Do you remember Knapp Road School?
Bill Hawkins emailed us to ask, if anyone remembered Knapp Road School.
A walk to Knapp Road told me that it is now called The Clara Grant Primary School, and a quick bit of research produced an absolute deluge of fascinating local history.
School Board for London
Visually it looks like one of the many sturdy School Board for London buildings which have lasted so well. High on the wall a plaque reads Devon’s Road School, 1905. The SBL (colloquially LSB) was setup following the 1870 Elementary Education Act. The SBL built 400 schools like this one between 1870 and 1904 – quite an achievement. Then responsibility passed to the London County Council, but there was obvious continuity. The board was elected democratically and from the off in 1870 all ratepayers, including women, could vote in a secret ballot for the board. That 1870 board had three women on it, including Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. Many caring, influential and can-do people served on the School Board for London.
The aim of the SBL was to provide sufficient school places for London’s poorest children. By the late 1880s they were educating 350,000 pupils. The London board had passed a by-law in 1871 compelling all parents to have their children educated from the ages of 5 to13. That didn’t work too well as school attendance wasn’t free until 1891. Additionally poor children were working, either helping their mothers with outwork, such as making matchboxes on the kitchen table, or simply in employment.
Geezer Ted Lewis (1929 – 2017) told me how he came to leave school at 11 during WW2. He was evacuated to a village in Devon that had a church run school which only took infants and juniors. So Ted went to work on a farm, which he enjoyed. He’d previously spent all his boyhood summer holidays hop picking in Kent, and had gained some experience.
Clara Grant
Clara Grant was born in 1867 to a reasonably well-off family in Wiltshire. She trained to become a teacher at Salisbury Diocesan Training College, and her first post was at a small Wiltshire church school in 1888. Motivated by her Christian faith, she became the head of a school in Hoxton in 1890. She set out to help the most deprived children in London. Ten years later she became head of a tin school at Bow Common (All Hallows). When the splendid Devon’s Road School in my photos opened in 1905 she was headmistress of the infants.
Clara was up to speed with the latest ideas on child development. She was influenced by the work of Friedrich Froebel who invented the kindergarten. This considered the whole child – health, physical development, emotional well-being, the environment and other factors as important.
Fern Street Settlement
The Settlement Movement began with the 1884 founding of Toynbee Hall in Whitechapel. This socially reforming movement brought rich and poor together in one place. Wealthy volunteers brought donations, culture, education, and provide daycare, and healthcare to the struggling poor. Clara Grant worked at Toynbee Hall for a while, and this influenced what she did next. In 1907 she opened up her own terraced house in Fern Street, which backed onto Devon’s Road School, as a small settlement. By the 1939 PO Directory (below) you can see that it now occupied 3 houses.
Margaret MacMillan established the first school clinic in London in Devon’s Road School in 1908. Clara organised hot breakfasts for her young pupils, paying for porridge, milk, bread and butter. She also gave them proper clothes and boots. The Settlement provided healthcare, a dentist, a library, and organised a thrift club. Clara Grant is famous for the farthing bundles of toys which the children queued to get. From 1908 a worker and nurse would visit every baby born to families in the area once a month for a year who were connected to Devons Road School.
Clara Grant received an OBE in 1949, and died soon after aged 82.
Does anyone have any memories of going to school in Knapp Road to share with Bill?
Does anyone remember David Anderson from Rounton Road. I forget what number he lived at, but he was mates with us from Fairfoot. He was an only child and in our family there were 6 of us so he loved the mateship we gave him. His mum was beautiful but fell over outside Harvey’s and damaged her kneecap, from there it went bad to worse and she developed some sort of cancer and died. That would have been in the late fifties. We always came to Harvey’s for the toffees. They were much better than the shop in Fairfoot sold. In 1960 we moved to Swaton and then in 1968 ,when I was 21, I emigrated.
Ivé lived in Oz for 53 years and love it. My 2nd wife is from Broadstairs and she thinks Oz is great too.
I think the life we had back then in East London was better than they get it now. The streets were safe then, now I hear you have to be really careful when you’re out and about.
Great to hear from you all, keep it up.
Hi Derek
My grandfather Herbert Harvey owned that newsagents. My mum Olive Curle and my aunt Rose Snowsill worked in grandad’s shop. He died in 1967 and left the shop to Olive and Rose. They sold it in 1970. I went to Devons Road school and was friends with Jimmy Drysdale.
Hello Rose.
I lived in Rounton Road up until 1966 and I remember you, your mum and your brother Jimmy. I lived at 52 and I think you were at about number 70 or 72. Back in the fifties I used to deliver papers through your door from Harvey’s , on the corner of Swaton Road
Hope you and Jimmy are well.
OMG yes Mr Hooper the caretaker. I went to Devon’s Rd school from around 1950 to 1960 then went onto St Paul’s Way school. So lovely to read and remember when people remind me. We lived in Rounton Road until the houses were knocked down for redeveloping.
Mr Bond taught me in 1977 – 1978 when it was Devons Road. I remember many teachers there Mr. Greenwood, Mrs. Mulcahy, Mrs Shergill and Mrs Lovatt and Mrs Pintos ( who played the Piano)
I went 1963 to 1965, loved it…remember having to wash my mouth out with soap and happy times in the playground.
Oh, yes. I remember Knapp Road. I lived in Fairfoot Rd. and then Swaton. Miss Gadd was my teacher
and couldn’t stand me after David Cooper and I stuffed up the school play.
All the mothers were there to see it and we embarrassed the hell out of Gaddy.
Dave was supposed to be a king and I was the prince, being sent off to save the kingdom.
Except Dave started laughing and then I did, and then all the mothers did. It was a disaster.
Miss Gadd brought it all to a swift conclusion and never gave me a minutes peace after. She was a strange little spinster who had no idea with children.
I think all the mothers had a great time. Miss Gadd also told me off for coming to school in football socks. I mean, really. Anyone would think I was attending Eton, not the junior school on an East London street. Thank god that teachers are a bit more in touch these days.
Ann, Thanks for the lovely memories.
My name was Ann Horncastle and l went to Devons Road in the fifties and my two older brothers went there too . My two favourite teachers were Mr.Islip and Miss Gadd . My best friend was Valerie Taylor . Mr. Islip my teacher was very musical and had a piano in the classroom and l think through him l started to enjoy musical theatre and have always been in a choir .
I have such fond memories of my days at Devons road school , and have enjoyed reading the comments of former pupils . I also remember Peters the sweetshop and the parrot in a cage outside the shop .
We moved in 1959 when the prefab l lived in had to be demolished to make way for a large block of flats .I have been back once to show my children where l went to school ,and everything looked so much smaller from what l remember .
Hello All!
My ancient father was telling me recently that this school was his first posting as a teacher. He went on to Tom Hood school later in his career.
Does anyone recall a Mr Ron Hurrell?
Thank you.
Martin
Thanks for the great memories Sarah.
Memories of Clara Grant’s wonderful Farthing Bundles.
Pathe News made a couple of films about Bow Bundles and Fern Street Settlement. I can recall seeing one between feature films at The Pav Picture Palace in East India Dock Rd in the early fifties. A later one can be seen on Youtube.
The little painted arch was once on show at the Ragged School Museum Copperfield Rd but was moved from there.
Hello Jan,
I too started at this school (Devons Road School then ) at age 5 in 1945. and left at 11 to go to St. Paul’s Way. The sweet shop you refer to was “Peters”, and always had a parrot in a cage hanging outside the shop door.It had “Born in 1931” written on the cage base. We lived in nearby Rounton Road, and my mum used to do a cleaning job in Bartons shop in the 60s.
Roy Clark, I’m glad it’s raised some good memories for you, and I’m delighted that life has gone well for you.
The friend you remember might be Jimmy (James) Coley, who was a year or two above me at Raine’s Foundation Grammar School. He’s on a Facebook group for Raine’s. I hope you make contact with him. Let us know. Stay safe.
You just reminded me of all the teachers thank you miss price was lovely. I started there in 1959. I remember the free school meals. It was my main meal. We lived in fern street My mother was very poor but loving. Bringing back loads of memories. A friend of mine at the time was Jimmy coaly. Not shore out spell. Love to visit one day.
Hi how did this pop up? I started at the school in 1959. I lived in fern street. All I can remember is mr Pope? He was brilliant my mother was on her own and had very little money. I remember mr Pope handing my mother clothes for me to wear and borrowed shoes. Life been good very successful and now live in a 16th century cottage once visited and stayed Jane symore. Fond memories of my childhood with a loving mother. The school was brilliant
Are you the David Cooper who lived in Campbell Road. If so, do you remember when we were in
a play together organised by Miss Gadd. We started laughing half way through and it turned into
a complete shambles. Miss Gadd was furious but couldn’t chastise us because all the kids Mother’s
were there and were laughing along with us. Also, do you remember the Lovell’s, Michael and Jeffrey. They were in Campbell Road too. They were great days.
Some of the other boys in my class were, Sidney Bootle. Leonard Sinclair, Roger Washbourne.
David Cushing. Charlie Souza. John Lamming. Other teachers were Mr Islip. Miss Mitchell.
Happy days……………………Jim
The school keeper who terrorised you was Mr. Hooper.
He terrorised me too but he had a limp and couldn’t catch us.
Hi all
My name was Linda Ellis. I went to Knapp road school 1955 to 1961. The headmaster was Mr. Jackson and my favourite teacher was Mr. White who taught English and was a brilliant teacher. He had a slipper hanging in between two blackboards and we all feared misbehaving as this slipper was a symbol of warning if anyone misbehaved. I was in the netball team and remember loving our matches with such passion. I can recall my teammates, Jackie Hood, Linda Sullivan, Eileen King, Vivienne Westwood and a few names I can’t recall, but wonderful times and a lovely school. Happy memories of my childhood.
Jan The shop was called Farrs And i lived in Sumner house just along the road from you .