ONGAR HUNDRED 



LOUGHTON 



enlarged in 1906 to provide 360 places." In 191 1 a 

 girls' department was added to the Staples Road build- 

 ings, with accommodation for 316.'^ In that year 

 there was an average attendance of 231 boys, 231 

 infants, and 181 girls^^ A former pupil, Mr. W. R. 

 Francies, has recently recorded that the headmaster at 

 this period, George Pearson, was a man of vivid 

 personality who left the school in 191 3 to become one 

 of the earliest film producers. The then second master, 

 Herbert Lebbon, ran a string orchestra at the school, 

 and to encourage this Mr. (later Sir) Joseph Lowrey 

 present three violins to the School every year.''* 



In 1929 there was an average attendance of 213 

 boys, 152 infants, and 185 girls. In 1938 the school 

 was reorganized for mixed juniors and infants. '5 In 

 May 1952 there were 345 children and 8 teachers in 

 the infant school and 594 children and 16 teachers in 

 the junior school.'* The buildings are chiefly of red 

 and yellow brick, with tiled roofs. Prefabricated huts 

 have been added recently. 



Secondary education for boys was provided after 

 1902 by means of scholarships to Loughton school, a 

 private school then run by William Vincent (see 

 below).'7 Since 1938 Loughton boys have gone to 

 Buckhurst Hill County High School (see Chigwell). 



Loughton County High School for girls was opened 

 in January 1906 in a house in York Hill.'* There 

 were then 29 girls, under a headmistress and one 

 assistant mistress, and there was also a visiting science 

 master. In May 1908 the first part of the present build- 

 ing in Alderton Hill was opened, and in 191 2 the 

 average attendance was 118." Temporary buildings 

 were added in 1917. In 1922 a swimming-bath was 

 added and in 1923 the first part of a new permanent 

 wing was built. By 1929 there was accommodation 

 for 450 girls. 8° In 1930 a new assembly hall was built 

 and the final part of the new wing added. Playing- 

 field space has been increased from time to time. There 

 are now (1954) approximately 550 pupils and the 

 staff, including the headmistress, numbers 30. 



The Loughton County Secondary Modern School, 

 Roding Road, was opened as a senior school in 1938, 

 when it had places for 520. In 1949 huts were added 

 to provide a further 150 places. In May 1952 there 

 were 26 teachers and 485 pupils.*' 



As a result of the building of the Debden estate since 

 1945 there have been a number of new schools. The 

 educational programme is still (1953) incomplete.*^ 

 Fairmead County Secondary Modern School (Mixed), 

 Pyrles Lane, was opened in September 1949. In May 

 1952 there were 27 teachers and 977 pupils. Lucton 

 County Secondary Modern School (Mixed), Borders 

 Lane, was opened in June 1950. In May 1952 there 

 were 24 teachers and 501 pupils. St. Nicholas County 

 Primary School (Mixed Juniors and Infants), Borders 

 Lane, was opened in February 1948. In May 1952 

 there were 12 teachers and 428 pupils in the junior 

 school and 13 teachers and 445 pupils in the infant 

 school. Alderton County Primary School (Mixed 



Juniors and Infants), Alderton Hall Lane, was opened 

 in September 1952. In November 1952 there were 1 1 

 teachers and 396 pupils in the junior school and 

 1 1 teachers and 355 pupils at the infant school. White 

 Bridge County Primary School (Mixed Juniors and 

 Infants), Greensted Road, was opened in September 



1952. In November 1952 there were 7 teachers and 

 235 children in the junior school and 7 teachers and 

 278 children in the infant school. Pyrles Lane County 

 Primary School (Mixed Juniors and Infants) is regarded 

 by the Ministry of Education as part of Chingford 

 Forest View Camp School, which was opened in 

 January 1950. In January 1953 the school was 

 temporarily situated in Fairmead Secondary School. 

 Loughton Hall County Primary School (Infants), 

 Rectory Lane, is a temporary school, opened in May 

 1950. In May 1952 there were 7 teachers and 232 

 pupils. 



There have been many private schools in Loughton. 

 In 1833-9 there seem to have been two private 

 boarding-schools, one or two middle-class day schools, 

 and three or more dame schools. *3 One of these may 

 have been the school at Algers House which was con- 

 ducted by the curate, one Rogers.** Between about 

 1850 and about 1870 a school was run by the Misses 

 Brawn, daughters of Samuel Brawn, the Baptist 

 Minister. *5 Miss Fanny Hogard kept a girls' school in 

 1870-4.** In 1878 there was a school for boys kept 

 by J. C. Holloway.*' This was known in 1886 as 

 Madras Hall and was 'a middle class school for the sons 

 of gentlemen'.** By 1890, as Madras House School, 

 it had been taken over by William Vincent, who 

 shortly afterwards acquired Loughton School, High 

 Road.89 



Loughton School was opened in 1890 under the 

 name of St. John's College, Loughton. Unlike many 

 private schools it was specially built for its purpose. 

 The proprietor and headmaster was the Revd. W. L. 

 Wilson, of St. John's College, Cambridge. The school 

 was planned on ambitious lines.'" The Bishop of St. 

 Albans was patron and there was a council which 

 included Col. Lockwood, M.P., of Bishops Hall in 

 Lambourne (q.v.). Among the subjects taught were 

 Latin, Greek, German, French, Science, and Book- 

 keeping. 'Many pupils take up commercial pursuits 

 and a large number join the ranks of the medical pro- 

 fession, some proceed to the universities, to the naval 

 service and the Indian Civil Service.' There were some 

 pupils from the continent. Soon after its foundation 

 the school was acquired by WiUiam Vincent, who 

 remained owner and headmaster until his retirement 

 in 1924." The school has been recognized as efficient 

 by the Ministry of Education since 1907. There were 

 140 boys in 1924, 168 in 1952, and 190 in September 



1953. There are seven forms, of which the first is for 

 boys of ages 7 to 10. Beside the headmaster there are 

 seven trained and qualified masters and one part-time 

 master.'^ Other private schools have existed for short 

 periods in Loughton. '3 



" Ibid. (1910). 



" Ibid. (1922). 



" Min. of Educ. File 13/252. 



'* 'Staples Road. School', IVest Essex 

 GaK. 16 Jan. 1953; inf. from Mr. Francies. 



" Min. of Educ. File 13/252. 



" Inf. from Essex Educ. Cttee. 



" If'est Essex Gaz. 16 Jan. 1953. 



'' This account has been supplied by 

 Miss M. E. Heald, headmistress of the 

 school; and see plate facing p. 127. 



'» Kelly's Dir. Essex (1912). 



8» Ibid. (1929). 



" Inf. from Essex Educ. Cttee. 



82 The following account is based on 

 information from the Min. of Educ, 

 Essex Educ. Cttee. and Miss E. A. 

 Phillips, Headmistress of Loughton 

 Staples Road Infant School. 



83 Educ. Enquiry Abstr. (1835), p. 282; 

 E.R.O., D/P 30/28/19. 



8* E.R.O., T/P 13 i. 



85 Kelly's Dir. Essex (1855, 1862); 

 Bapt. Hist, Soc. Trans, n.s. x, 56. 

 8' Kelly's Dir. Essex ( 1 870, 1 874). 



87 Ibid. (1878). . 



88 Ibid. (1886). 



89 Ibid. (1890). 



»» E.R.O., Avery Coll. Loughton. 

 9' Inf. from Mr. D. E. Winkworth, the 

 present Headmaster. 

 9^ Ibid. ; School Prospectus. 

 " Kelly Dir. Essex, passim. 



127 



