Chapter Six

Junior Mixed and Infants School  [1939 – 1966]

In 1939 Mr. S. W. Round was given the post of Head Master of the newly formed Junior and Mixed Infants School. On the first day of the newly combined school on 4^th September 1939 those children who attended were sent home. War had been declared and Mr. Round was to bear the responsibilities imposed by this, in addition to welding together the three departments.

All Stourbridge Schools were to remain closed until air-raid shelters were provided. The air-raid shelters were not completed until the 28^th September so, from 21^st September, the school opened with arrangements for all children to be dispersed to nearby houses in the event of an air raid. The children had many practices dispersing in small groups. The school could be emptied in four minutes. When the five air-raid shelters were finally completed, on the school playground, air-raid precautions practice was carried out every week.

During May 1940 the German invasion of Holland and Belgium caused the Bank Holiday to be cancelled. Gas masks were supplied to all children and fitted in school on 17^th May 1940. On 16^th September 1940 the school times were altered to 9:45am to 12:15pm – this change was necessitated because of night air raids when children lost their sleep.

The first daylight air-raids were documented on September 30^th 1940 when air raid warnings were sounded at 2:40pm, 3:00pm and again at 3:10pm and 3:30pm. Daylight raids became quite a regular occurrence and the school resumed its normal hours. The warning siren goes so frequently that children spend much of their school time in the shelters unnecessarily so the Headmaster decides that the children will stay in school. When the siren goes all children collect their outdoor clothes but resume lessons. The Head goes on ‘spotter’; if he hears bombs or AA guns the children are sent into the shelters. During February 1941 ‘Fire Watcher’ rota is organised by the teachers and in April 1941 the 47^th air raid warning is logged. The following month of May saw War Weapons Week when efforts to collect national Savings to help the war effort reached £1,045.0s.0d. During 1942 Blackout curtains were fitted to the windows – this took ten days as the school windows were so large and of irregular shape. War Weapons week 1942 saw the school exceed its target of £300 by actually collecting £519.11s.6d. Stourbridge Town’s target was £300,000 – amount collected was £314,000. April 1^st 1942 Gas respirators were overhauled and 220 children, wearing masks, went through the Gas Van to test their use. During the summer holidays of 1942 the school was kept open to help mothers on war work, but by August 14^th only ten children turned up so school was closed. By August 1943 there was a teacher shortage [many serving in armed forces] so one of the teachers was transferred to another school leaving four Junior Classes, three Infant Classes and 284 children on roll. During the Wings for Victory Campaign the School’s target of £600 was exceeded – the school collected £1,291.14s.0d. These campaigns were big efforts to collect National Savings and other contributions to help pay for the war against Germany. August 1942 saw the beginning of organised school dinners. 44 children stayed for the first time, cost 1s. 0d. The Infants cloakroom had been turned into a serving kitchen. During the following October the Head writes in the Log ‘170 children are having school lunch and the room is too crowded!’. War efforts continued through into 1944 when, in March, the school took part in a Book Salvage Campaign; over 3,000 books were collected. These books were re-cycled into pulp and paper made from them. Little wood pulp could be obtained for new paper, as the ships were needed to bring food to Britain. During War Savings week in April 1944 the school collected £1,247.1s.6d.

Finally on May 8^th 1945 we read the following entry in the Log Book: “On this day, called VE Day, a public holiday was declared to celebrate Victory in Europe, school closed for two days as each was a public holiday.” The Second World War was over but its effects, including rationing, would continue for some time.

The Log Book of 1945 gives many references to the children from the ‘Cottage Homes’ as truanting or for being late on several occasions.

In 1946 Miss F. Wheelwright resigned as Assistant Mistress, a position she held in the Infant Department for over 50 years [1894 – 1946]. This is an incredibly long serving record and one that may never be surpassed.

November 20^th 1947 sees the school closed for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip of Greece [now Duke of Edinborough]. On the 12^th October 1951 Festival trees were planted in the presence of the whole school [Festival of Britain 1951] and on May 22^nd 1953 the school was again closed, this time for the Coronation Holiday. The whole school proceeded to St. Mary’s Church for a short pre-Coronation Service. At 10:45 they returned to school ‘for presentation of cup, saucer and plate with suitable inscription’. The Stourbridge Town Council provided this souvenir. The School received two sliding front bookcases. Mr. Round, the Headmaster writes in the log ‘Coronation Day was June 2^nd. Very wet and very cold’.

A later reference to the heating arrangements in the Cruafurd Street buildings is made on 7^th January 1954- ‘The School Hall too cold for Assembly’.

The Queen again is mentioned during the Easter break of 1957. The Log reads: 23^rd April 1957 ‘ All children who wished assembled at school this afternoon at 2:45pm to be taken to the Park on the occasion of HM Queen Elizabeth II visiting Stourbridge. About 200 children came and had an excellent view of HM and Prince Philip’.

During 1950 the school changed from a Church of England [Aided] School to a Church of England [Controlled] School.

Also during the 1950’s the school begins to compete in the Stourbridge School’s Football League; electric light is installed in 1953 [94 years after it was built] and Miss Gladys Muriel Eveson resigns after 37 years service at the school during which time she had been a student teacher in the Girls’ Department 1910-1911, later she became the Headmistress of the Infants’ Department from 1920 to 1939 and then Assistant Mistress to Mr. Round in the combined school.

In 1959 Mr. Round, Headmaster resigned. The School is 99 years old. The post-war population boom and increases in number made the inadequacies of the building even more apparent.

On the 11^th January 1960 Mr. F. L. S. Griffin commenced his duties as Headmaster.

There is little known of the school activities between 1960 and 1964, as there are few entries in the School Log Book. Between 1964 and 1966 there is no record of events in the School Log Book.

However, in 1964, the School is featured in the Evening Mail ‘Garden in a school playground: Skipping ropes and footballs are strictly out when the 10 year olds boys and girls at Oldswinford Church of England Primary School, Stourbridge, go into their playground. Instead, the children rush to inspect the latest blooms to appear in the school garden, which they have laid out to tender themselves. The garden was the inspiration of the Headmaster Mr. L. Griffin, who said ‘The prime object is to encourage the children’s interest in both natural history and horticulture’.

The Junior children moved out of the Craufurd Street site in 1966, along with Headmaster Mr. Griffin, to a new purpose built building on the Field lane site. Oldswinford C.E. Junior School was born. The Infants remained in the Craufurd Street buildings and renamed Oldswinford County Infants School.