Marsh Baldon School during War Time 1939-1945

4 May 1939

Received Circular re Civil Defense and schools in war-time.  Wrote to Mr Stamp.

11 September 1939

School re-opened today instead of on 6th Sept owing to international situation, and to the fact that there are 15 children who have been

 evacuated from London, school 0237, who have to be included in some school in the district. These children have not yet been placed.

18 September 1939

Admitted evacuees and privately evacuated pupils.

29 January 1940

Very few pupils at school owing to weather – severe frost and snow, the worst weather since 1905. School abandoned by advice of

Managers & Education Committee.

9 February 1940

Visit of HMI Mr Toombs. Owing to coal shortage all classes were in the large room.

12 February 1940

Opened school with very few pupils and temperatures 32° in large room, 30° in Infant room. Notified Rev Stamp who communicated with Education Office and sent word to close school till coal came.

22 February 1940

10 Cwt Coal received.

12 March 1940

School closed this afternoon to allow teachers to attend a Conference on World Citizenship in Oxford.

10 May 1940

School closed for Whitsun Hols.

14 May 1940

School re-opened. Whitsun Holidays in all schools cancelled by Government owing to very grave international situation.

13 June 1940

School closed in afternoon by instruction of Education Committee as second London evacuation has begun.

17 June 1940

Admitted Rita Sharp and Edna Gardner from Bruce Grove School – Tottenham.

10 July 1940

Mr Rippington (Chief A R P Warden) visited the School on July 3rd, and advised as to what windows should be covered. This has been done.

July 1940

Admitted Brenda and Patricia Norton from Holy Trinity Infs School, Tottenham.

12 September 1940

Third Evacuation. School closed.

4 October 1940

Replied to MOH stating that I shall lend a room in School House for dental treatment as the desks are too heavy to move.

13 January 1941

No coal so school had to be closed.

14 January 1941

Still no coal in morning but 1 ton received later in the day. No school

15 January 1941

Very poor attendance. Heavy snowfall.

24 January 1941

Still very poor attendance. Epidemic spreading – Measles & Chickenpox.

2 August 1941

Wrote to MOH re Mrs Scaysbrook and sent notices re Brian & John who are suffering from Whooping Cough. Excluded Harold and Mary Hayden who are coughing.

3 August 1941

Sent Ronald, John and Frank Hayden home as Whooping Cough contacts. Notified MOH. Mrs Arnatt, Mrs Jefferies & Mrs Ann Jarvis

have kept their children at home and made personal complaints about the Hayden family being in school.

18 September 1941

Letter sent to parents in regard to children bringing gas masks to school.

8 July 1942

Visit of Miss Dunsford, physical training assistant organiser, who kept the children at drill from 1.40pm to 3.10 pm.

23 September 1942

Afternoon – school children gathered horse–chestnuts.

19 May 1943

Maurice Quelch arrived at 1.50pm with the excuse that he had been sent to get the kitten out of the sun. I have written to Mrs Quelch for an explanation.

 23 September 1943

School went hip-gathering from 1.45 – 2.45 pm.

24 September 1943

School closed for two weeks for potato-picking.

3 July 1944

The new headmistress G Mary Jones (later Tame) commenced duty at 8.50am this morning.

21 July 1944

School roll is 4 Official Evacuees & one Private Evacuee, with 44 Oxfordshire children

28 July 1944

The children have collected 1,011 books in the local book salvage drive.

19 December 1944

One of the RAF men stationed on the Green came to invite children to a party on Dec 23rd.

15 January 1945

School opened 10 mins late because headteacher had to lay & light fires owing to indisposition of the caretaker.

29 January 1945

Temperature of 32° F this morning at 10.0 in spite of fires lighted just after 7.30. Infant room also cold.

5 February 1945

School dinners started, brought from Garsington, Miss Clarke came, 17 children were fed.

20 February 1945

26 children for school dinners out of 44.

28 February 1945

Canon Higham the new Rector visited the school this morning. Graham Druce fell over Derek Waine in the playground at 1.10 & fractured his right humerus. Mrs Dandridge took him home after First Aid treatment.

27 March 1945

Collected £45.13s.6d this quarter for National Savings. Sent 49 eggs to the Radcliffe Infirmary.

3 May 1945

County architect sent a man to see drains etc & measure for scullery.

8 & 9 May 1945

School closed in celebration of the Victory in Europe.

13 June 1945

Had remainder of wire and paper removed from windows.