eight children joined the
infants that autumn term of 1974. This was a record number for just one term
and the Education Office phoned me to check that I had the numbers correct.
They were as quins had joined, five sisters from the area. However a couple of
weeks later we discovered that one little boy was only 3 and not the rising 5
we had thought. We asked for birth certificates after this episode. |
| The maintenance department
of the local education office hardly knew of our existence. When I started to
request that a job be done I was met with "where???" as almost everything had
been taken care of by the previous caretaker or a parent. There was very little
equipment in the office - no photocopier or electric typewriter just an old
spirit duplicator and manual typewriter. The latter was OK, I couldn't type
very quickly, but the former was to cause me grief throughout the years. As the
head was fairly new to the position she was allowed to make a few alterations.
The staff room/office was decorated- the authorities bought the materials,
Norma (welfare) and I stripped the walls and husbands put new paper up. |
| Over the years I took part
in varied school activities; during my first year a May fair was arranged.
"Let's have a Punch and Judy" someone suggested. What a good idea! Someone
built the cubicle, it, I wrote the play, Norma was Judy and I was Punch. As we
were doing this, funny voices included, I heard one dear little soul say "that
sounds just like Mrs Watling in there" I was paid to work eleven hours a week,
two & a half-hours each day and one shorter day. This always stretched to
about three hours every morning with evening events for love -which it was. (I
loved this position so much I would have worked for nothing) My hours were cut
to 10 per week, so I chose to work on only four mornings. |
| Mrs. Rosslyn
left in 1976 and we had a County unattached head for the autumn term. I was
about to start a very happy era. Joan Rowland became the new head teacher and,
over the next year, she appointed new infant and junior teachers. Every member
of staff, teaching or ancillary, became a more valued member of the school.
Alterations took place but only for the good of the children. I know that
everyone was as happy as I was. |
| There is no way that I can
relate everything that happened at Rawreth. Events involving children parents
and staff took place; sports events, concerts, cheese and wine parties. As at
least 95% of families were involved these were a lucrative way of boosting
funds and very enjoyable. Over the years children from other catchment areas
had joined the school but the numbers never rose above 64. |
| At the end of the spring
term 1983 Joan moved to a bigger school. I was sad to see her go but Mary, Pat
and Ann remained. We all met with Joan regularly and, as Mary was appointed
acting head for one term, life was still very happy. Mary applied for the
vacant post. For some obscure reason Mary Brady was not appointed. The new head
started in September 1983. Rawreth School was never to be the same again. I
gave my notice in two weeks after the term began and left at Christmas of that
year. |
| IT WAS TIME TO BURY THE
TIME CAPSULE. |
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