Eleanor Cornish 1931

Remembering St Michaels CofE School Sandhurst

Eleanor Cornish 1935

I started school after Easter in 1931. My older sisters, Edna and Winnie, were already pupils, so I was happy to join them.

The Infant teacher, Miss EH Burch was a very kind but firm lady and we all loved her.

We used small blackboards and white chalk for some time, then we moved on to pencils and paper before we moved on at 7 years old to the big school.

The Infant school was a separate building. There was a big room, with some small tables and chairs in one half and 4 rows of desks – all facing the teacher in the other half.
Before leaving school at dinnertime we would stand at our desks and sing:

“Thank you for the world so sweet
Thank you for the food we eat
Thank you for the birds that sing
Thank you God for everything”

Children who lived a distance from the school, some as far as the Wellington Arms, would bring their sandwiches to eat in the classroom, but those who lived nearer would go home, where their mothers would have dinner ready for them. We had 1½ hours in those days, then afternoon school ended at 3.30pm for the infants and 3.45 for the older ones (ages 7 – 14 yrs).

Edna Cornish (2)

Edna Cornish - 1928

In the previous post, the school had received a lovely handwritten letter from  91 year-old, ex-pupil Mrs Edna Phillips (nee Cornish).  In response to this letter, one of our Year 6 children, wrote to Mrs Phillips inviting her to attend the School's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations for the Queen.
Although Mrs Phillips was unable to attend, she sent this wonderful reply:  

Dear Amie,
That is a pretty name, I thank you so much for the neatly written letter that you sent me. Afraid my writing is a bit scrawly these days.

It was kind of you to invite me to your coming Jubilee celebrations, I would have loved to have come if  I lived nearer and was a bit more active, but the old legs are a bit wobbly and I need help on long distances, as in cars I tend to get a bit stiffened up. I hope you all have a lovely time. It would be nice if they made ‘Magic Carpets’ like in the old fairy stories.

I have looked on my son’s computer at the pictures of the old school. Everyone looks so happy. I note that you have tables and chairs. We had desks which the boys would bang the lids down and there were inkwells on the top. We, that is the older ones, used pens with nibs and those boys used to snap them off, attach a paper piece to make into darts to throw up to the ceiling. Very naughty.

I see you are year 6 – we had standards – I, II, III, IV, V and I left school at 14. I don’t know how long you have to go at Sandhurst school but I went straight out to work.

What a lovely idea to call the new infant class ‘Ducklings’, sounds fun.

Thanks Again.
Good luck for your future
Sincerely Yours
Edna Phillips (Mrs)

Edna Cornish - 1926

Recently, the school received a wonderful hand written letter from a 91 year old, ex-pupil. The text of the letter is reproduced below.

Edna Cornish - 1928

Dear Head of St Michaels School,

Recently it came to my notice that the school had celebrated 150 years and that your oldest visitor had started in 1932. I started in your school in 1926 (approx). I am now ninety one. This brought back many memories.

The lovely old rocking horse in the infants room. Kind Miss Bunch and her assistants Miss Hinds And Ayers! (I visited Miss Bunch long after I left the school too). Those old toilets that were ‘scary’ because big girls frightened us saying ‘someone is hiding in there’ The cookery room, learning housewifery and cooking. Malted milk drink or malted milk tablets in the infants.

The smell of woodshavings in the carpentry shed. Our little gardens we had. I had some red flowers that didn’t smell very nice. I think they were called LAVETRIA. Sewing the stiff white pillowcases, breaking the needle – sore fingers. We used to go outside and bury the needle behind the cycle shed. Going up those little steps in the churchyard for Ascension Day services in church. Empire Day singing patriotic songs.

Trying to leap frog on the grass outside the school house and I mustn’t forget Mr OLDHAM headmaster, and in the big class where we sang something about ‘a Cornish lad and true’ he would tap me on the head with his book as my name was Cornish! My two younger sisters also went to Sandhurst C of E School, one has passed on and the youngest one is 86.

Happy Days. I did not want to leave.

The last time I visited Sandhurst was 2000 so I expect that I would find many changes?

Good luck to the future years of the school.

Edna Phillips / Cornish

P.S.  I still have books as prizes for Scripture, Cookery and Handwriting (in those days!)

150th Celebrations - An Appreciation

150th Celebration Cake!

We have come to the end of a very busy but significant term in the history of St Michael’s Primary school  and I would like to express my appreciation to everyone who has contributed to our 150th blog. The success of the blog has exceeded our expectations and it’s contribution to our celebrations cannot be underestimated.  The comments and photographs were enjoyed by  the whole school community. Our 150th celebrations were successful and the contributions on the blog demonstrated that St Michael’s has always been a special place filled with special people.

For the current school community, it was a great privilege to meet so many former pupils and staff and I am sure the memory will remain forever with our current pupils. They were very proud of their achievements and your responses  to the standard of their work, their hosting skills and the way they generally conducted themselves  has increased their sense of pride in themselves and their school.  Thank you so much for giving them feedback both on the day verbally , your contributions to the guest book and your letters of thanks.

You may be interested to know that we are going to archive everything to do with our celebrations for the next special occasion in the history of the school. Furthermore the blog will be a lasting memory of this special year and hopefully may be continued to added to in future years.

Finally, the week after the 150th Celebrations, some of our children attended a Health & Wellbeing event where schools across Bracknell Forest were invited to share best practice. Our children understandably chose to showcase our school's 150th celebrations. Over 10 minutes they impressively presented some 50 slides. Their presentation was the highlight of the event!

St Michael's 150th Celebrations presentation

Maire

Maire McGrory
Headteacher

Extracts from St Michael's 150th Visitors' Book - Part 3

Matthew Stokes- Pupil 1984-1989
St Michael’s will always have a place in my heart- what a wonderful school. I remember celebrating the 125th anniversary very well so it’s lovely to be back here for the 150th. Great to see the spirit and community feel has continued with the current pupils and staff. So much has stayed the same- even the same hobby horse and water fountain! And yet the school still evolves to be a great school for Sandhurst. Many congratulations on your 150th- looking forward to the 175th- and 200th.....! (sadly the main thing to deteriorate is my handwriting –sorry Mrs Morton!)

Ann Morton
What an amazing experience! I spent Friday meeting and talking to former colleagues, pupils, today Saturday have been incredibly impressed by the quality of work on display around the hall. I have never seen such beautiful handwriting- it really enhances all the research and enthusiasm of the children themselves. Congratulations to staff, pupils and parents of St Michael’s school.

Denise Kaye
I enjoyed being shown around by Toby Dossett. My children all came to the school and enjoyed every minute of it. We have all good memories of St Michael’s. I was a dinner lady for two years and have worked in the school kitchen for nearly 12 years. I really enjoy my time with all the children. It was also nice to catch up with all the teachers who taught my children.

Rebecca Brown (nee Steele) 1972-1979
(now a music/primary school teacher for Bracknell Forest)
What a lovely celebration. Lovely informative displays and a delicious cream tea. I have very fond memories of my primary school days here with Mr Maskell as the headteacher. Some of my favourite memories are sewing afternoons with Mrs Morton, recorder playing with Mrs Cole, swimming in the open air swimming pool, playing hopscotch, playing rounders over on the school field and making project books.

Catherine Wilkins(nee Holmes) 1969-75
Fantastic to see how much hard work has gone into the Anniversary celebrations. The displays of work were very interesting and we were well looked after by Dominic who showed us around so helpfully, and by those who waited on us. I’ve had a lovely trip down Memory Lane, have enjoyed meeting many people from the past.

Karen Spence (nee Bird) 1964 - 1970

I am writing to say thank you for all the effort that went into St Michael's birthday open day. I was a pupil from 1964-1970 and my afternoon back at the school brought back many happy memories. Before going to the school I met up and had lunch with two old school friends who I hadn't seen for over 30 years which added to the occasion.

It was lovely to see that the school I remember so fondly is still a "great school" and that it retains a pride in its history. A particular highlight was seeing the films taken by Dr Holmes, I was the child holding the wasp nest, found when the old hall was being demolished before the swimming pool was built and the Queen of Hearts, in the fancy dress competition, my brother was hiding under the Mickey Mouse head.

I thought you might like to hear some of my very happy memories of the school.

When I first joined the school the two infant classrooms were where the staff room and offices are now. There were 4 junior classes, in the current reception classroom, library and Y2 classroom and in a terrapin on the outdoor classroom area. We used to have assembly in the current Reception classroom, there was a stage at one end and it seemed much bigger than it is now. I remember there being a chart on the wall that we had to get stars on by learning our times tables, we got a gold star for the X12. Later we had another terrapin and one of the infant classrooms was used as an art room. Just outside the entrance to your y2 classroom we used to be given a small bottle of milk to drink. In the winter it used to freeze and in the summer it was warm and horrible. I never enjoyed having to drink it.

I can remember many of my teachers' names and the subjects I used to enjoy them teaching me, I particularly remember Mrs Randall who was very strict but used to read Enid Blyton stories to us. Mr Wallace was a great science teacher and Mrs Morton taught me French.

St Michael's Netball Team 1970 - 71

Netball team 1970 - 71
(Named Version)

Staff & Parents Netball Team - 1985

Wow, 50 posts already!
All looking rather bedraggled! Either Year 6 gave them a tough match or it rained a lot!

1985 - Staff  & Parents Netball Team vs Year 6
(Named version)

Thanks to David Knott for supplying this photo memory.

Extracts from St Michael's 150th Visitors' Book - Part 2

M McGrory with Dr Phillip Lee MP

Dr Phillip Lee, MP 
I was very pleased and honoured to be invited to the opening of the new school’s garden. Both the children and the teachers at St Michael’s Primary School in Sandhurst were obviously very proud of their school. I was impressed by pupil’s outstanding achievements. The teaching environment supports and builds success for our future generations. I particularly appreciated the photograph of the children standing in the shape of ‘150’!
(Read his blog post about the visit.)

Marie Jeanne Giacomoni/ Gareth Wilson
What a fantastic celebration! Lovely facts and memories to read.
Great work and achievement from the children and teachers. Thank you so much! Well done

Pamela Taylor and family
We loved walking through the museum and listening to the brass band. The favourites in the museum was the film and the punishment book. The Goddard Boys entertained us a lot because they featured so much in the book. We’ll be back in the morning to see some more. We loved it! Thanks to everyone for all their time and effort

Slavinka and Grace Potts
What a wonderful day! We are very proud to be part of the celebrations

Tammy Summers and Finlay
What a beautiful display and wonderful atmosphere! Well done St Michaels!

Extracts from St Michael's 150th Visitors' Book - Part 1

Dale Birch, Mayor of Sandhurst
It has been a great honour to take part on this very special day. To receive a handwritten invitation was especially nice. I hope the Camellia I planted in the grounds lasts another 150years. Keep learning

Colin, Val, Chris, Steve Partridge
Wonderful day- happy memories
-Haven’t school changed in the last 25years?
A very happy and welcoming place still?
brings back some lovely memories

Ginny Priestman
Wow! What a fantastic exhibition- everyone has worked so hard.
I’ve had a lovely afternoon meeting old friends and colleagues and reliving some of St Michael’s “magic” moments. Happy Anniversary to you all!

Simon Cotterill ( and Lucy and Finnley too?)
The sense of pride in St Michael’s shone through in today’s celebration. There is something uniquely special about the place and the people who fill it with such joy. I have the fondest memories of my time here which have flooded back seeing the incredible museum and chatting to dear friends. Our tour guide Josie was a credit to the school . Thanks so much to all for the invite-it’s been such a special afternoon and a privilege to be here
Mr C and family too!