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Schooldays in Haslemere

Between the 1940s and 1960s, Haslemere had a variety of different schools. Private schools included St Ives, which at this time was a school ran by the Parents’ National Educational Union and as such emphasised the teaching of nature studies and the arts. The Haslemere School on Chestnut Avenue was opened on 22nd April 1900. It was originally designed for some 220 pupils and built by public subscription. There were also smaller schools such as Hillside School, situated for a time on the Petworth Road and run by the formidable Miss Welland, and Shottermill School in Lion Lane. Woolmer Hill, today the only secondary school in Haslemere, was built in the 1950s to satisfy requirements of 1944 Education Act.

Track 7 Afternoon School During War

Credit line: Andrew White talks about his schooling at Shottermill School during World War Two.

Transcription:

Interviewer: Can you remember what you did on those afternoons when you went off to different places?

Interviewee: We did lessons as much as we were able we had to take books and pencil and paper and I know we use to do a little bit of drama of sorts but it seems it was left to the teachers themselves to amuse you and try and educate you along some sort of lines. But it wasn’t a formal education, but we didn’t enjoy it anymore than school, but the museum was quite a let out for them because they could leave it to us, I know we used to have little tests: What did you see? What did you do? But it could have been a lot worse.

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