Hunwick Time Line

Mr Straw pictured with pupils in the first year of the new school.
BACK ROW: Mr Straw (head)-Emlyn Jones-Norris Hodgson-Ronald Oates-William Vasey-Herbert Oates-Frank Patterson-George Swann-Norman Wood-Jimmy Wilson-Ralph Delve.
MIDDLE ROW: B.Nicholson-George Sennet-L.Sunter-E.Tenby-A.Graham-W.Oliver-L.Porter-A.Bowes-Kitty Smith-Daisy Pratt-Gladys Iley-I.Maude-E.Forster-Miss Dixon(teacher)-??
FRONT ROW: Barbara Heslop-Agnes Metcalf-W.Coatman-Margaret Stamp-G.McNally-Dorothy Taylor-E.Horner-Vera Foster-Ruby Evans-L.Hudspeth-D.Hicholson-E.Pipe.

The new school on today's site was officially opened on September 1st 1924 and consisted of a senior school called Hunwick Modern School for 7 to 14 year olds and an Infant school for 5 to 7 year olds. The school took nearly 2 years to build and was built only as a temporary structure as it was seen only to have a life of 25 years. The headmaster of the senior school was Mr. J. Straw and headmistress of the infant school was Miss Milne.
The opening ceremony was performed by Mr. Michael Hesslop representing the County offices. Lots of village people attended and there was a special tea party.
The architectural layout of the school was rather special. It was the dream of County architect Mr. Wooly to break away from the traditional school building and instead create a 'garden school.' This would be a single storey school with plenty of large windows almost to the ground and surrounded by gardens and playing fields. Hunwick was one of the first schools to realise this dream.
When the senior school first opened it catered for 350 children, many more than today. Education in those days concentrated on the 3R's. There were no facilities in the new school for practical subjects for instance girls wishing to take cookery classes had to walk to Sunnybrow school once a week.
In those days there were no buses through the village and those pupils who lived outside the village had to catch the train and walk to school from Hunwick Station.
Schooling in 1924 was quite different to life in school today as you can see from photographs of Hunwick Primary School today.( see photographs -school 2000)
What the Records Say
November 7th 1924
'Miss Dargue had a heart attack in school today and was quite unable to do her work.....'
'It was suggested she obtain lodgings in Hunwick rather than travel from Wolsingham every day and thus minimise the strain.'

When Miss Milne requested hot water in school she was told 'Talk sense, hot water for children's use in school!!' Such a suggestion was considered ridiculous.
On another occasion Miss Milne asked to have a doorway constructed so that the toilets be entered from inside the school; She was told it was 'Against all the rules of hygiene to have indoor sanitation in school.' These incidents suggest that not only was discipline strong for pupils in those days but also for teachers.