Parent Handbook

Shirley Infant and Junior Schools have celebrated their centenary in a range of events held during June.

The aim was to hold a series of events that would appeal to past and present pupils and staff and would involve the local community members who were interested in the school.

Search for the oldest past pupil

It all began with a radio advert appealing for past pupils to get in touch. It was hoped that past pupils would contact us and we could find the oldest past pupil and invite them to school. We were contacted by Edward Jock Scammel 96 who remembers going to Shirley Boys School. He left in 1930 at the age of 14 and his name was found  in the admissions book.

Mr Scammel came to look around the school and met our current youngest pupil, Yashan Robinson. Together they put the final pieces into the centenary mosaic. Pictured here with Hilary Moore, artist and past pupil who worked with the children to design and create commemorative mosaics.

Centenary Mosaic

Under the guidance of Hilary Moore, an artist and past pupil of the school the children of both schools helped to design and create mosaics to commemorate the centenary of the schools. The Infant School mosaic depicts the school logo and the woodland animals that the classes are named after, while the Junior School mosaic shows the school’s familiar owl logo along with children’s own designs of activities that represent activities they like to do at school.

 

History Evening

On Wednesday 11th June,  170 past pupils of the schools joined current staff for a celebration evening which included tours of both schools, a talk on the history of the schools by Michaela Lawler-Lavene ( FOSJP Shirley Heritage Project) and an opportunity to view an exhibition of artefacts related to the schools which had been assembled by Michaela and a team of willing and hard working volunteers who spent hours trawling through archives and contacting past pupils for information about the fascinating story of the Shirley Schools.

Children's Fun Day

For the current pupils at the school Friday was a fun day!  Infants and Juniors had a picnic lunch in the grounds (thankfully not spoilt by rain, although the wind seemed gale force!) which was followed by fantastic entertainers.

In the Junior hall African Acrobats entertained the children with an amazing and daring display which left the children cheering and clapping, while in the Infant playground a stunt bike team attempted impressive tricks.

Centenary Summer Fair

On Saturday the celebrations concluded with a centenary summer fair which opened up the schools to the local community. Despite the windy weather a great number turned out to support the schools including the current Mayor, Councillor Derek Burke and the Lady Mayoress, Mrs Christina Burke.

Visitors were conducted around the schools by school staff and were able to enjoy the history exhibition, while others were entertained by pupils from both schools showcasing their talents which included singing, dancing, and drama performances.

So the school bell rang each day to summon the children to school, the Infant children dressed up in Edwardian costume to learn about life at school 100 years ago and the Juniors considered their own and past pupils’ favourite school memories.

We hope that the children will take away from the week memories that will last well into the future and that they will one day say ‘I remember being at Shirley when we celebrated 100 years…..’  If so, then it will all have been worthwhile.

The oldest pupils that we’ve heard from are Gwendoline Kitchener (nee Gwendoline Hancock), aged 97, and Mr Scammel, now in Bitterne, who was born in 1916. Mr Scammel came into school as part of the school centenary celebrations and, together with the youngest child in the Infants School, placed the final piece in the Centenary Mosiac. He remembers Shirley School being a hard place and a place you endured not a place you enjoyed yourself. Caning was used often, especially if you were late and he did not remember there being any school trips.

Gwendoline Kitchener (nee Gwendoline Hancock) was born in 1915, lived at 39 Wilton Rd (now demolished) until the mid-1930s and attended the school from 1920-1929. She was interviewed for the Friends of St. James' Park (FoSJP) Shirley Heritage Project, an oral history project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and excerpts from these interviews have been shared with the schools. She recalls being happy and working hard at school:

“The teachers I remember were Miss Fryer - that was the last teacher, Miss O’Dell the physical exercise teacher and Miss Cornish who was just well there and Miss Knight who was the head teacher. Every Empire Day we used to have a tableau - all the children dressed up as the countries of the Empire - and Miss Hawksworth always used to sing Land of Hope and Glory and of course we were all very proud of the Empire but of course it’s not there anymore is it?

It’s a three storey school as you know - with infants, girls and boys. The headmaster at the time was a Mr Downton - Dicky Downton we used to call him but of course we didn’t see much of the boys because their playground was away from ours and the children’s.

The headmistress was Miss Knight - of course we had Barnado’s Girls going to our School then because they lived over the other side of the Recreation Ground in Wordsworth Road I think and they had Hollybrook Home for the boys at Hollybrook .

I don’t remember much else - I was very happy at school - it was a very happy school and I liked the teachers very much but I don’t know what else I can tell you about it.”

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Kath Vincent has written in to tell us about her mother, Violet Stansbridge (born in 1920), who was at Shirley School in the late 20s-early 30s. She has sent in this photo; Violet is on the left of the photo standing 6^th in line wearing a lighter cardigan. Violet lived at the lodge in Hollybrook Cemetery.

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Stephen Massey’s great uncle’s son Jack Symons (born 1920) attended Shirley school and this photo shows his class. Unfortunately, Jack died aged about 13.

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Ray Hancock (Gwendoline Hancock’s nephew) wrote to say that his mother (Freda Hancock nee Freda Jurd) attended Shirley School, as well as his father and his mother’s two brothers and most of his father’s nine brothers and sisters. His mother Mrs Freda Hancock was interviewed for the Friends of St. James' Park (FoSJP) Shirley Heritage Project, an oral history project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and excerpts from these have been shared with the schools. She was at Shirley School from 1927, leaving in 1936 when she was 14, and she talks about her memories of the school and the teachers, including using slates and slate pencils in the Infants School, which she started when she was 5 in 1927. When she was 7 she moved up to the Senior School which was on the 1st floor of the building (the boys were on the 2nd floor). She remembers that partitions between 3 classrooms were removed to make an assembly hall. They were taught Arithmetic, English, English Literature, Penmanship and Handwriting, History, Geography, Hygiene, Art, PE, RE, Anthology, Cookery, Laundry and Housewifery. She remembers school trips to the Isle of Wight, and to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court. She has sent us some of her school work and a photo taken in the school play. She remembers playground games including: Dibs, Skipping, Oranges and Lemons, The Farmers in His Den, and a variety of ball bouncing games.

Her older brother Raymond was also at the school before her (leaving in 1931). He was killed in 1944, aged 27.

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Margaret O’Connor has sent us some lovely old pictures of her mother, Joan Massey, nee Joan Symons and her aunt, Dorothy Pearce, nee Dorothy Symons who were at Shirley School in the 1920s, with Joan leaving in 1932. Joan was the Head Prefect and she has sent in her school reports and references written by her class teacher.

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Hazel Crates (nee Hazel Hicks) was born 1924 and attended Shirley School. The Hicks family ran a milk bar and dairy shop on Shirley High Street and in 1930 they entered a float in Shirley Carnival, which raised money for the Shirley Children's Hospital.

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Betty Riggs was at Shirley School in the early 30s and she sent in a school photo. She remembers Miss Cornish and Miss Fry (teachers) and Doreen Dimmock, Betty and Peter Allen, David Atkinson, and Pamela Holloway (children).

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Jean Doe was at Shirley Infants School in the mid-30s. She remembers it as a sad time: she had been sent home from a sanatorium and was living in Hollybrook Homes. She was there for about 8 months, unbeknownst to her mother and step father who were also in hospital.

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Carole Tidd (nee Carole Parsons) (Shirley School 1949-1955) told us about her mother Irene Parsons, nee Irene Trim, and her friends Betty Watts (nee Betty Hollingsworth) and Larsina Robertson  (nee Larsina Plowman) who started school together in 1929, aged 5 years old and have stayed in touch since they left school aged 11. In addition, Carole’s sister Nicola went to Shirley School and her nephew, Christopher, started school there in 1994.

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Rosemary Earle is now 87 and attended Shirley Junior School from the age of about 7 (around 1932). She particularly remembers feeling concerned about the children from the children's home (up Winchester Road) as they had no gloves to wear.

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Mr Harrison came along to the School Centenary Celebration Evening and brought these photos of his Infants School class (1936) and Junior School class (1938).

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Jean Behan, nee Jean Spencer, was at Shirley School remembers leaving the school at the outbreak of war in 1939 to be evacuated to Bournemouth.

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Ann Bassil was at Shirley School from 1941 to 1945; her mother did not want her to be evacuated so delayed her starting school. She says:

“When I started I believe the Army were still using the school - (I did not know that Shirley pupils had been evacuated, my older brother was removed to Bournemouth with Taunton’s - he had a pretty awful time) so I went to classes in a room at St James Methodist church. That was only a few weeks then we transferred to Shirley and I remember there were odd writings on the walls - Sergeants Mess, Ablutions and other odd notices..”

Jean Scott (nee Jean Brown) started Shirley School in 1949. She says:

“Fascinating to think that the school opened the same year as Titanic went down. I wonder how many pupils lost their fathers in the accident as I know many of the crew lived in the Shirley area. Luckily my Grandfather turned down working as an engineer on Titanic as my grandmother was expecting my father that fateful April though they were still living in Liverpool in 1912.”

She sent in the school photo and her school report! After passing her 11+ in 1956 she went to the Girls Grammar School along with about 15 others. Her reports show the subjects taught in the Girls School were English, Arithmetic, Handwriting and Needlework. Now living in East Yorkshire, she still has relatives in Southampton.

She has written a brilliant resume of her time at Shirley School, from which I have extracted some memories:

“Although we didn’t have a strict school uniform the school colour was green and where possible we were encouraged to wear green.”

“The main school building was divided into three sections. The ground floor was for the mixed infants, the middle floor for Junior girls and the top floor for the Junior boys. The boys played in the front playground facing Wilton Road and the infants and girls on the back playground which had a large wooden opened fronted hut where we could gather on cold days. It also had a couple of Nissen type huts for extra classrooms, outdoor loos and a small climbing frame.”

“Once in the Junior Girls we were divided into two classes according to ability. Lessons were very structured with everyone facing the front and working individually. As we progressed up the schools some lessons were focused towards the eleven plus exam. If you passed your eleven plus there were several schools the girls went go to The Girls’ Grammar in Hill Lane or St Anne’s. The boys went to King Edward’s or Taunton School. Otherwise you went to Regent’s Park or Shirley Warren which were mixed secondary schools.”

“Towards the end of last summer term at Shirley School not only did we enjoy a boat trip to the Isle of Wight to visit Carisbrooke Castle, most of the class went to spend a week down at Calshot. There were very few outings although we did go to the Common to sketch trees one summer.”

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We have also heard from Joan Guy (nee Joan Hunt) (also in the photo above!). She was at Shirley School from 1952 to 1956, before going to St Anne’s Convent Grammar School on passing her 11+. She still lives in Upper Shirley and also has a copy of the school photo and memories of the school trip to the Isle of Wight.

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Maurice Rowles (1949-1956) wrote in and made a special mention of Mr Spratley, who:

“had the marvellous knack of getting the best out of us children.”

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Val Stoten (nee Val Stilwell) filled in a Memory Form at the Centenary Summer Fair. She was at Shirley School from 1950-1956, when Miss Toms was the Head of the Infants School and Miss Ferrant the Head Mistress of the Girls Junior School. In those days, the school day was from 9-12, 1.30-4. She remembers that the classes were arranged in rows of wooden desks, with about 40 pupils per class and 3 classes per year. In her first year of Junior School her class was in a hut in the playground with a coal burning stove. Punishment was being hit on hand with a ruler and writing lines. She recalls being tested on mental maths and spelling each week and moved placed in class accordingly. The cleverest person sat in the top left hand corner and least able in front row right - in front of the teacher!

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Alan Warwick-Moore kindly sent in some pictures of the school play and school choir as well as the school photo from his time at the school in the mid-late 50s. He remembers Mr Spratley in charge of the choir (in the picture of the choir below) and Mr Wheeler the headmaster.

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Stephen Massey was at Shirley Infant School and Junior School, starting the Junior School in 1953, and has written in with his memories. Brother to Margaret O’Connor, his mother Joan Symons went to the school as did his children and his nephews. He includes a wonderful description of teacher, Mr Spratley:

“Rodney Spratley seemed a giant of a man, hugely liked and respected by most, who with enormous enthusiasm bestrode the class with an extraordinary ability to look one way but, with laser like accuracy, throw a piece of chalk which would ping off the head of a talking boy.”

Mr Spratley organised a week long school trip walking in the Lake District and devised an inventive way to keep the children safe:

“Our mothers had to knit us brightly coloured "Pom Pom " hats, so we didn't get lost on the Tube, crossing London, or on the Fellside.”

Stephen emphasises the change in lifestyles over the period – his grandparents’ generation were at sea (his grandfather (George Symons) was a look-out on the Titanic) and his great uncle’s children died young of illness and in childbirth. His mother remembered being asked to stand if they had lost a relative in "The Great War" and they celebrated "Empire Day" and had "Bevois Treats" which was an outing for all school children in Southampton.  In his year nearly all the children from Shirley School passed their 11+ and went to King Edward’s or Taunton’s. He mentions Michael Bichard who was in the year below him at Shirley Juniors and followed him to University and to Law College and is now Lord Bichard of Nailsworth, and Brian Maidment, Professor of English at Salford University.

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Val and Dave Corbett met at Shirley School in the 1950s before going to Regent’s Park School and marrying in 1966. They came along to the Centenary Celebration Evening and brought Val’s class photos (both from the Junior School, apparently before and after the introduction of school uniform!) and a photo of Dave dated 1949. Dave says:

“We remember the school well and I have painful memories of the Air Raid shelters where I remember running round and tripping over landing on my nose against the railings, my Mum was not impressed when I went home after school and she looked at the state of my face!!!”

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Carol Waters (nee Carol Gardner) brought her class photo from 1953/54 to the Centenary Summer Fair.

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Sue Burgess (nee Sue-Ann Jefferies) sent in a set of photos of the school recorder group and of the school choir with Miss Dominic, the conductor from around 1956/1957.

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Angela Cox (nee Angela Hughes) and Susan Ponsford both remember Miss Ferrant from their time at Shirley School in the 1950s. Susan remembers Mrs Caddy was school secretary, and the teachers were Mrs Anderson, Miss Light, and Mrs Prendergast. Angela and her six sisters (Marilyn, Pamela, Yvonne, Lorraine, Wendy and Valerie) all attended Shirley School. Angela’s form mistress in her last year was Mrs Dennis who was a keen needle-worker; Angela remembers:

“She was a keen needleworker and every Friday we had "nail inspection" to check clean hands and fingernails before doing any needlework. A spelling test was also done every Friday plus we learnt our tables by rote. We all moved on to either Girls Grammar or the grammar course at Regents Park.”

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Susan Ponsford very kindly allowed us to scan a collection of letters which she was sent from her school friends while she was in the Children’s Hospital in 1952, her school reports from 1951, 1952, and 1953, school photo (below), writing book dated 1948 (when she was 6), and her Coronation Scrapbook, for which she won a school prize.

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Margaret O’Connor (nee Margaret Massey) was at Shirley School from 1952 to 1959, following her mother (nee Joan Symons). She remembers receiving the coronation mug and has sent in the following photo of the swimming team and of the teacher. She remembers Miss Ferrant as the Head Teacher in the late 1950s.

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John Stonehouse got in touch after hearing about the School Centenary Celebration on Radio Solent. He lived in Bourne Avenue and went to Shirley Infant and Junior Schools from about 1952/53 to about 1960, before going to Regents Park Secondary School. He remembers Mr Beard, Mr Hoskins and Mr Seabrook as teachers and school trips to Weymouth, Swanage, and Bristol Zoo.

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Maggie Read (nee Margaret Scullard) sent in a school photo from 1953/1954 (shows the houses in Shayer Rd which were knocked down in the mid-late 1980s).

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Jean Bull (nee Jean Russell) filled in a Memory Form at the Centenary Summer Fair; she was at the school from 1954-1958 when Miss Ferrant was the Head Mistress. She remembers her classroom being in a Nissen hut in playground for 2 years and the cane being used for punishment.

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Julie Smith (nee Julie Sharp) was at Shirley School from 1954-1961 and has written in with her school memories and photos. She mentions the outside toilets which were replaced during the time she was at the Junior School and the punishment line:

“I don’t imagine that any pupils from Miss Ferrant’s era will have forgotten the punishment line. For misbehaving in class you had to spend playtime standing in the corridor facing the wall outside Miss Ferrant’s office. No matter how much you tried to look as if you were reading notices on the wall it was quite obvious to everyone streaming past after playtime the reason for you standing there!”

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Josephine Sanderson (nee  Josephine Sharp), Julie’s sister was in the year below Julie and has written in with her school memories. She was at Shirley School from 1955-1962 when she left to go to the Girls Grammar School. She remembers:

“Mrs O'Driscoll, the last teacher I had in the Infants school was lovely and mumsy and came to my birthday party.  Milk left to warm (awful!) by the heaters in the outside classroom.  The old shelter in the playground that we had to stand under during wet play times.  The punishment line (only once!).  Mashed potato left on the floor of the hall after lunch that was trodden on in bare feet during PE.  The excitement of the odd occasion when we listened to an educational broadcast on the radio. How I cried when Mrs Renkin left even though she had half terrified me when she was my teacher.  Did Mrs Hathaway really have a cane in her cupboard?

We had tests every term the results of which determined where we sat in the classroom for the next term - the girls with the highest marks sat at the back and then we sat in order until the bottom of the class sat under the teacher's nose at the front!  My parents and my teacher were puzzled as to why I would be within the top half dozen after one term's test, and so seated at the back of the classroom only to be moved to the very front of the classroom the next term because my marks were so low.  It was then discovered that my eyesight was poor and I could not see the blackboard (with the test questions on it as well as the term's lessons) from the back of the room.”

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Mrs Julie Mackay, who retired as head of the Infant School a few years ago, was a pupil at the school herself from 1955. Her grandfather (Mr Edward Hoare) had been the head of the Boys school and her aunt Miss Edith Hoare had started her teaching profession at the school. She remembers regular tests in the Junior school, the results of which determined where you sat in the class and a school trip to Kew Gardens.

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We heard from Heather Eves (nee Heather Lever) who has sent in her school memories and a fantastic collection of photos of the school, her class, the choir, recorder group, rounders and netball teams! Heather was at Shirley School from 1957 to 1963, as well as her sister Joan Symons (nee Lever), and was followed by her nephew and niece. Her great-niece is currently in Yr 4. (Also see the contribution from Teresa Willis (nee Symons), Heather’s niece, below.)

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Carolyn Fayle (nee Carolyn Croad) attended Shirley School from 1958-1962 followed by her sister, Jane Brown (nee Jane Croad) 1963-1970. Carolyn went on to become a teacher at various schools in Southampton, culminating in Head Teacher at St Denys Primary school for 11 years before retiring in 2011. She has sent in copies of her school report and her memories of the school. She remembers the teachers: Miss G Ferrant, Mrs Y Fish (Class 2), Mrs K Anderson (Class 4), Mrs E Renkin (Class 6), Mrs A Hathaway (Class 8).

“There used to be a punishment line outside headteacher’s office—hasten to add I never joined that but it did look ‘scary’.

I always went home for hot lunch cooked by my mother, walking each way rain or shine!

Cannot recall any trips but playtimes consisted of skipping, two-ball, 5 dibs and mostly 10 jacks/ball.

Each class had 1 teacher with no teaching assistants and it was a climate of regular testing working towards 11+ tests when 11 years old – the Shirley schools had a very good reputation for results in the city so we were constantly prepared/ trained for good outcomes particularly in the last year.

We were seated in order of outcome, having marks for each of the subjects above and an overall combined mark. The brightest sat in the back row and those girls needing more help were in the front, so we were moved according to marks.

Although in the same building as Shirley Junior Boys –we never ‘worked’ together or even saw the boys!! They resided on the top floor and used the Wilton Road play ground - we (the girls) were in the Bellemoor Road playground with the Infants.

All in all happy times”

Steve Salway (Shirley Boys School 1961-1963) has sent in his copy of the 1963 issue of the school magazine ‘Top Level’; he remembers receiving a prize of 5 shillings from Mr Wheeler for designing the front cover. The magazine contained articles on the school trips to London Airport, including a boat trip on the Thames, to London and to Summer School at Lee-on-Solent. He also sent in the Girls’ School magazine.

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We heard from Mary Jarvis (nee Mary Hook) who was at Shirley School from 1962-1969. She has sent in her memories of the school and remembers a swimming pool being put up in the playground in the summer (!) and the Queen’s visit to Southampton Common.

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Jill Bagley (nee Jill Mawer) brought two photos to the Centenary Summer Fair; the first showed her presenting a cheque to the Red Cross Resident following the Skopje earthquake disaster. Skopje is in Macedonia (was Yugoslavia) and the 1963 earthquake destroyed 80% of the city. The second showed her brother Guy Mawer in school uniform on the school roof 1958. Guy was the Head Boy at Shirley School, going on to be Head Boy at King Edwards. She remembers the words to the chorus of the school song!

“Onward Shirley Onwards
Swell we the chorus
Long may it echo
All else above
May we throughout the years before us
Cherish forever the school we love.”

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Lisa Thomas (nee Lisa Gregory) 1964-1972, sent in her school memories, together with pictures, including the following school photo (undated).  She was the first group of girls to join the Boys School in 1967 and remembers being in the school choir with Mr Spratley and winning the schools choir prize at the Central Hall.

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Paul Howard wrote in to say:

“When I was at Shirley Junior School in the late 1960s, I went on a school trip with Mr Spratley to the Lake District. This was my first experience of hill walking and I seem to remember walking in some pretty awful conditions. However, I was hooked and we went on many family holidays to the Lakes, and I've continued hill walking ever since.”

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Sandra Denton (nee Sandra Bassil) was at Shirley Junior/Middle School from 1967-1971. She brought in a photo of the performance of Firebird at Bellemoor School and remembers:

“The headteacher for most of that time was Mr Wheeler who was succeeded by Mr Barratt. I was the first year not to take the 11 plus and stay on at Shirley for an extra year.

Teachers I remember are: Mrs Smith, Deputy Head Mr Deadman, Mr Hunt and Mr Spratley.

My most vivid memories are of our choirs. The boys won many competitions, I seem to remember the girls’ choir usually coming 2^nd (we thought it was because Mr Spratley sang whilst conducting!) We performed what we thought at the time were quite forward items: Daniel Man Jazz, Jonah and West Side Story being just a few. Our Christmas Carol concert was held at the Isaac Watts Church. I was in the descant of the choir and we wore choristers’ robes!

I clearly remember Mr Spratley’s leaving assembly (he went to a Deputy position in Harefield) when he wrote and we sang ' At Old Shirley Middle School'.

I also remember being struck with a slipper when I had misbehaved!!!”

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Karen Hurley (nee Karen Boucher) wrote in to say:

“I attended Shirley infants school from 1968 to 1974 approximately (was born in 1963). Teachers were Mrs Brindle, Mr Noyce, Mr Wiffin, and a Mrs Vardy.

Can remember corrugated semi-circular hut type buildings in the playground, and then a larger flat roof hut built later at the other end.

We played French skipping, white horses, two ball and the boys played bulldog.”

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Penny Rawlins (nee Penny Payne) writes in to share some of her memories about her time at the Infants and Junior School. She started at the Infants in 1969 and remembers the annexes in Bellemoor Rd and also her friends leaving the school when Wordsworth opened. In the Junior School she remembers school trips to Bridport and to St Marys Bay in Kent. She was a member of the choir and remembers a production of “The Red Sea Jazz” with the drama club, run by Miss Humby and Mr Batson.  Her son also went to Shirley School, taught by Mr Brogan.

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Ann Weeks (Shirley School 1969-1971) came to the Centenary Celebration Evening and brought along some of her school work and her school reports. Her reports show a much wider range of subjects compared to the early 1960s: namely, Mathematics (Arithmetic, Mechanical, Applied), English (Reading, Composition, Handwriting, Usage, Spelling), History, Nature Study, Science, French, Art, Craftwork.

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Betty Robinson has written in to say that her 3 children, Christine Robinson (born 1955), Peter Robinson (born 1962) and Brian Robinson (born 1965) all attended Shirley school. She has sent in several photos and remembers:

“One of my strong memories is of the camaraderie of we "mums" who pushed our prams back & forth to the Infants school four times a day to take & fetch our children who were often so tired they joined their younger siblings in the pram so they could hitch a ride home!”

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Sheila Henderson (nee Sheila Crossley) sent in a photograph taken at Shirley Middle School as part of a project on Village Life in around 1971.

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Julian Jones in Sheila’s photo was at Shirley School from 1968-1975 and has also contacted us.

“While in the infants I think it was Miss Parsons had a dark blond hair colour. Anyway, I was sent to her class to get something. Upon arriving at the classroom and knocking and going in, there was a teacher there in shocking red hair but no Miss Parsons.

I said "I've got a message for Miss Parsons.”

Scarlet haired woman: "yes what it is"

Me: "do you know where she is?"

Scarlet hair lady: (Pulling up front of wig to reveal mousy brown hair) "it's me, what is the message"

I wonder now if Miss Parsons is Lady Gaga .”

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Ian Wilson (1973-1980) sent in a CD with photos from the school trip to France and of the Middle School play performed at Hill College. His sister Suzanne Wilson was at the school after him; here is her class photo, dated 1982.

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Josephine Schuppe started at Shirley First School in 1975. She remembers that there were 2 large annexes in Bellemoor Road before the current flats were built and wooden huts in the junior playground. She attended Shirley Middle School in the 1980s. The school uniform comprised a dark green v-neck jumper and a grey skirt. She remembers the following teachers: Mrs Masterson, Mr Batchelor, Mr Leverett (who use to throw chalk and blackboard rubbers at his pupils!), Mr Spencer (P.E. teacher), Mrs Garside (Sports teacher). She particularly remembers Mr Carsons :

“I can remember Mr Carsons taking small groups of children in his 2CV Citroen to the Sport Centre for sports events. He was also a very good illustrator and would send the class illustrated cards.  Mr Carsons was a dedicated man - he introduced Early Work - Comprising of various written tasks. This improved my handwriting enormously. Mr Carsons taught at the School for a short time as he moved on to Lymington, he certainly achieved the very best from his pupils.  Looking back through my old text books, I feel honoured that I was taught by such a dedicated teacher.”

Josephine remembers sports day at Hill College (the former Girls Grammar School, now Taunton’s College) and the school trips to Fairthorne Manor, Stubbington Centre and to the HMS Victory. She has put together some extracts from her exercise books.

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Nicola Jones (nee Nicola Chapman) was at Shirley School from 1974-1981, and used to live in 37 Wilton Rd before it was demolished. Nicola has given us her memories of the school, together with photos from various school trips, including a week’s trip to France, sleeping in the school hall of a French school, and visiting Rouen and the Bayeux Tapestry, and experimenting with French food. She also went to Wales, sleeping in a guest house near the sea and visiting a slate mine and going up Snowdon. The most amazing trip in her final year at Shirley School was a week’s skiing trip to Bulgaria!

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Teresa Willis (nee Theresa Symons) was a pupil of Shirley Juniors from Sept 1975 until July 1979 and currently has a child in year 4. She remembers the following teachers:

“1st yr : Miss Ward who married and became Mrs Hayter, 2nd yr : Mr Havard, 3rd yr : Miss Warwick 4th yr : Mr Bell and Mrs Marchant. Mr Barrett was Headmaster and Mrs Smith was Deputy Head.”

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Nick Mavroidakis attended Shirley School from 1986 to 1990 and has great memories of his time at school including being awarded the Sports Cup on his final day.

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Sarah Stoten visited the Centenary Summer Fair and filled in a Memory Form; she was at Shirley School from 1986-1993. She recalls having one computer per class and sitting in corridor as a punishment. Trips included Marwell Zoo and the Common and she remembers the end of year discos. Sarah played recorder and the flute and sang in various concerts. She also remembers her classroom being in the huts across the road.

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Kelly-Jo Peters, whose two sons are currently in the Infant and Junior Schools, attended Shirley Middle School from 1987 to 1991. She writes enthusiastically about the role of the music teaching at the school, including cello lessons with Miss Hunting, school orchestra with Mr Noyce, choir and Mrs Tricklebank’s recorder group, leading to winning the school music cup and playing lead cello in the Southampton Youth Orchestra. With a degree in Music and a PGCE in Secondary Education, Kelly-Jo is now in her 11^th year of teaching music at schools including Bristol Cathedral School, Taunton’s College, Bellemoor, Upper Shirley High and, currently, to pupils with moderate and severe learning needs at Great Oaks School in Southampton.

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Liz Bailey was a member of staff when the school celebrated its 75^th anniversary in 1987. She remembers the building of the new classroom extension and the whole school including staff dressing in Victorian costume for the anniversary. She is still in contact with Janet Clarkeson, the former Head teacher Kathy Plant and Jane Devadason.

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Gill Waring wrote to say that she remembers being in Yr 6 for the 75^th anniversary and says:

“I still have the celebration mug we could buy... To celebrate 75 years the whole school had a Fayre, we all dressed up, had stalls and crafts and games from 1911. We learnt songs and dances to perform - I can still remember them! It was a lovely summer’s evening after school and I remember being so excited!”

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Phil Grant now teaches at Bartley CE Junior School but from 1982 to 1986 he was a pupil at Shirley Middle School. He has sent in his memories, together with his school reports. He had heard about the centenary celebrations from his old class teacher Mrs Sheila Humby who retired as Deputy Head in 1994.

His early memories of the school are quite daunting!

“My first memory of what was then Shirley County Middle School is of the huge massive, almost skyscraper like Edwardian building. It appeared to dominate the corner of Wilton and Bellemoor Roads!

September 1982 saw me in Miss Sheila Humby’s class (1H). She had a formidable reputation. We children were all terrified of the rumours which spread about, that if you were naughty in Miss Humby’s class, she would dangle you out of the window! Yes we believed such rumours to be true!”

He also remembers the school trips fondly:

“Trips to the Weald and Downland museum with classes 1H and 1G (Mrs. Garside’s class) gave me a love of old buildings, and returning to the museum , with friends and their children in March 2012, brought the place and our time there with SMS back! The Kennet and Avon Canal via Highclere Castle (ITV’s Downton Abbey), Corfe Castle and Maiden Castle were two visits we went on whilst in Class 2N. The residential visit to France when in 3P (Mrs. Parson’s class) was amazing, staying in what we thought was a French chateau and visiting the D-Day beaches and seeing the famous Bayeux Tapestry!”

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Hazel Soffe’s (nee Hazel Couzens) first teaching job was at Shirley Junior School from 1994-1997 and remembers her colleagues:  Peter Clark, Polly Garside, Mary Warwick, Vicky Webb, Mike Brogan, Jenny Scott.

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Emily Boxall was at Shirley School from 1995-2002; she filled in a Memory Form at the Centenary Summer Fair. She lists her teachers (Mr Brogan was the headmaster) and remembers going to the Annex for music. She also remembers an adventure playground being built and using the wet weather hut. Emily recalls going to ‘old’ school hall for lunch from the hatch and school discos.

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Hannah Parker is now studying medicine at Barts and the London Med School and attended Shirley Infant and Junior Schools from 1997-2004. She says:

“I always remember Mr Brogan saying when the Titanic went down, Shirley Junior School went up!”