Collection SCH38 - Duppas Junior School

Founded 1933. On 01 September 1953, Duppas and Waddon Schools were both reorganised. Thereafter Duppas School took the Juniors from the entire Waddon Estate and Waddon School rook all the Infants.

St Georges, Waddon was a temporary school which existed in the Church Hall of St. Georges Church in Waddon and which the Education Committee hired for the purpose.

It first opened in April 1933 as a temporary measure until September 1934 when the children were sent either to the newly opened Duppas School or to the newly reorganised Waddon School according to where they lived.

However pressure of numbers on both these schools, due to the expanding Waddon Estate, led to the St Georges Church Hall being hired again as a temporary school and reopening on 07 January 1935. Although again initially planned as a temporary measure for one year, it remained in use until it was evacuated in September 1939. In January 1937, for example, there were 107 children on the roll.

Of course the expected air raids did not occur immediately and many children returned to Croydon. On 01 April 1940, the school was reopened for optional attendance, seventy nine children being admitted, and for compulsory attendance on the 15th April when 102 were admitted. However following the Dunkirk evacuation and the advent of the Blitz, more and more children were evacuated or not attending to the point that there were only 12 children on the roll by 30 September 1940. At this point the school was finally closed and the remaining children transferred to Duppas.