A lesson learning from the past

In the early 1900s, education in Newport Pagnell was courtesy of The National School, and there were three catering for local youngsters, who would put a penny in a pot in return for their schooling. But a new, purpose built educational facility brought about a new era in learning in the town. Sammy Jones learned more…

When it opened its doors to its first pupils, Newport Pagnell’s Cedars School was known as Board Schools. They were built in 1896, at a cost of £10,768, a substantial amount of money back in the reign of Queen Victoria, of course, and they were designed to cater for a very specific 926 pupils.

When the official opening was held on November 10, 1896, attendees included the Rev C. M Ottley, chairman of the first School Board in the town, E M Kenney Herbert Esq, Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools, Councillor Wilmer and Messrs Fred J. Taylor, Wm. Rogers Bull, W.R. Chantler, all members of the School Board, and business leaders in the community.

It was a school that catered for generations of my own family; my grandmother and father attended before me.
The school was split into three; for infants, for boys and girls. Lessons could be mixed, but playtime was a single sex affair.
Writing in a log book a year after the school had opened, headmistress Miss Jupp noted: ‘The circumstances of this department are now eminently favourable and the school already doing very well promises to become one of the best of its class.’
In 1947, reorganisation saw the former boys school premises opened as the Primary School with mixed pupils and the girls school became the mixed Senior School.

The infants school remained unchanged, catering for little folks aged five to seven.
When I was a pupil, I was lucky enough to have Mr Riches as my music teacher. He was a warm and funny man, who also worked as a DJ on a local radio station.

Music lessons were decidedly different for Nick Jones, who started his learning journey back in 1949. He recalls singing lessons being taught from a blackboard by Miss Richardson.
How did she rally the pupils? By using a pitchfork, of course!
“She would bang the pitchfork on a table and the vibration would provide the starting note for the key!” he remembered. Imagine that.
English, Maths, History and Art were staple subjects, but there were gender distinct lessons too – gardening for the boys and cooking for the girls!

“Needlework was a shared subject though,” Nick said, “We had one teacher, who would threaten punishment, ‘I’ll hit you just now, boy,’ he would say. I don’t remember him ever carrying out the threat, but I did get the cane across my hands on a couple of occasions – once when I was pushed out of line going to a lesson, and I took the blame.

“On another occasion, some climbing frames had been put up for the younger kids to use but we had a swing about on them, and paid the price!”

School days then were longer, running from 9am through to 4pm and class sizes were notably smaller, with a little more than 20 pupils per class. You would backchat at your peril!

Tom Cox attended the school between 1949 and 1952 and remembers a time of national mourning: “My abiding memory is the morning of the death of the King.

“We had to take our shoes off and then went into the main area where we were told of his death. If I remember we were then sent home,” he said.

Diane Sutton recalled that the toilets were in the playground during her time at the school – and would often freeze in winter.
And what about that mid-morning drink?

“Small bottles of milk were delivered daily and left in the playground and at morning break we all had to drink a bottle – that turned me off milk for life as they were freezing in winter and had gone horrible for being left in the sun in summer.”
In 1963, the senior school was moved to the new secondary school, Ousedale, with the old secondary space being distributed for use between the remaining schools.

A decade later, and a new name was given; Cedars County First and Middle School, and three years later, Portfields Combined School opened in keeping with the growing town, with some pupils transferring to the new build.

In 1981, the school celebrated the nuptials of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer by creating paper mache versions of them, and school trips to France became a tradition for Middle School pupils; a 12-day stay in Brittany for an environmental study was an annual opportunity.
School fetes were successful, and during my time there, needlework was still a thing – I utilised one of my dad’s old socks to fashion a dolly as a wee nipper – bet they don’t teach that skill today!

In 1980, a swimming pool was built on the school site, but though it made a splash when it opened – with First School headmistress Mrs Rose and Middle School headmaster Mr Harris taking to the water – it is now relegated to the memory; corroded foundations pulled the plug on the indoor pool.

As the town has continued to expand far beyond its 19th Century size, it has responded to growing numbers of people and there are now four junior schools to encourage young minds; Lovat School closed in 2006, but Green Park and Tickford Park have joined Cedars and Portfields.

Now known as Cedars Primary School and Nursery, the learning hub is under the stewardship of Headteacher Mrs Joanne Goldsmith.
It is a remarkably different establishment to the one that first opened its doors way back in 1896, and that aforementioned cane whacked the hands of its final victim decades ago.

Despite the many changes that have happened in its history, some things remain the same – and Cedars still boasts the same passion for the betterment of its pupils.

“Our guiding principles, supported by our vision and values, help to ensure our children blossom into confident, polite, well-rounded young people who, by the time they move on at the end of their primary years, are proud of their achievements and feel good about themselves,” said Mrs Goldsmith, “A huge influence on our success is the relentless high standards in all that we do. We have a highly motivated, enthusiastic team of staff who always put the children first. Children have one chance at their education and we believe they deserve the absolute best.”

Additional info: The Living Archive

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