The
Early History of
St. Giles School
Horsted Keynes
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1916. Mr. Brewer left to join the Army in April and the
duties of Head Teacher taken over by Mrs. Norman. In June the children collected
foxglove leaves.
On 15th Nov. the children were taken on a paper chase and
met the foxhounds.
1917· Mrs. Norman left and was replaced by Mrs. Dale after
the summer holiday.
1918. 6 Aug. "A sack of waste paper for re-manufacture was
sent to Hastings".
27 Sept. "This week the children have collected
blackberries for the Government; 236 lbs of blackberries were gathered and sent
to Portslade for manufacture into jam".
5th Oct. "A sack of horse chestnuts gathered by the
children was sent to the Director of the Ministry of Munitions ". Fortified by
the jam and armed with the conkers the Allied Armies swept forward to victory
but the school was closed at the time of the Armistice because of "infectious
illness".
1919. Mrs. Dale left the school at the end of March and
Mr. Brewer returned from military service and took up his duties once more.
On the 28th April the roads were white with snow. There
had been much illness during the early months of the year. The girls started to
attend Cookery Classes at the Haywards Heath Centre each Monday. On June 27th
Mr. Brewer took a geography lesson at the Broadhurst Lake Quarry. During
handwork lessons the older boys trimmed the hedge of the school playground.
July 19th was declared "Peace Day'!. The programme
included Sports, a cricket match, children's teas, a fancy dress procession, a
dinner for returned soldiers, a social and concert and a bonfire.
1920. By 1920 the roll had risen to 120. The new Rector
The Revd. Stenton Eardley arrived on the scene and on 23 Jan. gave a magic
lantern entertainment during the last lesson.
1921 (122 on roll). The three classes were large, the
school being divided up as follows:-
Stds 1V - V11 Headmaster 52 in class.
Stds 1 - 111 Miss Mann ll-J in class.
Infants Miss Clark 27 in class.
16 Dec. Children left to go abroad; a family of three
children to Johannesburg, two children to Canada and one boy to Pretoria.
1922. A boy "passed the Qualifying Examination for
training as a candidate Pupil Teacher and will attend the Brighton Hove & Sussex
Grammar School".
1923. The new churchyard was consecrated by the Bishop of
Lewes.
1924. 19th Feb. Children dismissed at 11.30 to enable the
staff to attend a course on the teaching of Geography at East Grinstead.
In June a party of children in the charge of the
Headmaster and Staff visited the Wembley Exhibition leaving at 8.50 am and
returning 9.25 pm.
Mr. Brewer was obviously keen on cricket; on a number of
occasions he took a party of scholars to Horsham to watch County matches on
Saturdays.
1925. After a closure for Scarlet Fever the school was "stoved
and sealed" by the Sanitary Inspector.
1926. "The children were unable to attend the Cookery
Centre because, owing to the General Strike, all trains between Horsted Keynes
and Haywards Heath had been withdrawn".
16 June. "A set of books was received from the County
Library to form a School Centre". In July Mr. Brewer resigned to take up a post
as Headmaster of Walton-le-Dale School, Preston, Lanes. In September Mr. Barker
took up his duties as Headmaster. In November "Parents and teachers decided to
form a Canteen for the purpose of supplying mid-day meals to those children who
stayed to dinner, to start in the New Year". The new canteen which opened in Jan
1927 fed 35 of the 110 children on roll. It proved a great success and soon
interested people from the surrounding villages were coming to see it in
operation. A two course meal was provided at an average cost of 2.6 pence per
meal. A wartime army hut erected as a dining room for the canteen was in use
until 1971·
1927. Part of the playground was dressed with tarmac.
1929. (104 on roll) 'The school now takes part in the
wireless broadcasts to schools on every day but Thursday". Mr. Barker left in
June 1929 and was replaced by Miss Holborn who herself left the following year
when she was married. Miss Holloban was replaced by Miss Barton who left in 1931
to be replaced by Miss Mate.
There were now just over 100 on roll and the pressure on
the teachers was not so great. The Head teacher had 44 in her class, Miss Baker
35 and Miss Sage 23. Miss Sage was appointed in 1925 and left in 1964. She
visited the school in 1984.
1931. Some of the older children worked on the Land
Utilization Survey Scheme. The groups were often away from school for long
periods during the day.
1932. The first mention of a child gaining a scholarship
to attend East Grinstead Secondary School. The children were given a half
holiday to celebrate this achievement.
1935. Milk Scheme started, [half]d per third of a pint
bottle. Silver Jubilee celebrations.
1936. Miss Mate resigned and Mrs. Morse commenced duty as
Headmistress. During this year we first hear of children being immunised against
diphtheria.
1937. The first non competitive Music Festival was held at
Lewes. On Oct. 3rd the school was re-organised as a Junior and Infants school
with 67 on roll and two teachers. The older children now attend the new Senior
School opened in Haywards Heath (now called Oathall School).
1938. Rumours of war! "Consideration was given to
providing a gas-proof room at the school. "School garden closed. Intelligence
tests administered.
1939. Arrival of evacuees from Heathbrook Senior Boys and
Infants School London. Three sites in the village were used for educational
purposes.
a) The Village School b) The Parish Room c) Army hut at
Valley Holme
a.m. Heathbrook Boys Village School Inf. Jun & Sen Village
School Inf. Jun. Boys.
p.m. Village School Heathbrook Boys Infants Heathbrook
Senior Boys.
16 Sept. The Under Secretary of the Board of Education, an
H.M.I. and the M.P. for Islington visited the school.
8 Nov. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth visited the school.
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