"Templars
School Reunion"
The Story of "Templars and Whoberley Schools" ...
"THE STORY OF A SCHOOL" Templars Primary School - First Printed 1996
THE SWINGING SIXTIES The Sixties were the times of the Mini-skirt, the Beatles and Flower Power. This seems to have passed Templars’ by, unscathed (except in some of the Staff photographs). Mr. Manning was Head of a School of Four hundred and eighty pupils in fifteen classes, with fifteen teachers and one part-time. There was also an unqualified teacher. Miss Ayleward was Head of the Senior Girls and Miss Ward still ruled the Infants, which had thirteen classes in total. In April 1960 there were Four hundred and sixty pupils on the School roll. The year 1960 passed with visits by the juniors to Balsall, Wilmcote, Charlecote and Kenilworth. Other classes visited the Cathedral and historic buildings in the city. The School took part in the Area Sports and held their own Sports Day. August brought a visit from Mr. Ivor Little of the’SS Constantia’. The correspondence with this ship, through the British Ship Adoption Society continued but we don’t find out what happened to the previous ship, the ‘Fernhurst’. The year ended with Carol Services for both Infants and juniors. The juniors sending the Collection to the Lord Mayor’s Parcel Fund for Old People. The Lord Mayor and The Lady Mayoress were frequent visitors to School concerts and Christmas parties. And the Lord Mayor granted all the schools in Coventry a day’s holiday every year. School visits continued but only for short journeys. Cold weather, snow and frozen toilets are mentioned each year. In September 1961, the Caretaker, Mr. Morrison retired and Mr. Leighton took his place. Mr Morrison had been with the School since before the war. The Junior School in 1962 visited the Peakirk Wild Fowl Trust and Charlecote Park. Some of the children went to a Service in the New Cathedral. The year ended with ‘Carols of Many Nations’ in the School hall on the 18th of December. In 1963, the Junior School performed ‘The Snow Queen’ written by Mr Radford and costumed by Mrs Pieper. This is when names of teachers become familiar. I remember Mr. Radford quite well and both Miss Cramp and Miss Elliman taught my own children. The early years of the Sixties continued in a routine fashion. The logbooks record the usual incidents, teachers absences, minor accidents to children but not much excitement. Carol Seedhouse (Nee Morrow) recalls her Schooldays in these years. "I began School life at Templars’ Infant School, at the age of five, when Schools then admitted pupils after Christmas and after Easter." "I went through my Schooldays at Templars’ until the education system changed in 1969, when Secondary Modern Schools were changed to Comprehensive, so in my fourth year at Senior School, just before my C.S.E. exams I had to change Schools. This was not very helpful as I found studies and exams very nerve-racking. But I managed to get five C.S.E.’s and stayed on into Sixth Form to take ‘0’ Level Art. I left full time education in 1971, the year decimalization came into force." "During my years at Templars’ Infants, there were several more ‘temporary huts’ between the playground and the large playing field. One of the huts was my, first classroom. My first teacher was Miss Elliman. I also remember Mrs. Cramp. I was never in her class but I remember her playing the piano in the Infant hail. I can remember being shy (!) and not liking performances or having to read out loud. I can also remember, in the Infants, at the end of the day, being told to fold our arms on the table, (or desk as they were then) putting our heads down on our arms and being quiet before we went home when the bell went. We sometimes played a game with the teacher’s keys at this time. While our heads were down, the teacher would put her large bunch of keys on her big table at the front of the class. She would then select a child to quietly come forward and try to pick up the keys without making a sound. I liked that game." "I remember summer outings to Twycross Zoo. I think we also went on visits to Dudley Zoo near Birmingham. I can remember how exciting it was to take our packed lunches and go out on a coach trip for the day." "I also remember School swimming lessons. I was terrified of water, I still am. But having the Instructor standing on the side of the pool not even getting wet, telling me what to do wasn’t the solution. I knew how to perform the actions, it was the fear of the water that was the problem." "I remember the first day of one session of swimming lessons, I was walking past the now derelict huts, which were then classrooms, by the dining room in the Lower Junior playground, when the window was flung open and hit me on the forehead. I held my head, which was covered in blood. Apparently I had a metal staple in my head. My Mum was called out of work and we went to Hospital where I had three stitches. Needless to say I managed to get out of swimming lessons for that term. It was a painful way of avoiding my fear of water. A few years ago, at the age of thirty-nine, I was determined to face my fear and I spent a lot of time at a quiet swimming pool, where the people were very patient with me and eventually I receive my Ten Metre Badge. But I still don’t go near water unless I have to. At least I know I could get out of danger if I needed to." "From a young age I can always remember we had pets around the house, rabbits, a dog, my Granddad’s cats and chickens in the country. I shall always remember one day in Templars’ juniors, when Mr. Manning was Headmaster. My parents and I lived in Limbrick Avenue, opposite the top School gate, so I used to roll out of bed at eight thirty, wash, dress, and eat breakfast and manage to arrive at School for nine when the bell rang. (I never arrived late.) Soon after the bell had gone, I was called to the Office. Wondering what I had done, I entered the Headmaster’s Office where my pet dog, a corgi, who was crying and trying to escape, greeted me. Apparently he had escaped from the house and came to School to find me. Mr. Manning wasn’t very happy, as Bobby, the dog, had dragged the big heavy office desk around the room. He was glad to see me take the dog home securely attached to a rope made out of drill bands." "On the whole my days spent at Templars’ School were happy days. I’ve always lived in the area of Tile Hill, only crossing into Mount Nod when I married, then we moved into Ash Tree Avenue, where we’ve lived for the past nineteen years and my three children have known as home all their lives. They too have passed through Templars’ for their early education. Alison then moved to Tile Hill Wood. David to Woodlands Boys School, and Richard is now in his final year at Templars’ Primary, as it is now known. This year, 1996-1997, will probably be a most difficult year for our family, as it will be for others connected with the School, as the old buildings are to be replaced with a new modern purpose built school for the millennium." "I guess we have to progress and the old has to be replaced by the new, but as a family we are coming to a sad day when the old Templars’ has to go. Templars’ has played a large part in moulding our lives." Carol Seedhouse (Nee Morrow) Mrs Mary Poole (Nee Waddell) remembers her Schooldays. "I attended Templars’ between 1957 - 1963. I have fond memories. The teachers were strict but very good. I especially liked Mr. Manning, the Headteacher. I remember all the Junior School lined up in the playground every morning doing Drill whatever the weather. I liked Assembly-all singing and being together in that way, then back in the classroom, the teacher would go over the words of the morning hymn so that we understood what we were singing." "One day our teacher was away, so Mr. Manning took us. He offered us all a eucalyptus sweet, if we didn’t spit it out, so we all had one (I’ve never wanted one since). Then and more importantly, he taught us the Ten Commandments, with emphasis, so we really knew them. The only other teachers I remember are Miss Case and Miss Varney." "I liked History and Arithmetic lessons. I’m sure Templars’ put me in good stead. I went on to Tile Hill Wood." Mrs Mary Poole (Nee Waddell) In 1964 there were visits by the juniors to Dudley Zoo, Woburn Abbey, Temple Balsall Church, Charlecote and the Royal Show. Miss Ward, the Infant Headmistress, retired in December 1964 and Mrs. Bown became the new Head. When School opened in September 1965, there were Five hundred and twenty-two children on roll in the Junior Department, sixteen classes in all. Three hundred and thirty five children had School meals in three sittings. 1965 saw the opening of the new kitchens for two sittings of both Infants and juniors. The Medway Huts were still in use as Dining Rooms for one hundred and twenty children. Unfortunately on Monday, April 26th, the heaters broke down, dinner was three quarters of an hour late and the kitchen was out of use until further notice. Not a very good beginning. It was re-opened some time later only to have the hot water fail on the same day and close again. Patsie Hartley remembers. "I went to Templars’ Infants in 1965 then I remember needlework and knitting with Mrs. Holloway, who used to bring in her Bassett Hound. I also remember being in the PE Teams, playing Rounders on a Saturday morning, and singing the Templars’ Song: One Plus, Two Plus, etc. up till Templars." "I remember School milk. Mr. and Mrs. Hall were the PE teachers. Mrs Viner taught us Music, I played instruments on the stage." "At this time there was no School uniform. I usually wore red as I supported Manchester United. I stayed for School dinners until the juniors, when I used to go home with my friend Jane for lunch. "In the Junior School we took an Eleven Plus Examination which I passed and went on to Grammar School in 1971. "At Templars’ I had many happy memories. We had our own School newspaper which we used to print ourselves, and we learned lots of useful things like sewing, knitting and gardening, and we had a School shop, with shelves full of items like a real supermarket, where we would learn how to buy goods and add up the cost." Patsie Hartley 1966 brought visits to Birmingham Museum, Bitteswell Farms, Warwick Castle, Whitley Zoo and Kenilworth. The last year of this decade saw another final for football. The Football Shield Match against Finham ended in a 1-1 draw. There was a performance of ‘Hansel and Gretel’ at Christmas. September 1969 saw the end of an era at Templars’ School. The Senior Girls moved on to Tile Hill Wood, and the old School became all juniors. They must have enjoyed the extra room this gave them. A change was to come soon for the whole country and in preparation, the old Domestic Science Room, now the Parentaˆ™s Room, became a supermarket to help the children prepare for decimalization.
[click here] ... continued Chapter Six
Acknowledgements
Thank you to all the
old pupils and staff who have helped in the production of this history.
Thank you to Mrs. Clay who has put this History together.
Make this a reunion to remember! Thankyou.
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