Showing 718 results

St. Marys School was started at 8 Broad Green (the old Presbytery) in 1851, the first Chatelaine of the school arriving from the Convent of the Faithful Virgin (Virgo Fidelis), Norwood, on a cart drawn by a donkey. In the first week it had eight pupils. Shortly, it moved into an adjoining cottage.

The school was entirely voluntary until 1862, in which year it received State recognition; the following year it also received its first State aid.

On 3 July 1864 the school transferred to its present site and from January 1888 passed into the care of the Sisters of Mercy. From 1904, there was a separate Infants Department, perhaps until 1936. In 1939, the school was evacuated to Latcham, Sussex and then after Dunkirk, to Addlestone, Surrey, and later to Withiel, Cornwall. In 1955 pupils over the age of 11 were transferred to a new and separate Secondary School which became ST MARYS (RC) HIGH SCHOOL).

In 1968, the Primary children moved into a new building, separate Infants and Junior Schools being created at that point.

The school was a Church of England School throughout its history. Existed before 1877 probably as Good Shepherd Junior Girls and Infants School. A separate infants school, Good Shepherd Infants School was opened on 24 October 1884. Also on 24 October 1884, it seems that junior boys joined the junior girls to form Good Shepherd Junior Mixed School. On 30 September 1896, the infants and junior schools were reunited to form Good Shepherd Primary School. On 24 August 1908 the school was reorganised for girls, juniors and infants in new buildings in St Jamess Road and the name of the school was changed to form St Michaels Girls and Mixed Primary School. On 3 October 1927, the school was reorganised for senior girls only and became St Michaels Senior Girls School. On 1 September 1930, the school became St Michaels Girls Central School, in a further reorganisation. The school was evacuated to Whitehawk School, Brighton, Sussex on 4 September 1939 and closed circa January 1944, at which time it was located in three different Croydon school buildings. In 1948 the school was revived as St Michaels Infant School and on 3 November 1948 it received the staff, children and records of the closed Tavistock Infants School in Grenaby Road. The school closed in July 1976, because of low numbers and the inadequacy of the site.

Founded as St Peters National Infants School in August 1858. Evacuated to Crowborough, Sussex, September 1939, later to Barnstaple. Became St Peters County Primary School in September 1951 and later St Peters Primary School.

The Croydon branch of the St Raphael Club for physically handicapped persons was founded in 1971 by Tom and Celia Podd as part of the St Raphaels Federation. It started in St Marys Church Hall followed by St Augustines Church Hall and latterly the Waylands Centre at Fiveways. It closed in 2002 due to falling membership but the occasion was marked with a commemorative lunch in Fairfield Hall. The donor was Vice Chairman of the Club.

St Saviours Infants and All-Age Girls School existed by 1874. St Saviours Post-Infants Boys School existed by 1884. In 1891 the infants separated from the post-infants girls school to form St Saviours Post-Infant Girls School and St Saviours Infants School, but the two schools were reunited in 1915. The post-infants boys school closed on 27 March 1923 to enable it to absorb 150 pupils from Christ Church School. It reopened on 1 May 1923. In 1930, the senior boys and girls were sent elsewhere and the remaining children formed St Saviours Junior Mixed and Infants School. The school was evacuated to Brighton in September 1939 and reopened in Croydon on 15 April 1940. The school closed in 1948 as it possesed insufficient funds to enlarge the playground or rebuild the school.

The church was consecrated on 30 January 1829 as a Chapel of Ease to the parish of Croydon and became a parish on the 11 March 1853 with the right of soleminisation of marriages. Soon after opening, the church became associated with the East India Company College at Addiscombe and their services were held here; the south aisle was reserved for their use, many were buried and their were several memorials in both the interior and exterior of the church.

A declining congregation from the 1960s onwards eventually led to closure and the final service was held on 27 January 1980. The parish was dissolved and the area merged with St Michael and All Angels. Following a long period of disuse, during which time it was subject to vandalism, the building was acquired in 1985 for sheltered accommodation and, following conversion, opened for that purpose in the early 1990s. It is now known as Speakers Court and consists of 27 flats.

Founded 1 September 1974 as an 11-16 comprehensive school. Closed 31 August 1990, when it became a City Technology College (C. T. C.).

The Croydon British Schools opened in 1812 following a meeting held on 30 September of that year at the Crown Inn to establish a school to be run on Lancastrian principles (that is those established by Joseph Lancaster, using older children as monitors to teach the younger ones). The British Schools were non-conformist foundations, whereas Croydons National School, also set up in 1812, belonged to the Church of England. The schools were at first in Surrey Street, then in Mint Walk and after that in North End on the corner with Tamworth Road, (where the Railway Bell public house later stood). Following the extension of the London and Brighton Railway Companys line from West Croydon to Epsom, the schools moved to the south west end of Tamworth Road, where they opened in January 1847. A girls school opened in 1812 seems to have closed in 1903. An infants school also opened in 1812 closed permanently in 1906. The local education authority took over management of the schools on 18 October 1904 and the schools were renamed Tamworth Road, although the term British continued in use after that date. In 1915 the old buildings were replaced, the pupils being accomodated temporarily in the hall of Scarbrook Road Baths. The new buildings comprised a Senior Mixed School and a Junior Mixed and Infants [or Lower] School and opened on 24 October 1919. In January 1924 the schools were reorganised to take only seniors, with separate boys and girls departments. The boys school finally closed in August 1935 and the girls school on 27 July 1951.

Opened as Tavistock Grove Junior Mixed and Infants School on 1 November 1909. Renamed Tavistock Junior Mixed and Infants School, 1922. Closed 25 July 1930, the juniors being transferred to Sydenham [Broadmead] School and the infants to a new building in Grenaby Road. Tavistock Infants School opened at Grenaby Road on 22 September 1930. The school closed on 28 October 1948, when staff, children and records were transferred to St Michaels School, St Jamess Road.

The pressure on the Fire Brigades during the heavy bombing on the London area in the winter of 1940/1 led to the formation of Street Fire Parties.

Because at any time there might b/e too many fires for the fire services to deal with; members of the general public were therefore formed into fire fighting parties, under the control of the Fire Brigade and known at first as Supplementary Street Fire Parties. This is reflected in the date of commencement of this log book.

Later in 1941 an Order was made compelling all men between the ages of eighteen and sixty to register for Civil Defence duties, and fire watching duties, to secure that not only homes but business premises as well were guarded at all times. These were under the Warden Service.

A Street Leader was appointed and the men in the street formed rotas to watch night and day. They were trained to use stirrup pumps in quenching small fires directly they occurred and the normal incendiary bomb, and later they learned to deal with the heavy explosive incendiary. Each wore a steel helmet and brassard and, after a simple examination, was given a card indicating that he was trained.

A second Order, in 1942, brought women between the ages of twenty and forty five into the scheme as fire guards and also compelled certain men who had been exempted from fire duties at their places of employment now to undertake them and the women filled the gaps in street fire parties. By this Order owners of business premises and factories were required to produce a fire guard scheme, in conjunction with adjacent premises where that would be more effective. Altogether about fifty thousand men and women did fire duties.