A Brief History of Cheddar First School Part Three

Cheddar British School - Cheddar First School

[1845 - 2004]

Part Three

1918 - The first school garden was established at Five Cross Bridge; activities were later

           transferred to Wideatts Road (1921) and then Barrows Road (1926).

 1925 - The first transmissions of the B.B.C. radio broadcasts for schools took place. Mr.

            Tyson utilised his own wireless so that advantage could be taken of this innovation !

 1937 - All children over 11 years of age were transferred to Cheddar (C.E.) Senior School ?

           formerly  the National School in Lower North Street.

 1939 - Many evacuees arrived from London ( East Ham and Willesden ) and  Bristol to live in

            Cheddar.

 1951 - The field purchased in 1901 was asphalted, thus increasing the playground area

            considerably.

 1953 - The school field was purchased and many trees were planted, the number having been

            added to at intervals ever since.

 1954 - Sports Day was held on the new field for the first time.

 1955 - A canteen and kitchen were built. Initially these were used by both the Primary and

            Secondary School pupils.

 1956 - The Schoolhouse was no longer used as the Headteacher?s home, but as part of the

            school.

 1964 - The hall was no longer used as a classroom and the partitions put up in 1936 were

            removed.

 1976 - The re-organisation of education in the Cheddar Valley led to the school becoming a

             5 ? 9 First School.

 1984 - The first computer was bought by the school - a far cry from the slates and

             copybooks of the early years.

 1985 -  Princess Anne visited Cheddar to open the new water treatment works. All the

             children stood along Wideatts Road to wave their Union Jacks as she drove past !

 1986 - The school library was established in the room now used as the I.C.T. suite.

 1987 - The first pond and conservation area were established.

 1990 - The terrible gale-force winds in January of this year caused great damage to three

            of the Pratten Huts.

 1993 - Completion of the new pond and conservation area.

 1994 - The sensory garden was established.

 1995 - The celebration of the school's 150th anniversary.

 2000 ? Working party established for new school. Funding approved and plans passed - £1.3

             million project.

 2001 ? July: Books and equipment were packed into boxes ready to be transferred into the

             Portakabins that were to be the school?s home for a year

 2002 ? September: The dawn of a new era for Cheddar First School as staff and pupils

             started a new academic year in their new school.

 2003 - The retirement of Mrs Ilona Bellion  and the appointment of Miss Maggie Wilson as

             the new Headteacher of the school.

                                                        ***

 Bibliography.

 Cheddar British School Record Books vol. 1 and 2

 Cheddar British School Log Books.

 Cheddar British School Admission Registers

 Robson, S.J. (1985) Cheddar British School - a portrait of a rural elementary school 

 between  the years 1872 and 1909. Unpublished B.Ed Dissertation.

 Tyson, J.J. (1945) Cheddar British School 1845-1945. Cheddar: Cheddar Valley Press.

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