Rules Sanctions At the very first staff meeting held on 29th September (before the pupils arrived!) the staff came up with a set of school rules which vary only slightly from those in force today:- No running in corridors No cycling on school premises. Care to be taken to ensure that bicycle sheds are not damaged by the cycles. Nothing is to be brought on to school premises except for personal or school use. Every article to be clearly tnarked with owner's name. Silence in North corridor always, and in the Hall during Assembly time, and in the Library at all times (including Staff). They thought up a few more once the pupils had actually started at the school:- Lost property should be handed in to Miss Bateman and returned to the owner on payment of a 1/2d fine for each article. All money must be kept on the person and not left in the Cloakrooms or desks. Incidents occurred occasionally which acquired further sanctions such as:- It was reported that children had been snowballing in the lobby, (much larger than it is today, remember!) the girls being the worst offenders in this respect. Children were also making a slide on the terrace to the Gymnasium and the head agreed to give out a notice forbidding both this, and the snowballing in the lobby. Also a reminder to keep windows closed to help keep the temperature of the building up. Or:- The question of gas masks arose, and it was decided that the member of Staff who happens to be on Cloakroom duty should see that all the children have brought masks. Any child who forgets to bring a mask will be sent home to fetch it. Special cases of missed work through going home for gas masks to be dealt with by the teacher responsible for that subject. The Head did not wish the children to stand when he entered a classroom (unless he had a visitor with him), and the children were to understand that whoever was teaching them was still in charge of them when the Head was in the room. He did suggest that some children should be appointed to be responsible for opening and closing the doors for visitors. Could Do Better In a staff meeting which took place on 12th February 1940 the staff discussed the progess of their pupils and noted down comments about some. I wonder if Mr Butcher's pupils over the years would appreciate what staff had to say about him in his first year his talent for drama seems to have been evident from the very beginning:- Butcher. Is regarded as a clown. Seems to be trying to do his best. Seems to be a decent lad and takes the other children's teasing in a very good spirit. (Forgive Me for quoting it. Mr Butcher! and for those of you who don't know him, he did go on to become a Head!) Much better comments than some others received: slack; aloof; handwriting and spelling horrible; supercilious and stupid, lazy; likes throwing her weight about, but not in the right direction; considered best to ignore her at the moment; goes to pictures instead of doing his homework next time this happens he is to be sent to the Headmaster who will see that he comes to school on a Saturday morning to do his homework wants washing; very lazy, gives work in late, has a long journey to school, looks as if she might be anaemic has flopped out in Assembly twice. Form Id (Miss Drayton's form of normal age pupils) were not 'swans' by a long way, but may certainly be called hard working 'ducks'. A month earlier in a discussion of 'Special Cases' it was felt that a boy under discussion was merely naughty and silly, and the Head informed the Staff that after meeting the boy's mother, he had formed the opinion that the boy would get no home training, and that the school would in fact, provide the only training that the boy was likely to have. In December staff agreed to insist upon reasonable handwriting, even if this meant that a little less work was done. But by January more drastic measures seemed in order:- It was decided that something must be done about the writing, setting out and general appearance of the children's work. It was felt desirable to impress continually upon the children the fact that the Staff expected presentable work and would not tolerate any slackness in this respect... Miss Stonebridge agreed to undertake to run a special handwriting class on one day a week after school this being so, the Staff agreed that Miss Stonebridge should be released from the normal cloakroom duties carried out by the rest of the Staff. Mr Naylor and Mr Hartley agreed that a certain standard of writing must be set and agreed upon. Mr Hartley suggested that he and Mr Naylor should teach the children the correct formation of all letters in the alphabet, and the Staff should know, exactly what form the letters were to take so that there should be no difference of opinion over the matter. Children to practise whenever opportunities presented themselves. . . Miss Stonebridge and Mr Hartley were to co-operate over this matter. Children were not to be released from this class until Miss Stoneltridge had inspected their exercise books and felt that the handwriting had considerably improved. NOT ALL WORK - OR WAS IT? Gardening by Rotation Even before Christmas the school gardens and school field were providing work 'for a gardening squad, and when a rough part of the field is ploughed up, we shall have work and to spare for all who can use gardening tools.' By the spring, it was decided that the cultivation of the school garden 'is a pretty big job, and, if it is to be done thoroughly, everybody who can do so must help. The first big job will be the sowing of seeds for vegetables, etc. Mr James is to draw up plans and to organize the work. It was suggested that a School Labour Corps be formed, and an essential part of the training will be the training of the children to handle and clean the tools.' 'If it is decided that the garden will have to be worked to a certain extent in school hours, the children will have to be taken in rotation from various subjects, and for this purpose some sort of register will have to be kept. This will have to be done in forms. If certain children are selected and trained they will be able to assist the staff in page 25