Reay School The Early Years: 1904-1980

Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 “A distinctive name”

Minutes of the LCC Education Committee 1904

nd so, the first school planned and designed by the London Council Awas duly named after Lord Reay. Donald Mackay, 11th Lord Reay was born in Holland. His father was a Scottish-Dutch MP and his mother was Dutch. He did not become British until 1877. Lord Reay inherited his father’s title in 1876 at the age of 37. After that, he became Governor of Bombay and later a Government minister, before being appointed Chairman of the London School Board, from 1897 until its demise in 1904. By 1904, school was compulsory for all 5-12 year olds, with provision to stay on to 13. Usually they learned basic skills, (the three ‘Rs’) plus domestic skills. Although some ‘higher elementary’ selective schools had started to appear in London, the School Board had no remit to spend ratepayers’ money on secondary education for poor children. However, many pupils wanted to continue at school. Moreover, it was widely understood that new skills were needed to fit young people for employment in the new Lord Reay technological age. Building the Reay school 1910

Reay Central Boys’ school was built in 1910. It was originally conceived as a mixed elementary school but actually opened as a ‘higher elementary’ or central school for 300 boys.The builders were Holliday and Greenwood, a Brixton firm.

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Minutes of the LCC Education Committee 1909

LCC facsimile of final plans 1909, with additions By October 1909, plans had been drawn and contractors engaged…

Minutes of the LCC Education Committee 1909 …12-28 Hackford Road (pictured) were demolished to make way for the school. Some tenants had to be ‘coaxed’ to leave.

Collage Record No: 94054 Artist: Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018

Title: 12-28 Hackford Road: front elevations Catalogue No: SC_PHL_01_247_75_7516

Description: 12-28 Hackford Road: front elevations Accession No.: 1272c

Date of Execution: 1909

Medium: photograph

29/11/2017 © City of London: London Metropolitan Archives http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk

https://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/tempFileHandler.php?f=print1304079848670304276.html&dn=Image&WINID=1511977639986 Page 1 of 1 “Suitable in respect of personal character”

entral schools were city schools which selected pupils from Other factors were also taken into consideration: surrounding elementary schools and taught them to a higher C level. Selection for entry to the school was the responsibility of special committees, made up of one manager from each feeder school (shown below). One committee member visited each child at school and at home before a decision was made. 1915

1918

Minutes of Managers Lambeth Central and Special Schools 1912-1939 LCC EO/PS/5/6 1938

The selection committee also chose which pupils were to be awarded a bursary (Junior County Exhibition) - of about £10 per year - in order to relieve their parents from the financial burden of keeping an employable child at school. Only children whose family income was less than £160 pa could gain a JCE. Until 1918 the payments were graded according to need. and after that, major or minor awards were given. The Reay school 1912 - 1939

The pictures on the right compare Reay Central Boys’ school in the 1920s-30s with the same view today. Above, the school athletes display their impressive trophies and below, senior boys watch a science demonstration. The plans below show that a new science wing was built up the stairs on the left of the photographs in 1912. In addition to sport and science, the boys received a good general education with an emphasis on commercial skills like book-keeping. Boys desiring a technical training would have hoped to go to Vauxhall Central or the Beaufoy Institute nearby.

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Collage Record No: 180977 Artist:

TitleCity: Hackford Roadof School, London Brixton Collage onlineCatalogue Noimage: SC_PHL_02_0243_Z_SP4 archive

Description: Hackford Road School, Brixton: group of older boys and teacher Accession No.:

Date of Execution:

Medium: photograph

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LCC facsimile of final plans 1912, with additions

Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 What the papers said about Reay Central school

© The British Library Board Newspaper Archive Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 1931 Goodwill Day “The Drifters”

Wireless will carry their promises high over the clouds of petty international jealousy

The Daily Herald 16 May, 1931© The British Library Board Newspaper Archive In an event sponsored by The Daily Herald and organised by the President of the NUT, E Dawson of the Reay school was one of five London school children chosen to exchange messages of peace by radio and international telephone calls with children around the world. To do this the pupils had to use the office of the Assistant Postmaster General, at the House of Commons. The Daily Herald 7 July,1931© The British Library Board Newspaper Archive Listening in were the chairman of the Board of Education and the Prime Minister. The event marks the anniversary of the Hague Peace Conference in 1899. Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 “Villa upset by Hogan ‘find’” January 1939

is one of Arsenal’s all-time greats. So Reg Lewis famous that he is one of twenty-four players depicted around the walls of the stadium. Reg was born in Staffordshire in 1919 but went to Reay Central school until 1935 when he started playing for Arsenal, turning professional in 1937. During his first 10 years at Arsenal, Reg’s average score rate was between one and two goals per match. However, goals scored during the war years do not count in league tables so he is listed as the twelfth highest scorer ever for the team. One of his finest hours was scoring two goals agaist Liverpool to win the FA Cup in April 1950 (pictured below)

Read more abot Reg at https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/heroes-together-no-29-reg-lewis

watch the 1950 FA Cup Here The Daily Herald, January 1939 © The British Library Board Newspaper Archive Holland Street PD School

olland Street special school was built by the London County Council in 1913. HPresiding at the grand opening ceremony in January 1914 was the chairman of the LCC education committee, alongside a range of local and international dignitaries. The school provided for 80 disabled chidren and 45 older girls:

“The new special school is a one-story building, designed to accommodate 125 physically defective (sic) children. All the classrooms have a westerly aspect and are provided with casement

LCC facsimile of final plans 1912, with additions doors opening directly into the playground, and protected from the weather by projecting eaves. “A teachers’ and a medical room, cloak-rooms and offices are features of the structure, and all are easily accessible from the playground. A play shed and small garden plots are in positions that will enable the children to profit by recreation or industry carried on in the open air”

The Daily Telegraph, 29 January 1914

21-31 Holland Street,1960s City of London Collage online image archive

Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 1920 -1930s: LCC photos of Holland Street PD school

1920 -1930s: LCC photos of Holland Street PD schools Amalgamation

By 1950, Holland Street PD school had been renamed Caldwell Street PD school. The school continued into the 1960s, at which time the pupils were transferred to other special schools nearby and the buildings were incorporated into Reay Primary school, forming the Infant School wing.

Does anyone remember the Special Needs needs school that was in Caldwell Street? I used to attend there every day. It was a Junior school and the headmistress was when I first went there a Miss Young. When she left Mrs Allan took over. There were ladies who attended on the green coaches which bought us all to school, a Mrs Taylor (quite strict I remember but very kind) a Mrs Ennis, Miss Aldrich, I can’t remember the fourth lady. Also when I left thereI went to Venetian Road school opposite Kings College hospital which has also been pulled down. Avril Heron 2016 ovalhistory.co.uk

Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 Reay Primary School

eay Central school pupils were evacuated along with 600,000 other London Rschoolchildren in September,1939. Initially, London schools were sent to areas around the Home Counties: Reay Central went to Caversham, Berkshire. The Christmas party given there for all the children in December 1939 is the last mention of the school. During the war years, the schooling of London children was problematic. Many schools were damaged by bombs. Evacuees trickled back to London before being sent even further away when the Blitz began. Returning children might find no school or no-one to teach them. Reay Emergency School (girls) opened in March 1943. By July it had a roll of 224, with a waiting list. The girls were of Junior/Middle school age (8-11+). School, or at least admissions, continued throughout By the late 1940s the school had settled down, with regular the summer of 1943. The pupils were returning from arrivals aged 8+ and departures at 11+ to local secondary, all over Britain - Cardiff, Devon, Dorset, Gateshead, grammar and (a few) private schools. Manchester, Olsworthy, Northumberland, Paisley; as In 1963 Reay was listed in LCC records as a primary JMI well as from other local primary and infant schools. school for the first time. This probably reflected the A very small number of pupils were admitted acquisition of the Caldwell Street school site. During the throughout the 1940s from Reay Infants. 1970s, LCC architectural records show changes to the The school seems to have started taking boys in original plans of both schools and the two school buildings 1946, with about half the boys arriving from all over were successfully amalgamated. the country, as well as about half joining from LCC Architects made a record of the modernised buildings, Hackford Road school. which, together with other historic photos of the school and surrounding streets, are shown overleaf: 29/11/2017, 17)36

Collage Record No: 180977 Artist:

Title: Hackford Road School, Brixton Catalogue No: SC_PHL_02_0243_Z_SP4

Description: Hackford Road School, Brixton: group of older boys and teacher Accession No.:

Date of Execution:

Medium: photograph

29/11/2017 © City of London: London Metropolitan Archives http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk

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1920 -1930s: LCC photos of Reay Central Boys’ and Holland Street PD schools

Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 21-31 Holland Street,1960s City of London Collage online image archive

1960s:views of South Island place and Holland Street credit: M Trace; LCC 1970s: LCC photos of Reay Primary School Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 References 1901 Census - Hackford road/Holland Street 1901

Arsenal Football Club website

City of London Collage online picture archive

Education in England website D Gillard

Lambeth Archives: Lambeth Landmark

London County Council Education Records 1905-1978

London Metropolitan Archives

Oval History website

Reay Primary School Archives 1943-1960 The British Library Board Newspaper Archive 1912-1939

The Daily Telegraph 29 January 1914

The Vauxhall Society website

Amanda Gay for Reay Primary School July 2018 [email protected]