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C
of E School, story and pictures from 1880 onwards
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In the former peaceful little village of
Willenhall, the inhabitants would worship on Sundays in the
small building that served for a school on weekdays. The land
for the school had been given in 1882 by the Earl of Craven, and
in 1884 the school was opened. The first teacher in charge was
certain Eliza Clay, who had 20 children under her care. The
school was used as a church until the l920,s. when St. James'
Church was built.
In 1892 Miss Amelia Ball became
School Mistress, with the attendance of 25 children
1896 the Willenhall School
Mistress, changed to a Miss Bertha Gosling, with the attendance
of 34 children
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The Parish Council also held their meetings at
the school;
Willenhall Parish Council Minutes [SCA/22/1/1 Coventry Archives]
Minutes of the meeting of the Parish of Willenhall held within
the schoolroom
Willenhall on Monday the 30th day of
March 1916 at 6 o’clock PM
Present,
Petra Burgess, ER Marsden
Simon Gibbs, Robert Watts
Arthur Roberts, and AJ Swaine
The minutes of the
last meeting were read, approved and signed.
On the motion of Mr Watts, seconded by Mr Marsden, Mr Burgess
was appointed Chairman of the Parish meeting and Clerk of the
Parish for the ensuring year.
On the motion
of Mr Marsden Seconded by Mr Swaine, Mr H Coleman of Upper Farm,
Willenhall, was appointed, one of the Overseers of the Parish
for the ensuring year, and on the motion, being put was agreed
to. Mr Gibbs moved and Mr Arthur Roberts Seconded the
appointment of Mr Alfred Roberts, Seconded the appointment of Mr
Alfred Worster, Manor Farm Willenhall, as the other Overseer for
the ensuring year, and the motion was carried unanimously.
The meeting
then look up Consideration of the steps to be taken in the event
of damage being caused to persons or property in the Parish by
enemy aircraft. It was the unanimous feeling of the meeting that
everyone would assist in rescuing any persons hurt or confined
in damaged houses, and in extinguishing fire in the event of any
houses being set on fire.
Mr Roberts
agreed to summon a doctor and ambulance in case of these being
required; and in the event of his being from home he undertook
to get Mr Ward or someone else to act for him. Mr Gibbs
undertook to call a Fire Bridge from Coventry in case of Fire,
and in the event of his being away Mr Marsden undertook to act
as his substitute.
The Chairman
mentioned that he hoped to provide a few first Aid necessaries,
and that some of his daughters who are trained nurses would be
glad to attend to any cases of injury to persons in the village
should any of them happen to be at home. He also mentioned that
he had communicated with Mr Drakeley the Superintendent of
County Police and read a letter from him in which he recommended
that this Parish should, if possible, act in the matter in
conjunction with the Committee for Binley or Saint Michael’s
Without, and the Chairman undertook to ascertain the mind of the
St Michael’s Committee on the matter and to make arrangements to
act with them if they agreed to the proposal.
He also
undertook to ascertain whether the Schoolroom may be used,
temporarily for injured persons until they can be removed to
hospital.
[Signed] P.
Burgess Chairman
[This document is
copyright of Coventry Archives]
The Parish
Council was lost in 1932 when Coventry City Council took over
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| Boys and girls worn smocks
whilst at school during the c1900 |
| The group hold a copy of
the Willenhall
School Attendance Records from 1904 to 1952: with over 1172
entries; each person can be checked for date of birth, father,
where they lived, when they attended and left, and why they left |
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Click here to see a video clip describing the
school records [wmv]
[This will open your
default video viewer] |
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Note the Brickworks chimney in the back ground |
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Just over the hedge can be seen the roof of
the brickworks buildings |
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Close up of the class of 1920 |
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A written reminiscence by Mrs. C. Elliott (nee Allsop)
I was seven and a half
years old when I came to Willenhall. The first thing 1 remember
was the school; Willenhall C of E. It was used as a church on
Sundays. There was a screen which was pulled back and then there
was an altar, also a stained glass window on the far end. I
often wondered what happened to this when the school building
was demolished. |
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In 1942 new classrooms were added to the
school and in 1947 Planning permission was gained for a Kitchen
& dining room at the Willenhall C of E School |
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SCHOOL THAT
IS UNDAUNTED BY AN OUTDATED BUILDING
[The Coventry Standard 3rd February
1961] |
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Click here to see a video clip
describing the old school [wmv]
[This will open your
default video viewer] |
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The Stained glass
windows dating back to the old church days in this classroom in
the reception class at Willenhall C. of E. School |
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When Mrs. M. C Summerfield became head teacher in
1925. She insisted upon alterations being undertaken before she
took over, Bay windows were put in, the kitchen modernized to
some extent and in general, the living accommodation became
quite comfortable. Downstairs, screens were fitted, and the
one-roomed school could accommodate two separate classes. Later
two classrooms were added in a hut over the playground, and
toady Willenhall Church of England School accommodates about 120
children.
The living accommodation is now used as staff room and for
storing stock, but despite these alterations, it is impossible
to forget that these premises were built for 20 children and one
teacher. Downstairs the infants played happily in their divided
room. |
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| Note the
old tape recorders! No high Tec in those days
Music Lesson, played back from a
tape recorder as the children at Willenhall C. of E. School
follow the score in their text books |
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Next door, the older infants were also engrossed
in diverse activities. Theirs is a classroom of strange
contrasts. Two of the latest experimental heating appliances
stood inconspicuously in the room, while overhead hung a
cumbersome contraption probably used for the first time when the
school was new – a gas heater, which looked rather like a metal
bath with enormous spindle arms. At times when the experimental
heaters do not work, the gas one warms up the room extremely
well.
Mr. T. Jennings, the Headmaster, said that
besides the problem of cramped accommodation, there was another
difficulty; There being only two classrooms for the juniors,
children had to go into the same class for two years, therefore
the teachers had to cope with a tremendous range of intelligence
and attainment. This system appeared to be working extremely
well however, due to the under standing and work of the teachers
concerned. |
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Activity and group work is
restricted because there is not sufficient space for large
models and free movement. How ever in the first junior classroom
stands a fine model of Grimsby Docks, which the children made
from scrap materials, matchboxes and plasticine. Bookshelves in
the room and a Wendy House in the infant’s room have been made
and presented to the school by a parent. |
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There
is a close contact in the school with the church of St. John the
Divine. The Vicar, the Rev R.G. Stanton, visits once a week to
take assembly and to give religious instruction to the top
juniors. At least four times a year the pupils go to the church
for special services, which they all enjoy.
Attractive basketwork is made by the juniors
under the guidance of the headmaster, who also takes football in
the adjoining field, which a former headmaster rescued from
brambles and rubbish some years ago.
In every classroom hyacinths bloom
and the fresh green shoots of crocus and snowdrops show up
strongly in the out-dated building with the lively outlook in
Willenhall.
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| Willenhall Church of
England School HORSA hut being the only instance of HORSA
classrooms being erected for Voluntary Schools on Education
Committee land in the Coventry area, this hut is believed to
have been one of the gunnery huts from the emplacement at Canley |
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Click here to see a video clip describing
activities [wmv]
[This will open your
default video viewer] |
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Click here to see a video clip describing the
buildings [wmv]
[This will open your
default video viewer] |
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| Clent Hills Trip of 1952 |
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| Can you
name any of the above???? |
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| School Play of 1953 |
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| Teachers of 1958 |
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As you can
see we have a large gap from 1960 to 1972, can you help to fill
this with any photographs you have?
PLEASE get in touch if you
can help |
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1964, Work started on the
present School of St James the Divine , work finished in 1968 |
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Front Row 1 ?, ; 2 Joy Stanton |
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| Front row 1, ?; 2 Joy Stanton |
| Work started on the present School of St
James the Divine , finished in 1968 |
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| In 1986 the school suffered
from an Arson attack on Willenhall church of England school in
Stretton Ave |
| 1993; Willenhall Church of
England Primary School renamed;
'St John the Divine Primary School' |
| Due to the modern laws
regarding photographs and children, regrettably we have nothing
to show you here |
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| School entrance from St
James Lane |
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| Above is one of the eight
Willenhall Heritage Plaques, this one relating to the school |
| 2005; Once again the name
of the school was changed [without asking the parents or pupils]
it's now known as 'STRETTON' |
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PICTURES INDEX |