Glastonbury School
An Inspector's Report 1940
By Beverley Walker
The Girls
An Inspectors Report dated May 11th 1940 shows that what was once Central Girls School No 6 was now named Glastonbury Central Girls. This consisted of around 340 girls in ten classes with thirteen assistant teachers two of whom took Domestic subjects.
The first year which was divided into three classes took a General course used to assess the abilities of the students.
The second and third years were graded, with the A graded class taught French and the C graded class following a special course. Year three A graders also learned commercial subjects.
In the Leavers year girls were taught along specialist lines with girls being taught to work individually on assignments in each subject.
Subjects were English in which Glastonbury Girls had reached a high standard, Maths, History, Geography, Needlework, Art, Science and Music and French (A classes only). Music was not a strong subject as there were no teachers proficient in the teaching of it. A few pupils learned Bookkeeping and Shorthand. P.T (physical training) was taught by two specialists. The playing field had been much curtailed due to the fact of the Air Raid Shelters. They were trying to obtain the use of a local recreation ground.
They had an Athletics Society with an Annual Sports day held in conjunction with the Boys School.
The Old Air Raid Shelters at Glastonbury School
Sutton Local Studies and Archive
The Boys
The Boys Report dated June 1st 1940 shows that at the outbreak of war seven of the ten Assistant Masters left to join the Armed Forces. They were replaced with one experienced master and six from the supply list, three of whom were in their probationary year.
There were approximately 350 boys in nine classes. They took many of the same subjects as the girls except they took Woodwork instead of Needlework. Their Maths and Science was classed as outstanding work by the teacher.
The report shows that they visited Art Galleries and had been on paid educational visits to France, Holland and Germany (I assume before the outbreak of war).
Their Athletics and Boxing was up to All England Schoolboy standard.
Overcrowding
By the end of August 1937 St. Helier Schools 7,8,9 and 10 were told that there could not be classes of more than fifty children. The schools were given temporary permission to use the Hall as a classroom as space was limited in accommodating all the children. In 1938 the sum of £ 22,497 was sanctioned to be spent on a Gymnasium to be temporarily divided into three classes of junior and Infant children at Winchcombe, Welbeck, Green Wrythe and Tweeddale Schools.
All these schools appear to be known by their names rather than numbers by this time.