The following extract appeared in the “
SCHOOL COMES OF AGE
NEW MOTTO
DEEDS NOT WORDS
To do that which was right
simply because it was right was the most difficult task for any school, said
Mr. F.W. Goodger, headmaster of
Another 21st
anniversary was also commemorated. The
parents, staff and children expressed the affection and esteem in which they
held Mr. A. W. Stollery, chairman of the governors for 21 years. Unfortunately due to ill-heath, but gifts
from the school were received on his behalf by his daughter, Mrs. E. Bird.
At a special service at
Mr. Goodger said that one of the
ways in which they had marked their coming-of-age was to ask every child to
take a bulb. As a result over 400 had
been planted in the garden. Front porch
lamps had been made for the school by the boys, and 100 rose trees would be
planted.
In this 21st year the school had
tried outside examinations with success.
Thirty-four children would be staying on in the fifth and sixth years,
and in September he was confident that it would be over 40.
TWO-WAY TREND
He hoped that next year they
would see more girls’ names amongst the examination successes. They had the first girl now to join the
engineering course and three boys who sat G.C.E. were staying on at
school. He hoped this two-way trend
would flourish.
There ware A Form successes, but
he felt there were some evidence that the other Forms had done something of
which they and the school could be proud.
The B and C stream boys of the school had in two years created a
beautiful garden. They had made three
lawns, ornamental steps, finished a greenhouse and had started bee-keeping,
making their own hives.
Fourth year boys were working on
the construction of a two-berth cabin pontoon, and the girls had held their own
dress show with dresses of their own making.
Successes had also been gained in games and athletics, and there had,
too, been a big accent on out of school work by the staff, with the result that
17 clubs and associations were going.
They had formed a school association
–formed among the senior children overlooked by two members of the staff and
one school governor (the Rev. A.J. Costin).
These boys and girls had visited elderly and infirm who might otherwise
be bereft of any neighbourly help.
The year had also seen the
introduction of an inter-House verse speaking competition and a school
magazine.
Mr. R. Below, chief education
officer for Surrey, who distributed the prizes, told the boys and girls that he
had something to do with starting their school 21 years ago. He recalled the decision to build what in
those days was called a central and not secondary school, and the meeting at
which the first head, Mr. C.V. Jenkins, was appointed.
A mastery of English, he went on
to tell the children, was one of the most important things they could take away
from school. Passing so many subjects
in G.C.E., was not so important, even ten years hence as that they should have
learned to be thorough and to overcome difficulties. Very often it was not the people who got the
prize and certificates who had given their school the best name.
Addressing the parents Mr. Beloe
said, “We are in a rather different position from that in which our parents
were. We depended on them for a number
of things our children can get without us.
He was very very proud that in this country the poorest boy or girl
could get absolutely to the top in their education. But the very fact that they had the community
to provide this help ought to make parents all the keener to aid their children. They should not sit back because things were
done, but should stand up and do more for their children rather than less. Otherwise they were giving up their main job
of being the children’s mainstay and help”.
< caption on
photograph says “Mrs F. Keen, who made West Byfleet C.S. School’s 21st
birthday cake cuts it watched by Mr. R. Below (Chief Education Officer for
Surrey), Mr. F.W. Goodger (headmaster) and Rev. A.J. Costin>