Ilmington 20:20 Vision

Mr Dunkin was the County Organiser of School Gardens.  The school at this time was of course an all-age Mixed School.  The above report suggests that this part of their education may well have stimulated these country children to take an intelligent interest in their surroundings and that the much-vaunted study of the environment of the present day is by no means new.

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It seems a far cry from the first invitation of the parents to a prize giving in 1907 when only one attended, to the first Open Day in 1921, and to the training college students and foreign visitors from as far afield as Poland who came to see the work of the school in the later 1920s and 1930s.  Interesting work was done for the National Land Utilisation Survey in 1931, and the Field Name Survey instituted by the county in 1934.  The latter still survives at Warwick, the former went to be incorporated in the National Statistics in London.

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In the earlier years frequent references occur to labour certificates whereby a child who could pass a rather elementary examination in reading and writing might leave school at eleven; also to exemption certificates by which children might leave when they had made a sufficient number of attendances.  The last reference noticed to an exemption certificate, which was refused, was in 1916.  County scholarships were first mentioned in 1913 and thereafter a steady but small number of children passed on to the local grammar schools.  By 1920 the new official leaving age of fourteen was being enforced.

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Until 1905 when a half holiday was introduced for 95% attendance for a month, the log books have many references to absence.  It is here that the records show the long struggle to get attendance at school to take precedence over employment for the children.  They also show that poverty made regular attendance very difficult for some.  Although it was normal to accept children of three, when a child of two was refused admittance the reply was that his older sister would have to stay at home to look after him.  Another mother wrote from Longdon excusing her son's absence because he had to go to work as there were seven children to be fed on the labourer's wage, which was then 10/- a week.  Sometimes the children could not attend as they had no boots and often in winter the roads were too bad for them to come from a distance.  The half-holiday, however, had a miraculous effect; it was nearly always gained, and whenever possible was taken on a fine afternoon.  The dates of terms and holidays only became fixed fairly recently and before this depended on the date of the harvest.  In one year the summer holiday began as late as August 21st.  In September there were always many absentees helping on the farms.  Another difficulty concerning regular attendance arose through what was termed 'capricious removal' from the National to the Catholic School and vice versa.  This occurred both with and without the parents' consent and was not officially stopped until 1908.  Local roasts and club days were another cause of absence, but at times holidays were given for these.  Potato, blackberry, and cowslip picking caused trouble, although at times official holidays were given.  There is one somewhat tart entry to the effect that "the improved attendance is due as much to the falling off of the blackberry crop as to the efforts of the attendance officer".

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In 1909 medical inspection was introduced and some parents objected.  Gradually the continual references to epidemics and consequent closure become fewer.  Whooping cough, scarlet fever, measles and influenza were common and 'leave much weakness'.  An early request to close the school for measles was refused as it was so infectious that closure was useless.  Later this attitude changed.

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The period covered by the log books examined covers three wars.  The only reference to the Boer War was that word was brought to the playground that peace had been declared in 1902.  The references to the first world war were mainly to excused absence when fathers were home on leave.  However, absence was also granted for collections of blackberries and chestnuts.  In 1918, 1286 lbs of blackberries were sent to jam factories.  The chestnuts were sent to the Director of Propellant Supplies.  Except during the winter, afternoon school began and finished early to allow children to work in the fields, and for this too holidays were often extended.  Farmers often asked for exemption for boys to take the place of men called to the Forces.  Though there were few collections of money there were occasional ones for the Red Cross. 

Blackberry picking was not peculiar to Ilmington; Warwickshire reports of its schools as a whole that over 30 tons had been collected for jam and that it had saved £400 by suspending the distribution of prizes.  Armistice was declared when the school was closed for influenza so there is no mention of this.

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In 1940 the school remained open for the first two weeks of the summer holiday to help parents who were doing war work but this was later found to be unnecessary.  There were numerous savings collections.  In 1941 War Weapons Week raised £73 and in 1942 the savings for the year were £258, reflecting perhaps a rising prosperity.  In one salvage drive over 300 lbs of paper was collected; at another 20 lbs of tinfoil.  Of blackberries, chestnuts and rosehips, regular collections were made and in 1942 the school was closed for a short period for potato picking.  In 1943, 120 lbs of blackberry jam was made for the school's own use, and this war too brought free milk for the children and issues of fruit juice for the very young.  In November of 1940 21 evacuees from Coventry with two of their own teachers arrived.  At first they were accommodated in the village hall, but later when furniture came, they were integrated into the school, and the old woodwork room came into use once more.  One perhaps rather naïve collection which was not repeated was of wool from the hedges to make comforts for the troops.  About four pounds was collected and sent to another school. 

 

School festivities make cheerful reading and over the 64 years for which the log books are available, themselves form a document of social change.  Many of these in the early years must have been due to the kindness of the headmaster, and probably the school managers, though this is not stated in the log books.  His salary until after the first world war cannot have been more than £100 a year.  In 1900 he provided a quarter of the money for prizes, this time there is a statement that the remainder came from the managers.  In 1915 when the Education Committee had suspended the provision of prizes, he and his wife produced for the Christmas treat 'the usual small presents'.  In the early days of 1894 he was giving lantern lectures in the evening, one of which raised £1.16.1½ for the school fund.  No doubt there were more instances.  One of his old pupils remembers him as a firm but kindly man who would turn his hand to anything. 

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In 1894 the children were rehearsing for the consecration of the new churchyard.  In 1897 Mr & Mrs Wilson, parents of the famous jockey E.P. Wilson, presented mugs and medals at the Golden Jubilee celebrations.  Some of these are still treasured family relics.  In 1898 the whole school went out to look at the first motor car to visit the village.  From 1900 to 1914 with few exceptions, at Christmas there was Thomassing, i.e. carol singing, and the Christmas Treat; May Day was sometimes a holiday; sometimes a formal procession and later included dancing round the maypole.  In 1923 it was marked by a short pageant but the present day crowning of the May Queen came much later.  In summer there was a special tea at the school with sports held in a variety of places loaned by local farmers; once the races were even run in the road.  For a number of years the children were regularly entertained at the rectory and great was their enjoyment of fresh bread and butter and cake.  In 1902, 1903 and 1905 charity balls were held in the schoolroom and in 1907 and 1908 the children performed two operettas, Merryton Market and Abu Hassan to packed houses.  The second one raised £2.14.1.  These collections with money from carol singing and May Day processions formed the basis for the school fund used for expeditions and prizes.  In 1904 the children were invited to write an essay on how they wished the money to be spent and unanimously decided on an expedition, so they went to Leamington.  As 2/11 was left over, this was spent on balls.

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The expedition to London in 1908 was something of a marathon and the following extracts come from the log book. 

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"Expedition to the Franco-British Exhibition, July 9th, 1908.  Several scholars were taken and all seem delighted with their experiences... A visit was first paid to Westminster where the exterior of the Houses of Parliament was viewed and a peep taken at the Thames Embankment.  A short time was spent in Westminster Abbey, just enough to see Poet's Corner and hear a part of the morning service.  Then a walk through St James's Park to Buckingham Palace where the children were very pleased to see the soldiers marching to Wellington Barracks.  From the Palace the party then walked to Trafalgar Square and from the end of the Strand a 'bus ride was taken to Ludgate Circus - all being fortunate enough to get on one vehicle.  After spending a short time in St Paul's Cathedral the party were conducted to the Post Office Tube Station and soon taken to... the entrance to the Franco-British Exhibition.  There a stay of over nine hours was made, the only disappointment being the postponement of fireworks owing to rain.'

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The account describes their return from Paddington in the early hours of the morning.  The young people, not surprisingly, slept on the way home.  Sixteen children were paid for from the school fund.  The children who were not taken to London had the usual tea and sports.

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Empire Day celebrations became combined with May Day in 1906 and gradually became more formal including saluting the flag and an address.  In 1932 there was a play in school and an address on the Ottawa Conference.  The early 1920s show the children dancing at various local fetes under the auspices of Sam Bennett, and school expeditions less exhausting than the one to London were made to the sea and to local zoos.  By the 1930s a number of parties cycled to Stratford to see the plays, and once to a handicraft exhibition.  In 1946, a Nativity Play raised £16.8.7 for the school fund, and after 1933 the children contributed to the spring fete held in the Village Hall by the Women's Institute.  Wireless which had been provided in the school was used for the broadcast of the King's death in 1936, and for the Proclamation of Edward VIII; also for the King's funeral.  In 1952 officials of the B.B.C. visited the school in connection with a programme on the Cotswolds, but no more is known of this.  The school took part in the celebrations connected with the opening of the recreation field in 1951.

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Though as stated the school fund was used for treats and expeditions, it was also called on for contributions to maintenance such as central heating, decoration and latterly the purchase of a typewriter.  While it was a voluntary school, the local managers had a majority on the committee which appointed the teachers, and were financially responsible for the maintenance of the fabric.  When it changed to controlled status in 1954, the County Education Committee became responsible for the fabric and had the final say in the appointment of teachers.

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The only record available of the Catholic school is from a local resident who entered the school at the age of two and a half and was transferred to the National school when the Catholic school closed in 1931.  She was not a Catholic, and no attempts at conversion were made.  She much enjoyed helping to decorate the statue of Our Lady and taking part in the religious ceremonies.  The school must have been quite progressive, as she remembers the use of sand trays, colour matching and shell counting.  Numerous visitors came to the school, some of them on Saturday mornings to see demonstrations, popular with the children as they were followed by cakes and lemonade.  The mistress of that time organised many entertainments, for some of which she wrote the plays.  These were surrounded with great secrecy until the day of presentation.  For the children of the Catholic school there were treats at Foxcote, wagons being sent for their transport.  There was certainly some rivalry between the children of the two schools, but at least in 1902 they combined for Coronation celebrations.  When it closed in 1931 only three of its 23 pupils were Catholic.

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The entries in the log book following the ending of the war in 1945 were marked by what seem rather frantic efforts to bring the provisions of the old school up to standard.  At one point even the conversion of a barn for school meals was being considered.  Finally in 1957 the new school building was opened and a rather sad little ceremony took place at the end of the summer term, when the older schoolchildren, who would no longer attend school in their own village, made presentations and thanked the headmistress and teachers they were leaving.

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So the school opened with such ceremony in 1858, having served the village for nearly 100 years, was left empty, occupied only for some subsidiary functions and finally demolished in the early months of 1973.

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The children attending their light airy school today, with their abundant energy, good looks and clothes, and obvious happiness, must lead very different lives from those of the earlier years even of this century, who had no boots fit to traverse the muddy roads.