helping the other children. There cannot very easily be times during the week set aside for gardening owing to the uncertainty of the weather, but opportunities will have to be taken when the soil is in the best condition.' By the summer they were hoping to cultivate a school garden of roughly 3/4 acre. In addition to this garden. the children of the school were keeping the lawns and flower beds in order. Amen! The pupils, of course, had more conventional extra-curricular activities. Very shortly after the opening of the school they made a beginning with a school choir and a school orchestra. The Head wanted the children to take as much part in Assembly as possible and expressed this wish in a staff meeting on 6th October, whereupon Mr Beach suggested that 'as a start the children could join in the Amens. This was agreed to, The Headmaster also suggested that members of the Staff should sometimes take the readings at Assembly, and choose their own form Of service. Mr Beach stated that the singing is not yet good enough for the children to sing hymns, but that it may be so by the end of next week.' By December the Headmaster congratulated the Staff on the manner in which they had conducted Assemblies but again he requested that wherever possible the Staff should incorporate children in their Assemblies. Mr James suggested that music of various kinds should be used in Assembly and that the gramophone should also be used for this purpose. Task Force Mr Withrington also felt that the children should have some responsibilities in running the school and made a number of suggestions: Monitors i/c the cloakrooms Form captains amongst other things responsible for seeing that mud and litter is not left in classrooms/leaders of their forms Games monitors Monitors i/c collecting up books homework. etc. Lost property helper Monitors i/c selling milk Librarians Finally, although the Head thought that probably the children would have to be taught manners and cleanliness as an important part of their training when they started school dinners in January, he considered that certain children might have to help with the serving of the dinners. He set up a Silence Room for the children, especially for those whose parents did not get home until late in the afternoon, and where the children could get on with their homework, etc. In December, the Head put forward his plan for having, as soon as possible. say three periods a week, which would be free periods when children could do whatever subjects they liked, or indulge in hobbies such as woodwork, or take up an extra language, or have coaching in a weak subject. The matter was discussed freely by the Staff - . . The scheme in theory was approved by them and in January it started with one period a week, at a different time every week. In fact the Head believed that activities which are of the nature of hobbies, or of doing specific jobs for the School, were more important than subjects' societies. The Head was concerned to provide for outdoor games in the summer but there were obstacles: 'In view of the fact that we are not to have cricket tables provided, I have asked that concrete wickets be laid down. These will be much cheaper in original cost and upkeep, and will serve for practice and for matches while the school is still young. 'I regret to say that the position in regard to girls' games is likely to be very difficult. There are no tennis courts available, and the playgrounds are hardly suitable for tennis in their present condition. I am suggesting to the County that, in the long run, it would be an economy to give the playgrounds a fine surface dressing.' IMAGE FIRST FORMER SERVING Shared Accommodation... In January 1940, 'Hospitality was given to a temporary Junior Mixed and Infants' School, and this lasted for three years. In other words, because Greenford had shelter accommodation, the juniors and infants were moved in to the south corridor (the present Modern Languages Department). This of course caused a few problems and at a staff meeting shortly after, in discussing the behaviour of children in the corridors the Headmaster mentioned that children should be well away from the south corridor in order to avoid disturbing the junior school. (Silent in the north corridor and away from the south corridor!) The Headmaster pointed out that things are now very different from the time when we had only half the children in the building at one time. Cleaners hours have been increased. Part of this increase is due to the heavy work which has fallen on the Caretaker since the Assistant Caretaker was transferred, but part is due to the increased use of the premises by the Junior School, which is receiving hospitality here, as well as by the County School.' By April they were discussing the question of the overlapping of breaks with the Junior School and establishing regulations for getting books from the Library without disturbing the Junior School. (N.B. The Library at that time was in the same corridor.) page 26