History in the making

Former pupils and staff at an Oxford school are gearing up for a 40th anniversary reunion, bringing together a wealth of experiences and memories. A special party is planned at Matthew Arnold School in Cumnor on Saturday and organisers hope as many old faces as possible will come along.

The school started in 1958 as Matthew Arnold Secondary Modern and opened its doors for the first time to 540 pupils. The total cost of the building was £125,000.

Henry Brooke, then minister of housing, opened the school and planted a tree in the school grounds.

Michael Deakin, who taught at the school for 31 years and became head of maths, said: "Pupils from Botley, which was an all-age school, put their books into bags and walked up the hill.

"There are still a good many people in Cumnor who say they remember doing that."

When the school opened, the headteacher was Glyn Davies, who remained in charge until 1972, just before it became a comprehensive. He was a colourful character. Once, in 1969, he banned three boys for having skinhead haircuts. They were excluded for four days until their hair grew back.

Mr Davies also attracted attention in 1971 by providing a ready-made list of 31 phrases teachers could use for school reports, such as "unable to concentrate for long periods" (14) and "does unsatisfactory homework" (15). All teachers had to do was write the number next to the subject.

During this time, in 1968, the school sent its first three pupils on to further education, to train as teachers.

Mr Davies was followed as head by Joseph Newman, who held the reins for 16 years from 1973 to 1989. He was responsible for overseeing the school's change from secondary modern to comprehensive.

During Mr Newman's headship, the school sent its first girl pupil to Cambridge University. Sara Bridges, now 32, won a place to study medicine at Selwyn College and is now a psychiatrist living in London.

Mr Newman died shortly after retiring and a commemorative plaque and picture of him hang in the school hall. Mr Deakin said the school had a good atmosphere and a real community feel. He said it commanded great loyalty among both staff and pupils.

He described a memorable occasion when Prince Charles visited in 1987. "He landed his helicopter in the grounds, on the playing fields. It was very exciting, especially as he had to have a practice the week before. Lessons were chaos for about ten days on the strength of those landings."

The current head, Elizabeth Howarth, was appointed to the job in 1989.

She said there had been a lot of changes, even in the time she had been head, particularly in the way girls were included in mainstream education.

"Now we have the problem that the boys are trailing behind," she said. "We've got to try and get boys and girls achieving in line with each other. Ten years ago the choices for girls cut them out of the curriculum. Now we have a common curriculum and that shows up some of the differences in attitudes between boys and girls."

Looking to the future, Mrs Howarth said she hoped the building could be improved and that the school would keep on getting good results. She said this year marked not only the 40th anniversary of the school, but the 25th anniversary of the "new block".

*Anyone who wants to attend the reunion and catch up with old friends should contact the school on 01865 864855, Pamela Holmes on 01865 862683 or Hilary Jordan on 01865 245677. There will be a disco with a licensed bar and ploughman's supper for £5 a head.

EX-PUPILS REMEMBER THEIR TIME

When it was first built, the school seemed so modern and impressive to its new inhabitants.

One of the first pupils, Steve Chandler - now 54 - left in 1960 before going to work for the Oxford Mail in the wages department in New Inn Hall Street.

Steve, of Kennington, said: "I went up to Matthew Arnold and it was a big difference coming from a very old school to a very modern one. We had lockers down the corridors, showers and a gym with equipment. It was quite novel.

"I know a lot of people who went to the school, not necessarily in the same year. My wife went there and a lot of my friends now. I have two boys and they went there too.

"It was a school that had good results from the word go." Steve said he remembered being frightened of a maths teacher called Mr Howells but he had met him since and was amazed that the teacher was half his size.

"I can't believe it's 40 years since the school opened," he said.

Another of the first pupils, Jill Noonan (nee Boult) said: "I remember it being very nice and clean. I had a good time there. It was a really nice school.

The 53-year-old from Witney added: "We used to pay a penny a week for the swimming pool to be built but I was long gone before it was there."

She now works as secretary at another school, Wood Green in Witney.

The reunion is being organised by Pamela Holmes and Hilary Jordan, who both went to Matthew Arnold.

Mrs Jordan (nee Perkins), 44, left in 1969, having followed in the footsteps of two older sisters.

She said: "I remember my first day, being scared because it was very big compared to the primary school I had been to before. I came from Kennington and I had to go on the bus. It was all very different.

"Mike Deakin was my maths teacher and he was scary, but now I see him in Budgen's in Botley and I don't call him Mr Deakin any more. He doesn't scare me now."

AUTHOR ENJOYS CHANGE OF FACE

Ann Spokes Symonds, a former Oxford Lord Mayor, spends a lot of time burying her head in mountains of old photos.

The 72-year-old, of Davenant Road, North Oxford, has just finished the latest book in the Changing Faces series called The Changing Faces of North Oxford (Book One).

When she is not hosting tea parties for Women's Institutes, or working with Age Concern England, Ann researches information for the books which give the history behind each area in and around Oxford.

She is already an accomplished author, having written several books, including one on her experiences as an evacuee during the Second World War.

"I was evacuated to America in 1940 along with 120 others. I was 14 and my brother was 12. The two younger ones stayed behind. In 1990 I organised the 50th reunion of evacuees in Oxford and compiled and edited Havens Across The Sea , writing about my experiences in America," said Ann, who was also chairman of Oxfordshire County Council.

Ann began writing for The Changing Faces series because she is chairman of Wolvercote Local History Society. "Someone had written The Changing Faces of Summertown and I thought it would be nice to do that for Wolvercote.

Ann, who studied philosophy, politics and economics at St Anne's College in Oxford, took six months to do the research - the book is 70 per cent photos.

"I got the photos and then wrote the text. I think I spent about four months just collecting photographs.

"The next day after finishing the book, I really felt bereft, so I had a word with the publisher and asked if I could do another North Oxford.

"I started North Oxford last June and it was with the publisher by Christmas. North Oxford sold more than 300 copies in six weeks, then I started on Walton Manor in January. " said Ann, who took the photos of all recent buildings.

Walton Manor will be out at Christmas and covers the area between Woodstock Road and Jericho.

*The Changing Faces of North Oxford costs £8.95.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.