WATERFORD CHURCH OF ENGLAND (MIXED) SCHOOL, 1908

Geoff Cordingley

Waterford School behind the War Memorial
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies
  • January, 1908
7thRe-opened school. Attendance small owing to Measles & cold weather.

The new teacher Miss Ethel Burgess commenced her duties in the afternoon.

17thAttendance much reduced owing to illness of several children.
The afternoon Session commenced at 1.10 instead of 2 o’clock, because of a Concert being held in the evening.At the Concert the County Council Prizes, Certificates &c. were presented to the children by Miss Margaret Abel Smith in the place of the Hon. Mrs. R.A. Smith who was unable to be present.
23rdAs the weather was damp & foggy the children played games in the school-room during the time set apart for recreation instead of playing in the play–ground.

 

List of Winners of Watches, Medals,

Prizes. & Certificates for Yead ending Nov. 30th/07.
================================================

Watches.
1. Mabel Jennings.            Fifth Year’s Perfect Attendance
2. Dorothy Bygrave .            “        “             “               “

Book Prizes.

===========
1. Daisey Edwards.          Second  “           “               “
2. Winifred Ashwood.     First        “           “               “
3. Mabel Jennings.           Fifth       “           “                “
4. Dora Farnham.            Fourth    “           “                “
5. Ivy Bush.                        Fourth   “           “                “
6. Dorothy Bygrave.       Fifth         “           “                “
7. Bertie Potterill.            Fourth     “           “                “
8. Elizabeth Bygrave.     Third         “           “                “
9. William Clapham.        First        “            “                “
10. Aubrey Farnham.     Third       “            “                “
11. Reginald Edwards.   Second    “            “                “
12. Winifred Bygrave.    Second    “            “                “

Certificates.
===========
1. George Potterill.
2. Robert Hart.

Medals.
=======
1. Ivy Bush.
2. Dora Farnham
. 3. Bertie Potterill.
4. Daisy Edwards.
5. Elizabeth Bygrave.
6. Aubrey Farnham.
7. Reginald Edwards.
=====================================================================

February, 1908

21stThe afternoon Session began at 1.15 instead of 2 p.m. because of the school-room being required for a Concert in the evening.
26thThe Rev. H.C. Orpwood visited in the morning. A Managers’ Meeting was held in the school-room at 4.30.

March, 1908

3rdA visit was paid in the afternoon from 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. by H.M.I. E.N. Wix, Esq.

April, 1908

3rdAt the request of the elder boys who wished to take part in a Cricket Match school was commenced in the afternoon at 1.30 instead of 2 p.m.
9thHis Majesty’s Inspector, E.N. Wix Esq. visited the school from 9 a.m. to 11.10 a.m.
16thSchool closed after the Morning Session for the Easter Holidays.
28thRe-opened School. The Rev. H.C. Orpwood visited. Admitted a new scholar.
A girl of Standard VI has left school for a few weeks because the family have gone to reside in London, & a boy who is fourteen years of age has left to go to work on a farm.
30thA very wet day, but only one child absent.

Copy of Report made by H.M.I. E.N. Wix, Esq.
after visits of 3rd March & 9th April.

Mixed and Infant School.
“The discipline is excellent, the teaching is sound, careful and effective, and the general efficiency of the upper school is very satisfactory.:
Reading, Recitation, Sewing and Singing are praiseworthy, the written work, though rather uneven in quality, is decidedly good (especially the Composition of the 1st Class), and the oral subjects are creditable, Geography being good and History very fair.
There has been a falling off in the order and instruction of the infants, the children are naturally bright and lively, but the present teacher has little idea of right methods or of class teaching and does not keep the different sections of the class fully employed.”

Premises &c.
“Some good wall pictures should be provided. The seats of the girls’ offices need painting, and on a wet day the boys’ closets admit the rain, as there is no door. The plaster at one corner of the building and by the entrance door needs repair, the dustbin is too full, and it would be advantageous to pave the path to the boys’ offices and to remove some of the small trees which help to make this path very damp and muddy.
The fire-guard in the classroom should go right round the stove.”

Staff. M. Ryle. Certified Teacher of the 1st Class.
Monitress. Ethel Burgess.
H.C. Orpwood
Correspondent.

May, 1908

4thThe Hon. Mrs. R.A. Smith visited in the morning, and for a little while listened to the teaching given by the Monitress to the Infants’ Class.

The Rev. A.R. Buckland, Diocesan Inspector, visited in the afternoon and examined the children.

The Rev. R Coad-Pryor and the Rev. H.C. Orpwood also visited.

22ndAs Empire Day falls on Sunday next, it was celebrated to-day.  The morning was given up to lessons on the British empire, and a half holiday was given in the afternoon.

No children absent during the last week.

25th                        Copy of Report of Religious Instruction.

No. present.     34.

This continues to be a very bright & happy school with Religious Instruction capably given & in a manner attractive to the children.

I was pleased with their answering in both Old & New Testament.  Church Catechism was nicely explained & repeated & all readily found “their” places in their Prayer Books.

The younger children in the class room made a creditable return for the painstaking teaching they had received.

‘                                                 Div. I.                           Div. II.

Old Testament.     )

New Testament     )

Catechism                )               V. G.                                 G.

Prayer Book.            )

Repetition of

Scripture.                      )

Hymns Collects &c.    )            V. G.                                 V. G.

Catechism                     )

Abstracts &c.                              G.

(Signed) Arthur R. Buckland.

Diocesan Inspect.

28thAscension Day. A half-holiday given in the afternoon.

June, 1908

1stThe Rev. H.C. Orpwood visited.

A half-holiday was given in the afternoon by the Managers because of the good Reports received.

8th

9th

 

Whitsuntide Holidays.

Scheme for Instruction during the Year

ending May 31st/09:

====================================================================

Subjects                       Lower Division                    |           Upper Division

====================================================================

Arithmetic         Scheme B.                                       | Scheme B

‘                                                                                        |

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Reading             Two books  (General Reading) |  One book  (General reading)

‘                           Selections from Historical           |  Two or more books

‘                           Readers.                                            |  (continuous reading.)

‘                           One or more books.                     | Selections from Historical

‘                           (continuous reading)                    | & Geographical Readers

‘                                                                                         |

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Recitation.        St. I.                                                     |Pieces bearing on the History

‘                                                                                         |lesson.

‘                           The Robins & their nest.                | Landing of the Pilgrim

‘                            “The Toad’s Good-bye.”                | Fathers.

‘                            Somebody’s Mother.                     | The Battle of Blanheim.

‘                                                                                          |

‘                            St. II. III.                                              |

‘                            Fidelity.  (Wordsworth)                 |(2.)  On the Geog: lessons.

‘                            The Wreck of the                             |  Selection from the

‘                            Hesperus. (Longfellow.)                |  “Lady of the Lake.”

‘                                                                                          |

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Writing Copy Books.  Transcription.                      | Copy Books.

Transcription

‘             &

Composition   Abstracts of reading &                   | of lessons in History,

‘                             oral lessons.  Dictation.                | Dictation.  Abstract of

‘                             Description of places                     | oral & reading lessons.

‘                             in neighbourhood,                         | Description of plants

‘                             of local objects, of                           | birds & other local

‘                              work done at home                       | objects.

‘                              & in the garden.                               | Other subjects for

‘                              Describing from memory             | composition:-

‘                              a picture (the subject of)              | Elementary Hygiene

‘                                                                                            |  Local industrial occupations.

‘                                                                                            |  Description of neighbour-

‘                                                                                            |  hood.

—————————————————————————————————————————————

History                Twelve chief events.                       | The Tudor Period.

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Geography         Knowledge of the                           | The British Isles.

‘                               neighbourhood, & of                   |

‘                               this country.                                    |

‘                               Some knowledge of                      |

‘                               England & Wales.                           |
Elementary         Thirty Lessons.                               |

Science                 (Separate List.)                                |

&c.                                                                                       |

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Needlework        St. I. II.  Hemming,                         |St. IV – VII.  Specimens show-

‘                               sewing, felling   .                              | ing gathering, setting-in,

‘                               Folding & tacking hems               | run and fell seam; run &

‘                               & seams.                                            | back stitching; darning.

‘                               Making garments.                          | on canvas & stocking-web;

‘                               Knitting plain & purl                      | Patching in calico and  ‘                               flannel.

‘                               St. III.  Specimens show-              | Gusset making.

‘                               ing pleating, sewing                       | Button-holing & sewing

‘                               on tape strings & loops,               | on button.

‘                               Herring-boning on                          | Knitting heel of stocking.

‘                               flannel.                                                | Cutting out one garment.

‘                               Knitting on four needles.              | Making garments.

‘                               Cutting out in paper,                      |

‘                               pattern of pinafore.                         |

‘                               Making garments.                             |

—————————————————————————————————————————————-

Map-                      Sketch map of England                   | Maps illustrating Geog:

Drawing.               & Wales.                                                | lessons.

================================================================================

List Lessons, chosen in Nature Study

Hygiene &c.

1.  Spices.

2.  Starch.

3.  A chestnut tree.

4.  Weeds.

5.  A plant.

6.  Leaves.

7.  Work of leaves.

8.  Arrangement of leaves on stalk.

9.  How plants defend themselves.

10.  How plants store food.

11.  Underground vegetables.

12.  seeds.

13.  How seeds travel.

14.  Gold.

15.  Shells.

16.  Oranges.

17.  Coffee.

18.  Birds.

19.  Arrangement of flowers on stem.

20.  Buds.

21.  Materials used for clothing.

22.  On health.

23.  Nine ways in which health may be impaired.

24.  The importance of fresh air & of good cooking.

25.  The cleanliness of the home.

26.  The importance of personal cleanliness.

27.  The best things to drink.

28.  Vegetable foods.

29.

30


June, 1908

16thA half-holiday was given in the afternoon on the occasion of the marriage of Miss Isabel M. Smith.

July, 1908

17thThe attendance was good all the week, with the exception of one child who is at the Herts. Convalescent Home, St. Leonard’s.

The Rev. H.C. Orpwood visited.

20thMiss Ethel Burgess has leave of absence for a fortnight to attend the Holiday Course for Teachers at Hockerill College1.

The Rev. H.C. Orpwood visited.

29thA half-holiday was given in the afternoon – the children had their Annual School-treat at Goldings.
31stSchool closed in the afternoon for the Harvest Holidays

August, 1908

September, 1908

8thRe-opened school.  Thirty-eight children were present, and two absent, one of whom is in Hertford Infirmary, and the other has not returned from her holiday.

During the holidays, the offices were thoroughly cleaned and painted, and the walls of the school-room & class-room swept.

14thThe Rev. H.C. Orpwood visited.

The Hon. Mrs. Reginald A. Smith and Miss Iris Smith visited.  Mrs. Smith listened to the reading of Class II. for a little time.  She kindly gave some views on cards of Scotland.

17thJ. Marsh, Esq. Sub-Inspector (H.M.I.) visited in the afternoon from 2 to 4 o’clock.
18thA holiday was given because the Hon. Mrs. Reginald Smith took all the Waterford Members of the Mothers’ union to the Franco-British Exhibition.

October, 1908

November, 1908

16thDr. Dunn, Medical Officer of Health visited from 11.40 to 1.10, and examined two infants & six older scholars.
18thThe Hon. Mrs. R.A. Smith visited in the afternoon, & heard the Infants sing two songs.  She said she thought the first one was exceedingly well sung, because she could hear every word.
23rdTwo children absent through illness and a boy away in order to attend the Hertford County Hospital to get eye-glasses.
27thThe Rev. R Coad-Pryor visited.

A Managers’ Meeting was held at 4.10 p.m.

December, 1908

11thThe afternoon Session commenced at 1 o’clock as there was time required to prepare the school-room for a Concert to be held in the evening. The Rev. R. Coad-Pryor visited.
22ndSchool closed in the afternoon for the Christmas Holidays
23rdThe Hon. Mrs. R.A. Smith entertained all the children at a Christmas Tree, and the prizes for regular attendance during the year ending May 31st/08, were presented by her to those children who had won them.  The Mothers of the children were present, also the Rev. Edwin Ponsonby, Mr. Reginald & Mr. Lionel Smith, Miss Margaret & Miss Iris Smith & many others.

Prize list for Attendances.

Names of children who had perfect attendance and received prizes.

1.  Winifred Ashwood.

2.  Dora Farnham.

3.  Dorothy Bygrave.

4.  Elizabeth Bygrave.

5.  Winifred Bygrave.

6.  Bertie Potterill.

7.  Elsie Farnham.

8.  William Clapham.

9.  Aubrey Farnham.

Children who have only missed 10 times.

Elsie Wells.   (missed 2).

Evelyn Sharpe    “      5  .

Harry Wells        “     10  .

John Nash.          “     10  .

George French missed 13 times when his sister had measles.

Ivy Bush missed 20 times when in the Hertford County Hospital.  She had previously attended perfectly during the year.

Notes:

  1.  Hockerill Teacher Training College was opened in 1852 and closed in the 1970s.  The site is now occupied by Hockerill Anglo-European College.
This page was added on 12/10/2017.

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