Laindon High Road School 1930s
The Early Days
The New ECC School Laindon High Road
Teachers in 1930s
Ann & John Rugg
School Sports Teams 1930s
Ann & John Rugg
Teachers in 1933
Ann & John Rugg
When first opened the school included Juniors to meet the growing educational needs of the community, that were outstripping the provision at Laindon Park and Langdon Hills Primary schools.
Teaching Staff in the early days
Back row from Left
| 1 Mr Cluff | 2 Miss Jollyman | 3 _______? | 4 Mr Thomas -Young |
| 5 ______? | 6______? | 7_______? |
Front row:
| 1 ______? | 2 Miss Janet Duke | 3 Mr Radford | 4 ______? | 5 Miss Anita Sherriff |
Teachers and pupils in the sorts teams At the back in the centre: Head Mr Radford
Back row from left
| 1 ______? | 2 ______? | 3 ______? | 4 ______? |
| 5 ______? | 6 ______? | 7 ______? | 8 ______? |
| 9 ______? | 10 ______? | 11 ______? | 12 ______? |
Row 2
| 1 ______? | 2 Mr Cluff ? | 3 ______? | 4 ______? |
| 5 ______? | 6 ______? | 7 ______? | 8 ______? |
| 9 Miss Janet Duke | 10 Mr Thomas Young | 11 ______? |
Row 3
| 1 ______? | 2 ______? | 3 ______? | 4 ______? |
| 5 ______? | 6 ______? | 7 ______? | 8 ______? |
| 9 ______? | 10 ______? | 11 ______? | 12 ______? |
| 13 ______? |
Front row
| 1 ______? | 2 ______? | 3 ______? | 4 ______? |
| 5 ______? | 6 ______? | 7 ______? | 8 ______? |
| 9 ______? | 10 ______? |
Teachers and staff 1933
Miss Duke was the Head of the Infant & Junior section before to take up the headship of Markhams Chase.
Back Row from left
| 1 Mrs Anita Young nee Sherriff | 2 ______? | 3 ______? | 4 ______? |
| 5 Miss Jollyman | 6 ______? | 7 ______? | 8 Mr Finch |
| 9 ______? | 10 ______? | 11 ______? |
Front Row
| 1 ______? | 2 Mr Thomas-Young | 3 ______? | 4 Miss Janet Duke |
| 5 Mr Radford | 6 ______? | 7 ______? | 8 Mr Cluff |
| 9 ______? |
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School and sports teams 1930. I’m not sure but I think the front row number two is my mum Ivy Parker.
She also remembers a lot of the teachers at Laindon High Road School in the 1930’s
Hi. My dad went to Laindon School I think from 1928? His name was John Bayliss or could have been John Parker (his mum’s maiden name).
He lived at White House Farm, King Edward Road.
Thank you.
Further to my message of 22/08/2014 – I can confirm that in the picture titled “Teachers in 1930s” – The Lady sitting in the front row on the right hand side is Miss Sherriff. The gentleman in the centre of the back row is in fact Mr Young (labelled as “4 Mr Bear?”).
Regarding the picture entitled “Teachers in 1933” – I’m not 100% sure because the picture pixelates when blown up – but I think that back row – left hand side is Miss Sherriff (actually Mrs Young by that point) and again the chap labelled as Mr Bear (Front Row 2nd from left) is Mr Young.
I refer to Reginald Cuttler’s informative post of the 01/07/2014 and offer up a little more information: The Miss Sherriff that Reginald referred to was Anita Sherriff (my maternal Grandmother) and the Mr Young (initials T.R.Y) was Thomas Ronald Young (known as ‘Ron’). If anyone has any further information on Anita or ‘Ron’ I’d be very interested to hear as I’m conducting some family history research and don’t have a great deal of information on the Sherriffs, as Anita died when my mother was only a youngster.
Re teacher numbers.
On 24th July 1957, the Laindon Recorder published an announcement made by Mr Woodward on ‘Speech Day’, regarding teachers. Firstly he announced the retirement of Mrs Verlin after 27 years service. Then he said the staffing quota for the next educational year would be 33 teachers. Four new members would be joining next term (Sept 57). They were Miss Burt and Mr Foreman, both from college. Miss Rees from Cheltenham and Mr Poole from London. This would leave three vacancies in the establishment and Mr Woodward said he had reasonable hopes that at least two of them would be filled by next January.
I notice that Mr Poole doesn’t appear in the 1958 photograph although he started in September 1957.
I feel that Mr Hawkins probably was there in the 1958/9 year, because I liked him and towards the end of that year (my second year) I was happy to hear that I would be in his class for my third year (1959/60). However, I will keep trying to find confirmation.
Hello Alan.
Just read your latest contribution and apologise for my appalling arithmetic. 3 class years with maximum of 40 in 5 grades would of course total 600 not 1,500 as previously stated but that did mean there were 15 form teachers. I still have my old school report book somewhere and I can remember very clearly from it that we had 38 pupils in my class’s final year. of that I am sure, with Mrs Verlin as teacher. That would have been 1937/8.
I concur with many of your memories but as yours are 7 years after I had left school, a lot of changes must have occurred during the intervening time which of course included the War.
My memory is not too bad but it is inevitable that after 80 odd years it will be faulty at times and I did say “I stand to be corrected”, hopefully out of these exchanges an accurate history will emerge. I congratulate you on your memory.
A couple of tit-bits. I can remember when we had a school dentist who held a surgery in what I believe was the Staff Room just to the left of the school entrance. That would have been prior to 1933 and before the Clinic was built just over the South side of the Railway bridge. The other was the occasion the Airship R101 flew over the school and we were all allowed out onto the playing field to see it but what year that was I do not remember.
During my time the courtyard you mentioned or the quadrangle as we called it was used to play ” Shinty ” often after school hours and other games, also I believe for P.T. or P.E as it is now known.
Just a bit of extraneous information about me, I am now 90 years old and currently living in Tasmania, Australia which couldn’t be much further away from Laindon but I do enjoy all the memories one can access on the Community Archive Web site. Laindon was a great place to live in the old days but I suspect that it now bears no resemblance to the community it used to be.
Regards.Reg
I attended Laindon High road School in the infants from 1929 until being moved to Markhams Chase when it opened in 1933, Miss Duke being the first Head mistress there. Reaching the age of 11, I returned to the High Road which was by then a secondary school. I cannot remember exactly how many year classes there were, 3 or 4 but I do know that each year had 5 grades A to E. each class would have had up to 40 pupils so that would mean around 200 pupils in each year and depending on whether it was 3 or 4 years would have added up in total to some 1,500 or 1,700 with a teacher for each class would have had 15 or 20 staff plus woodworking, cookery, art etc.
My memory may not be accurate and I stand to be corrected.
I enjoyed the time at the old L.H.R. School that had many excellent and dedicated teachers.
Is this information of any help? Unfortunately there can’t now be many if anyone still alive to confirm or deny what I am trying to remember from over so many years ago.
Regarding Reg Cuttler’s posting of 20/07/14. Reg’s memories date from 1929 mine from 1945. Obviously many changes can be expected to take place over sixteen years— even assuming that both of our memories are reliable!
I remember no more than thirty pupils per class. I think there were five classrooms on the side which fronted on the High Road and four on each side fronting on the girls and the boys playgrounds. The remaining space was taken up with cloakrooms. The entire west side which fronted on the playing field was taken up with staff rooms, auditorium, Mr Radford’s Office and the science lab (Mr Cluff’s, or was it Clough’s, domain) on the southern end of that wing. The entire complex was built as a square with the interior open courtyard which was totally unused, macadamised, with various weeds forcing their way through the cracks in the hard surface.
If this memory is correct that would make thirteen classrooms plus the science lab is fourteen. Add to this the wooden annexe which housed wood working and cookery. I remember (as does Reg) five classes per year: A to E. At the end of the second year about half of us in the A level went on to Chelmsford Tech. Thus the third year may have been reduced to four classes: A to D. I am not sure of that but it seems logical. Then, of course there were the removes (never did understand why that name) which comprised those handicapped or unfortunately slower in some way and included all ages.
Thus my memory says fifteen classes in all (five in the first year, five in the second year, four in the third year, plus the removes. This would seem to coincide with the number of classrooms, five on the east side, four on the north side, four on the south side plus the science lab. A total of fourteen plus cooking/woodwork in the annexe. With thirty per class, as I remember it, this makes a total school population of 420 to 450 pupils. A far cry from Reg’s estimate of 1500 to 1799.
If my estimate on the number of pupils and classrooms is anywhere near correct then the teaching staff in the second photograph still appears to be too many in number.
Mr Webb was school caretaker, his wife was my music teacher. I was in class C until I passed the ll plus exam to Chelmsford, my teacher was Miss Roberts. Anyone remember her?
Both photographs of teachers are from the 1930’s. In the first photograph they are twelve in number. In the second photograph their number has grown to twenty. And is that a school nurse, in uniform, third from the right in the back row? How did the staff grow so rapidly in such a short time?
The time between when the photographs were taken is three years or less. That is between 1930 and 1933 since Reginald Cuttler in his posting of 01/07/2014 states that Miss Duke, who is in both photographs, went to the newly opened Markhams Chase in 1933.
It seems highly unlikely that over half the staff would be missing from the first photograph so how did the staff grow 66% in number in just two or three years? What am I missing?
Just a small point, I don’t remember Mr Hawkins being in the school in the 1958-9 season. However I could be wrong but I think that might be why he isn’t in the photo of that year.
By Richard Haines (03/07/2014)
I think the lady in uniform was probably the school’s cook. I notice Mrs Rousel amongst the teachers in the 1958 school photo, (the school cook at that time) wearing a similar uniform.
The number in question is interesting. I counted about 22 teachers on the 1956 photograph and about 34 teachers on the 1958 photograph. Mr Hawkins, who doesn’t appear in the picture, makes it 35.
The recent school additions to the site started me thinking.
As the High Road School was opened in 1928 did the local children stay on at their Primary schools till 14?
My father went to Langdon Hills Primary and would have been 14 before the opening of L.H.R. and my grandfather went to the Old School House Langdon Hills in the late 1880’s and probably left at 11.
I am a newcomer to offering some names of staff of Laindon High Road School but probably one of the few remaining pupils that started their school lives there in 1929 at the age of 5 years. Miss Sheriff was my first infants class teacher who later married Mr Young the geography master (initials T.R.Y). I do recall Miss Jollyman and Miss Duke from that time and my first “sweetheart” Daphne Reading. I was at the “High Road” until transferred to Markham’s Chase when it opened in 1933 with Miss Duke as headmistress, I can only recall one teacher’s name there, that was Mr Wilson. I was then returned back to the “High Road School” at the age of eleven, leaving in 1938 to go to work.
Many of the teachers’ names I can recall have been mentioned at different times on this site which I will repeat but there could be some not named that may stir somebody’s memory.
Mr Radford – headmaster.
Mr Woodward – maths and form teacher
Mr Rees – history and form teacher
Mrs Verlin Form teacher
Mr Finch – Woodwork master
Mr Gay – form teacher. Later married to another teacher, can’t remember her name
Mr Griffiths – form teacher
Mr Lane – form teacher
Miss Thomas - music teacher
Mr Cluff- science teacher
Mr Webb – school caretaker
Others names do not come to mind but may appear at some later date.
I was in Mr Rees’s class for one year probably 1935/6
In Mr Woodward’s class 1936/7 and Miss Verlin’s class 1937 until leaving school in 1938.
For the moment I merely offer this information to see if it raises any queries which I may be able to provide an answer to or perhaps stir up some memories in someone else’s mind.
As you can work out I am now 90 years old but I can assure you that my recollections are still clear in my mind.
I emigrated to Australia in 1983 and currently live at the bottom of the World in Tasmania.
My best wishes go to all remaining ”Laindonites” of the early years and who knows there may even be one alive that knew me.
I await eagerly to see what responses I get to this effort.
Hi ! again. I have just read my comments and note a number of errors, I should have checked it first, sorry !! I’ll try to do better next time.
Hi Gloria, did the Pam Willetts you referred to earlier have a younger sister and brother (twins?) and live in the prefabs in Railway Approach. I lived next door at 85 until 1952 and then moved to Billericay. Sylvia Hollowbread and her younger brother lived the other side at 83.
The young lady Gloria refers to in picture 3 is Rose Willetts the aunt of Pam Willetts who was my niece, Jane,(Jinny) is my eldest sister still going strong at 91 and yes she was a Davies, Gloria’s grandparents are my parents’ brother and sister, sisters married brothers, my dad was the second eldest of the Davies boys.
I was at LHS about 1946, Mr.Radford was Headmaster and Mr.Woodward taught Maths and was Deputy Head.
Mrs Verlin was a remedial teacher, Mr Rees was our history teacher, Miss Jollyman was my teacher in the first year 1A and in the second year I had Miss Fairburn, Mr Gay was then married and Mrs Gay who took needlework.
I remember Mr Radford had a secretary who we all thought was beautiful and tried to be like (without success) Ha happy days.
Oh dear the cells are fading Sooty was not a Cat after all. Someone has been fooling me for 60 years. Good name for LHR cat though.
Eric. I know I was slow to spot the cat, but surely you must know that Sooty was a teddy bear not a cat, really!! Sweep was a dog and Soo was a Panda. Izzy whizzy, lets get busy. Best wishes.
I’ve just noticed in the first group photo, one of the lady teachers in the front row has a black cat sitting on her lap.
Was it Mr Foley who wore the brown industrial coat when we were at school – only this person wears one too. (notice the little faces peering out from the window?).
Andrea “well done” I am a “fur bubie” slave, have 3 of my own. I can’t believe how many times I have looked at this photo and not noticed the cat. It just shows you how your brain can concentrate on one thing (the Faces) and not notice the obvious.
Could the lady with the cat be Miss Verlin and also in 2nd teacher group 4th from right bottom row.
Andrea. I’m sure you’re right and I still think it is Mr Foley and remember the brown coat. I have a photo of him that my younger brother Alan sent me. Alan left the school in 1968 so the photo is from around then. Mr Foley is thinner on top and wearing glasses, but dressed in a suit – as if it was for a special occasion. He has the same expression on his face (a slight smile).
A little story. When I started at the school in 1957. In an early PE lesson, a classmate and I tried on each others shoes. When I tried to get her’s off, the buckle got stuck. I had to tell Mr Rosen and he sent us to see Mr Foley. Even he had trouble getting the buckle undone. I felt very foolish but he was very sweet and put me at ease. We giggled our way back to the classroom. Best wishes.
While I only attended the High Rd. for a matter of months in the early thirties, the only face I can recognise is that of Mr.Radford.
There were two other teachers whose names I can remember that of Mr.Woodward who was a senior teacher, if not deputy headmaster and a Mr. Rees if that is the correct spelling, who was Welsh and I seem to remenber his father being the school caretaker at some time, there was also a sister/daughter who worked in the Laindon Labour Exchange.
They seem not to have been remembered, possibly due to having left as most of the main comments are from post war pupils.
Hi Gloria It was me who spotted the cat, not Andrea. Wooops. Perhaps the black cat was the school’s lucky mascot! Best wishes.
Nina, about the cat, see my first paragraph above at the start of these comments. 🙂
Whoops sorry Nina, I see now, silly me so well done to you Nina, I just can’t believe I missed “fur bubie” as I am so addicted to them.
About Mr Foley, lets say he was 45 in 1963 which was when I knew him best. This means he was born in 1918. So in 1933 he would have been 15, clearly not old enough to teach. Also in the 1958 photo he has nice black hair, darker even than the guys hair in 1933. Finally the 1933 guy looks nothing like Mr Foley, glasses or not. The only ones old enough to appear in 1933 and 1958 were Clough and Jollyman, look how much younger they appear in ’33 !! It could be Mr Finch though.
Another of the teachers I have just remembered from the 1930s whose name has not been mentioned is a Mr.Finch who taught woodwork.
Editor: My wife has just identified No. 8 in the third photograph as Mr Finch, and reminded me that she had told me when I put the photographs on site
Well done Bill Diment – its Mr Finch (yay!).
I feel sure that No.4 back row in second, No. 10 row 2 in third and No2 front row in forth photograph is Mr Bear
Richard. Yes, yes, Mr Finch. I recognised him but obviously went off in the wrong direction with the name. So it was Mr Finch who fixed the buckle of my classmate’s shoe when it got stuck on my foot. He was very sweet but was probably thinking “stupid girl”. Also your call with the moggy. You were quick off the mark and I was slow to catch up. What next I wonder!
If Mr Rees is in 1933 photo he would have to be No 6 and Mr Woodward maybe No 10.
Sorry Nina, Richard was first with the cat.
What was the Cats name ?????? I will start with Sooty but cannot see Harry Corbett anywhere. (Okay I know he was a Yellow Cat but what the heck).
Thanks Andrea. There’s lots called D Foley in the records and a few called D A Foley. So a few more details would be helpful. However I found a D A Foley in the telephone directory archives, living at 149 Stock Road, Billericay in 1970. I think that was probably him, but of course doesn’t give any clue about his age. Best wishes.
The young Lady 2nd on the right in the front roof the third photograph is the double of my cousin Pam Willetts sadly now deceased could this be her mother Ginny? Who was born the same time as my mum approx. 1922. Not sure if aunt Ginny was a Davies or a Hall.
Hello Nina,my mum went to LHS in the 30s and she spoke of Mr and Mrs Gaye being there but at the time she said they werent married.Perhaps 2 of the teachers are them .I cant recognise them though .Miss Jollyman didnt change much .She is very recognisable.
Mr Foley’s initials were D.A. Any help?
Hi Brenda. I’ve found Mr Gay’s marriage record. Hayden Gay married Mabel Linford at Brentwood in 1940. I’m not sure if they are in the photos. The lady far left, back row of the 1933 photo (No 1) has the same cheek bones as Mrs Gay as she appears on the 1956 photo and a similar smile but she has a heavy fringe, so its very hard to tell. Even less sure about Mr Gay. Maybe No 2 front row – he could have changed quite a lot over the years. Interesting though. Best wishes.
Andrea and Eric. Too early for Mr Miniken. According to online records, George Miniken was born in Camberwell 1921 and would only have been 12 years old in 1933. He married Anne Andrews in 1947. In 1948 they were living in Wansworth. Their daughter Georgina was born in 1952 at Brentwood. Therefore they must have moved to Laindon, sometime between 1948 and 1952. I remember him telling us that when he first started at the school there was no art equipment at all, he was given a classroom with just a sink. Therefore, he must have acquired his potters wheel and kiln at a later date.
Nina, I suspect Mr Foley was around the same age as Mr Miniken and therefore also would be far too young to be in the 1933 photo, can you check please Miss Marple?
Hi Richard. You could be right. Sometimes our enthusiasm makes us try a bit too hard at guessing who it is. I haven’t got many clues to go by with Mr Fowley. At least I knew Mr Miniken first name and his daughter’s name so he was fairly easy to trace. Did you know Mr Fowley’s first name or any other details about him that might help? I do enjoy a bit of research. Best wishes.
Nina, I know what you mean about enthusiasm. In my blue report book Mr Foley is down as D.A.Foley and he was one of my favourite teachers. He was quite outgoing and young thinking for the times. He made sure I got the Technical Drawing prize in 1961. Only today I drove through Laindon at 8.50 am and thought about all those people at LHR and how the High Road would have been buzzing with children on their way to school at that time of day. Nostalgia too as I drove past Nichol Road, one day I’ll put a blue plaque on No 1. Then I drove up Langdon Hills past the Crown and got that fantastic view over Essex from the top. Going back to Mr Miniken, he just signed my report ‘m’ so cool wasnt he? His house in the High Road was built after ours, I guess about 1960, so he must have been living elsewhere until then. I remember his daughters well, one was about the same age as my brother Phil. Take care..
Thanks Nina for clearing that up about Mr Miniken. I will dig out my autograph book and look for Mr Foley’s initial. I was pleased to see the young Mr Cluff and Miss Jollyman.
Having studied the two groups of teachers, I believe Miss Jollyman and Mr Cluff and are both.
In the second picture, Miss Jollyman is no. 5 in the back row and Mr Cluff is no. 8 in the front row.
I believe no. 8 in the back row might be Mr Foley (before he wore glasses).
Teacher in 1933. Back row no. 5 Miss Jollyman. Front row no 8 Mr Cluff.
In the sports photo my Uncle (Ron Pasco) & Aunty (Amy Pasco) may be in the photo but a bit late for my Dad (Richard) who left in 1930, however Janet Duke did teach him.
TEACHERS 1933. Could no8 back row be a young Mr Miniken?
Yes Eric, I thought it looked like Mr Miniken too – got his stance.
Fabulous 1930s photo thank you Ann and John Rugg. How nice to see the young Mr Cluff and Miss Jollyman. Also good to meet the LHR cat, a superb photograph, now some of our senior members can take over for a while to identify the other teachers and pupils. The cups won by the sports teams are impressive too.
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