Forest Row C of E Primary School

1851-1970

The original  school, which was located on Hartfield Road on the site which is now the Community Centre, was built in 1851, 19 years before compulsory education.

On 30 April 1851 Viscount Gage conveyed this one acre site for use as a new national school. The land belonged to the Manor of Maresfield and was given to the church under a trust deed to provide a school for the education of the village children. Architectural plans were drawn up by John L Parsons in the same year and the school opened in the following January. The cost of the buildings, which were to be stone with slated roofs, was estimated at £750 and towards this sum £300 was raised and an application had been made to the Eductaion Department which resulted in grant of £160.10s. The Diocese offered £60 and The National Society agreed to contribute £50. The final cost amounted to £790.17.5d the deficit being raised by local effort. The Headmaster’s house was in the middle, the boys on the east and the girls on the west. In 1854 there were 116 boys, 93 girls and 42 infants on the roll and it was proposed to add a classroom 16ft by 14ft for the boys (Plans). This work was completed in October 1854 at a final cost of £139.

The Church was the first to realize the value of education and was a worthy pioneer, but when education became a national concern it was unable to meet the standards required. Ever since then responsibility has been with the Local Education Authority

The girls and boys were taught separately until 1920. 

In 1926 the parish room was used as a canteen. It was one of the first canteens in the country. The voluntary staff prepared meals at 4d. each which brought in a profit.

The Hambro hall was built in 1933 as a memorial to Mrs Hambro, who was drowned in Loch Ness. It was used as domestic science for the Senior  girls and woodwork for the Senior boys.

In 1935 the Local Education Authority reorganized schools to provide adequate accomodation for the senior pupils. The buildings were enlarged at a cost of £2,267.13.3d with the work being completed in October 1936. Apart from a grant of 10% from the National Society all the money was raised by local effort.

During World War 2 pupils from schools in Dover and Balham came to Forest Row for their education. At this time there were 360 on the roll so the Scout Hut and Womens Institute Rooms were used. There was little shelter so a boy lay on the flat roof and when the flying bombs came over gave a warning whistle and the pupils dived under the desks until the all-clear. In 1944 some of the pupils were evacuated from “Bomb Alley” to Cardiganshire in West Wales and returned at Christmas that same year.

In 1945 the Parents Association was formed.

When the 1944 Education Act came into force, the managers of the school asked the Local Education Authorities to take over the school as a “controlled” school and in 1948 this was done.

On the 29th July 1959 the school was re-organized again and the seniors were transferred to Sackville School in East Grinstead. The Headmaster at the time was a Mr Jupp. Forest Row School then became a Primary School only.

In February 1964 the Evening Argus reported that the School had been allocated a swimming pool. This was delivered in kit form on 15th April 1964 with the school responsible for providing a level site and installation.

On 23rd September 1964 the Headmaster, Mrs Jupp and the children of Junior 4 attended the unveiling of a memorial stone at the village hall commemorating the visit of the late John F Kennedy, 35th President of the US, to the parish on 30th June 1963. 

The School continued to grow and two prefab classrooms were erected in 1965 and 1966 to accomodate the extra pupils. In addition a new canteen was installed and used for the first time on 25th April 1966.

List of Headteachers of the Girls' and Infants' School

List of Headteachers of the Boys' and Mixed Schools

NB: From 1882, the recognised Head was the Headmaster, although the girls and boys were taught seperately. The Head Teachers' wife was the responsible mistress for the girls until 1920.

1970-Present

In the early 1970s a purpose built Infant School was built on the present site to accommodate the youngest children of the Primary age-range. This was officially opened on 7th July 1971 (Programme). In 1992 the two departments merged when the new building - primarily a Junior Department, was added to the Infant School. this was ready for use on 3rd September 1992, the first day of the 1992-1993 School year.

In the summer of 2009 an outside "learning pod" was built on the school's playing fields due to the generosity of parents and the PTA.

On the 31st March 2010, after 19 years at the school, Mr Ian Allison retired from the post of Head Teacher. Whilst the search for a new Head Teacher continues, Ms Emma Twaddell has stepped into the role as Acting Head Teacher.

List of Headteachers

 Acknowledgements

Forest Row School (article by N. Ralph in a pamphlet “Education in East Grinstead” by the pupils of Imberhorne County School Secondary School)

National Archives.

Forest Row School Log Books 1959-1977 and 1978-1999

Forest Row School 1851-1951 by H.G.Verrall

The National Society