old St.Bart's primary school

[karen]

Does anyone know when the old school was demolished at the corner of sydenham park and kirkdale? What year was the new school built at Peak Hill?

[Eagle]

I went to the old school from 57 to 60 . Had been to St Phillips's infants.
Lovely old building with some very ecentric staff , mainly Mr Williams who had been in The Black and Tans. Must have been pver 70 in 1960 , his final year.
Not 100% sure but think they moved about 65 to 70.
In the old school had one classroom under Miss Coggin ( not to be crossed ) in the church hall.

[karen]

Thank you for your comments, but still looking for exact date of closure! I am convinced that i never went to the old school, but started at the new St.Barts at Peak Hill... Family dispute!

[Eagle]

Surely you must remember . I will ask my younger sister who was at the school whilst it moved

[Steve Grindlay]

The old St Barts was still open in the early 1970s. According to one source it closed in 1973. Certainly the Catholic church opened in 1974.

[The Eagle]

Try looking on Friends Reunited .....you 'might' get some joy there.

If I was to guess I think it closed 1969

[Steve Grindlay]

You may be right, Eagle. The source I mentioned was Joan Alcock who wrote in Sydenham & Forest Hill History "St Bartholomews closed the old school on Kirkdale in 1973". However, I think it more likely that was the year it was demolished.

[stuart]

More recent ex-pupils may be saddened to hear that former headmaster John Campling died this week.

Stuart

[paultreacy]

It's off topic but those black and tans were a ruthless bunch of bastards. Those were VERY dark days in Ireland.

My youngster is attending St. Barts right now and his younger brother is to follow in September. A fine school indeed but I really don't like the religiosity. My son was delighted to see the atheist banner on the side of the bus to school this morning. It was very cool. A funny moment. Mind you, the bus was very late. Waited 20 minutes.

SydenhamShots

[Thomas]

My youngster is attending St. Barts right now and his younger brother is to follow in September. A fine school indeed but I really don't like the religiosity.

If you don't like the religiosity why did you send your child to a church school? Apologies if that is a bit rude or blunt, but I was curious as to what you were expecting from a church school?

[stuart]

For some of us St Bart's was the only choice offered. In John Campling's time it was christian inspired but fairly secular in delivery. All I'll say is that my daughter is most likely to catch the first bus here: http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3108

Stuart

[paultreacy]

Well, it has a reputation as a wonderful community school and it's not just my decision. Besides, C of E is very relaxed. It sure ain't no Catholic school. It's also a state school so it can't be too religiously stringent.

And like I said, it'll inform my sons in all sorts of ways. Let's face it, no matter what your belief, Jesus is alleged to have said some very smart things.

The bible too is a good read. Some great stories in there, for sure. In my opinion there's a lot of utter nonsense but it's good entertainment at times. Full of human inventiveness. After all, that's what religion is. What god is. Invention. A human construct.

Please don't be offended. I really feel that atheists, or should I say non theists, really need to speak up and challenge theists.

I'm sorry that this thread is being lead astray.

Paul Treacy

[mummycat]

I'm sorry that I never met John Campling, I have heard many stories about him from friends who have lived in Sydenham 30+ years.

A friend of a friend was going to visit him only 2 weeks ago to deliver his cheddar cheese to him in Morocco!

[stuart]

Mostly true mummycat - a wonderful eccentric. I wonder if St Bart's Church will be putting on a memorial service for John? I am sure many will want to say goodbye and thank you.

Stuart

[bradfordroadgirl]

Just dredging up this thread to say that yes, there was a lovely memorial service for John on 9th May. It was well attended and we sang some of his favourite hymns.

He was unique. Another headteacher starts in September and so begins a new chapter for the school.

[bradfordroadgirl]

Surely you must remember . I will ask my younger sister who was at the school whilst it moved

My brother is 46 now and was one of the many children who helped carry items around to the new school building boxload by boxload. It was 1973 and most likely the changeover was during the summer holidays.

The new school building was built on the former Edale Close, which was a group of hastily erected post-war prefabs.

[gremlin]

I attended St Bart's C of E Primary School from about 1955 to 1961. the headmaster was a Mr Bleadsale, I seem to remember being taught by Mrs Morris (?), Mrs Coggins at the annex near Cobbs, Miss Partridge and finally by Mr Williams. The caretakers were Mr & Mrs Griggs. I think the names are nearly right(!). There was also Mrs Mahar and Mr Timms. We had at least 40 in a class - 'baby-boomers' - outside toilets and asphalt playgrounds. We used to go swimming at Forest Hill baths in Dartmouth Road, and sports day was in Mayow Park. Church services at St Bartholomew's Church of course. I then went to Forest Hill Secondary School in Dacres Road. It was a surprise when I found the school had been demolished and was repalced by a catholic church, it was in the early 70s I guess at the time I occassionally used the Fox & Hounds, The Woodman, and the Duke of Edinburgh that I found the old scholl gone (in fact I used all the pubs in Sydenham, Forest Hill, Penge, Dulwich etc at some time or another - it was quite usual, 8 pints and 10 Woodbines and change from a £ in the late 60s!). Happy days.

[spitnolan]

I started at St Bart’s in 1969 and it was already located at Peak Hill. The single storey building next to the top playground wasn’t yet built/finished. And the turf alongside the lower playground hadn’t been laid.

What was great when I started was that everything was or seemed to be new. The woodwork tools in the ‘resource areas’, the textbooks etc and the hymn books too. You still had to buy a decent cartridge pen though, unless you wanted to use an inkwell and a pen with a scratchy nib you’d get in class.

[Eagle]

Gremlin

Looks like you were in the year after me. All the names well known to me. It was an amazing school.
The names you quote were 100% correct except Miss Coggin was a Miss , not Mrs.
I also went to Dacres Road , in 60 , so year ahead again.
Very strange teachers there but most of them were OK.

[gremlin]

Eagle,
You are right - it was Miss Coggin. Her class was in the church hall annex down Kirkdale nearly opposite Cobb's. We used to have school dinners at a church hall in Jews' Walk, strange food but wholesome- but I can't eat sprouts to this day.
The old school was I remember a typical Victorian architectural type. The two main classrooms, Mr Williams and Miss Partridge, had high vaulted timber ceiling, large gable windows for light and a glass partition between the two that was opened for school plays I think, but on occasion a film show, mainly educational or travel films. I have never found a photograph of the buildings, but I am sure there was a small belfry on the roof, but I don't remember it ever being rung.
Forest Hill Secondary, Dacres Road was another thing entirely, built in about 1956 with all modern science labs, art and pottery rooms, metal and woodworking shops, gyms, a circular library on columns at the front. They built a swimming pool about the time I left in 1966.There were about 1500 boys, six houses Browning, Drake, Harvey, Newton, Reynolds & Shackleton, each had 6 or 8 tutor groups each with all years and all grades. The upheaval every hour as the whole school moved from classroom to classroom for the next lesson.