Rushden National Schools - Inspector’s Reports

The following copies of H.M. Inspector’s reports have been received:-

Rushden National School — Mixed: The children are orderly and diligent. The teaching is earnest and intelligent. Very good progress is being made in all subjects of instruction. The girls might have instruction in cookery.

Infants: Order is very satisfactory. The teaching is earnest and kindly. On the whole the children are making good progress, but one of the rooms is habitually over-crowded, and the old fashioned galleries prevent proper provision by the teachers.

National Schools - At a meeting of the Northants Education Committee on Saturday the following report regarding the Church of England Schools at Rushden was received from the elementary Schools Buildings sub-Committee:-

The Secretary read a letter from the correspondent stating that two sets of plans for the reconstruction of this school had been prepared by a London architect, each of which would provide accommodation equal to that of the present school, and would bring both departments thoroughly up-to-date. Further consideration of the matter, however, had had to be postponed owing to the war, and in the circumstances the Managers were not prepared to commit themselves to any plan. They presented the view that the Local Authority should build a new school for infants on an available site near the present school on condition that they (the Managers) undertake to improve the present mixed school when conditions permit. The secretary also stated that the Board of Education had inquired as to what progress was being made in the matter. After discussion, the sub-committee directed that the whole question be referred to Rushden district sub-committee for consideration, and this was agreed to.

Rushden National Schools - The Infants Department to be Closed?

The Rev. Percy E. Robson, M.A., Rector of St. Mary’s, Rushden, in the “St. Mary’s Parish Magazine” says with reference to the National school:

I think it is right for me to intimate to you, though I can only do so briefly here, that to my great sorrow, we are threatened with the loss of our Infant School.

In spite of all protests from our Managers we have been required to pledge ourselves before the end of this present year to undertake extensive alterations, which according to plans submitted by our architect would cost £2,000.

This in any case would have been a very heavy burden, but under the circumstances, when Church people are giving, and rightly giving, all that they can spare for patriotic funds, it would be impossible, and would seem to us unpatriotic, to attempt to raise such a sum of money for school purposes.

I cannot understand the action of the County Education Authority forcing our hands at such a critical time as this. But that is our position, and we are powerless to do anything but to hand over to the Local Education Authority the duty of providing proper and suitable accommodation for the infants in that part of the town which for so many years the Church has served.

With all my heart I deplore this surrender, and it distresses me that so soon after my coming here I should be forced to make it.

What effect the surrender of our infant school will have upon our mixed department depends upon the action of the Local Education Authority. We must wait and see.

Watching the birdie — RECEPTION class children at Rushden South End Infants School have taken to bird-watching .

Teachers Pat Jenkins and Sally Bows set aside ten minutes a day for the four and five-year-olds to watch birds from their classroom windows.

Mrs Jenkins said: "We have put a bird table outside and the youngsters have brought in bread and made bird cakes.

"There are 52 children involved and it's a little difficult to get them all to sit quietly and watch the birds but they are fascinated with the project."