A HISTORY OF GREAT YARMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL 1893 - 1974
On Monday December 1st, 2003, the following email was received:
"I have just discovered your website. I was a pupil at the school from 1967-1974, during which time it changed its name to Gorleston Grammar School and started admitting boys. For my A level History project in 1974, I wrote a history of the school. My mother did lend the project to the Head Teacher after I left the school in order that a copy could be made for school records, but I don't believe he ever got round to doing it.
I am at the moment in the process of writing a history of my son's school in Worcestershire where I live, and it made me remember the history I wrote some time ago. Earlier in the year, I was anxious that the research should not be lost, so I typed up the project and submitted a file to the National Grid for Learning who, at the beginning of this year, were encouraging people to send in historical articles for different areas of the country. The article was on their website early this year, but the website has changed since then, and I don't believe it's on there any longer. At the same time, on my annual visit to Yarmouth, I also gave a copy to Yarmouth Library.
Here is a Word file with the text, which I would be happy for you to publish on your website if you feel it is appropriate.
Maureen Spinks (nee Coe)"
A HISTORY OF GREAT YARMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL1893-1974
by
Maureen Coe
1974
INTRODUCTION
In the 81 years that have passed since a High School for Girls was established in Great Yarmouth, great changes have taken place as it has evolved from being a small church school, principally for the daughters of the middle classes, to its present-day status as a selective, co-educational grammar school. The school has changed buildings a number of times, the name has recently been altered from the Great Yarmouth High School to the Gorleston Grammar School, and the next decade should see comprehensive education established in the town. It is thus my intention to recount the history of the school from 1893 to the present day and show how it has adapted itself to meet the demands of the changing educational world.
It was not until 1893 that an adequate education could be acquired for girls in Great Yarmouth. Until the 19th century, very few schools existed in England for the education of girls, and well-to-do parents either employed governesses to train their daughters or sent them to private schools where the main instruction was in languages, deportment and other accomplishments. But then in the Victorian era began a movement to provide good secondary schools for girls which was really part of the much wider emancipation of women and which, in less than a century, established women's education in England on the same footing as men's. The movement began with an attempt in the first half of the 19th century to secure suitable training for governesses, and progressed in the latter half with the work of the pioneers of girls' secondary education, Miss Buss and Miss Beale, the former who became Headmistress of the North London Collegiate School in 1850 and the latter Principal of the Ladies' College, Cheltenham, in 1858. The Girls' Public Day School Trust was founded in 1872, and was followed by the formation of similar smaller companies. One such company was the Church Schools' Company, founded in 1883, which gave rise to the establishment of a High School for Girls ten years later in Great Yarmouth.
I have attempted to trace the history of the High School since its foundation by referring in the main to school magazines and newspaper reports, backed up by interviews with "Old Girls" of the school. In writing this project, I am deeply indebted to Miss Hunt and Mr Batten of the Gorleston Grammar School for their kindness in allowing me to borrow magazines and records of the school, which have proved of invaluable help, and to Miss Brewitt for all her encouragement. I would also like to express my gratitude to the staff of the Great Yarmouth Public Library for their assistance with the research into this project; to my mother, herself an "Old Girl" of the Great Yarmouth High School; and finally to all "Old Girls" who so kindly responded to my appeal in the newspaper for information. Thank you!
BIRTH OF THE GREAT YARMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
In the latter half of the 19th century, a great upsurge in favour of girls' education caused girls' schools to be founded all over the country. In Great Yarmouth, the idea of establishing a High School for Girls had been maturing for a long time, but it was not until the 1890s that the dream of such a school materialised, due to the enthusiasm and influence shown by the prime movers of girls' education in the town, Edward Worlledge and R H Inglis Palgrave.
Canon Venables, formerly vicar of Yarmouth, gave support, and it was he who conceived the idea that a girls' school could perhaps be opened under the auspices of the Church Schools' Company, established in 1883. The aim of the Company was to promote a thoroughly sound public education, with the teaching of distinct Church principles; at the same time any parent or guardian had the right to withdraw a pupil from religious instruction as given in one of the schools. So, in 1892, the Church Schools' Company was approached and it was decided to open a new branch in Yarmouth. In accordance with one of the conditions laid down by the Council of the Company, influential men like Worlledge and Palgrave showed their faith in the venture by becoming shareholders.
Thus, on Tuesday 17th January 1893, the Great Yarmouth Girls' High School was born in 147 King Street, immediately opposite St George's Church. Although small, the house met every requirement for the time, and was adequate for the needs of the 21 pupils who entered the school during the first term. Canon Venables' original idea had been "that there should be a clearer view of the grand old Parish Church, and yet to have in the vicinity a fine group of school buildings." He hoped that his dream might one day be realised but in the 80 years that have passed since then, this has not been fulfilled.
In King Street, the school prospered under the headship of Miss Mary Johnson, BA (London). From the beginning, the standard of work was high, and proved the comment in the Taunton Report, 1869, that "the essential capacity for learning is the same, or nearly the same, in the two sexes". The curriculum of English girls' schools was to a great extent modelled on that of the boys' schools, but modern subjects were included also. Thus at Yarmouth, Divinity, English, History, Geography, Mathematics, French, German, Latin, Class Singing and Drawing were to be found on the timetable; and within three years, pupils were passing the Higher Certificate Examinations of the Oxford & Cambridge Joint Board very successfully. Games, too, had a place in school life, and cricket, tennis and hockey were played with enthusiasm, first on a field at Caister, and later on the new Recreation Ground.
Soon a school hat-band was designed, and very proudly, the girls walked through the streets of Yarmouth wearing the school monogram, "Fidelitas in parvis" ("Faithfulness in little things"). Then there was the daily promenade round and round St George's Church until the ringing of the first bell; the tramp, tramp of girls going up the narrow staircase to the bare, top room; the warning voice of "Steady, girls, steady"; and special private instruction in the art of stair mounting for those who went up too gaily! All this was a part of life in the early days of the school, and was vividly recalled in an article by Florence M Green in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, March 1914.
After only two years, the school was already too small for the house in King Street, and in September 1895, when the pupils numbered 83, the High School moved to 7 & 8 Albert Square, one of the largest mansions in the town. The aristocratic calm of Albert Square was in contrast to the noise of King Street, and the house, with its southerly aspect and large airy rooms was ideal for a small school. Miss Alston, an English mistress, who had spent her first two years of teaching at a northern High School, found the Great Yarmouth High School in contrast "a haven of peace with its small classes and amazingly biddable children". The initial difficulties of converting a private house into a school were soon overcome, even the problem of finding a suitable office for the Headmistress: a bathroom was cleverly adapted for the purpose, the bath being transformed into an imposing-looking settee! Memories of these early days were recounted in an article by Miss Alston in Great Yarmouth High School Jubilee Souvenir, 1943.
The pleasant surroundings proved conducive to study, and Miss Johnson, and Miss Sallitt who succeeded her in 1896, both sought "to impart a high, noble, moral character to every child". In the first few years, the foundations of the High School were well and truly laid, and the girls, for all their light-hearted ways, were sensible to the fact that their hands were the first to mould the spirit of "the high tradition of the school".
YEARS OF CRISIS
In 1902, Miss Sallitt retired at a time when the school was at its lowest ebb as regards numbers, with only just over 40 pupils. The first period of prosperity had been followed by a time during which the school, though still doing excellent educational work, was less popular in the town. It was officially recognised by the Board of Education, the only girls' secondary school in the area to have that distinction (with the exception of Norwich High School), yet it was felt that as long as it was controlled by the Church Schools' Company, it would never be used by all the sections of the community who desired a good secondary education for their daughters. It fell to the lot of Miss Adaline Haig, who had been in charge of the kindergarten in the early days and who now, after an absence of five years, returned to the town in January 1903 as Headmistress, to take on the uphill task of building up the school.
It seemed doubtful whether the school could survive for, after the Education Act of 1902, when the Church Schools' Company found it could not get grants for any of its schools, it was decided that the expense was too great to justify the existence of the school in Yarmouth. Thus, the town was again faced with the problem of having no adequate education for girls. But the Council of the Church Schools' Company then suggested that some of the schools might continue to be run, under the control of a local committee of church people instead of under the Company's control. In 1905, the Local Committee adopted this course, undertaking to maintain the school as a church school. Accordingly, there was no break, and the High School continued as before with the same staff and Headmistress. In order to help the school, the Council paid the rent for the premises for two years, but in 1907 the Church Schools' Company relinquished all hold over the Great Yarmouth High School.
From the time that it was under Committee control, the school advanced steadily in public favour, perhaps because parents of all religious denominations felt that, although the atmosphere of the school continued to be religious, they had no need to fear any undue influence being exerted upon their children. Proving her good faith in this respect, Miss Haig appointed three Nonconformists to posts on the staff.
The task before Miss Haig was not an easy one, and although handicapped by low funds, she set to work to do the best under the circumstances. In the first year under control by the Committee, the school showed an increase of more than 20%, and she was rewarded by seeing it gradually rise to a place of real importance in the town. Year after year, examination results, scholarships gained, successes at the universities, showed how thorough was the work done. In games, the tennis champions and hockey teams held their own against larger schools in the championships of the Eastern Counties' Games Association; and in drama the school, under the direction of Miss Copeman, acquitted itself well in its annual performances which, since 1903, were held at the Theatre Royal. Above all, Miss Haig built up a reputation for good tone and public spirit. Her views were summed in the following address to the school on 16th January 1914, "Just as no brilliance of intellect can make up for a weak, selfish or dishonest character, so nothing can go well with a school if its tone or character is not high and true. Do not be satisfied with easy things, low motives, half-done slovenly work; above all, do not let yourselves drift into carelessness about honour, honesty, straightforwardness, truthfulness."
She sought to instil in her pupils the spirit of the school motto: "A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a very great thing."
In 1909 another crisis had to be faced when the Board of Education decided that more children should be given the advantage of secondary education. In Great Yarmouth, there was no room for a High School to exist in addition to a Secondary School, thus it was decided that it should come under the Board of Governors of the Grammar School Foundation, and that both schools should give the necessary advantages that secondary schools supplied. The sphere of the school was thus very much widened, for as well as catering for those who had always supported it, it became available for the children of many who until then had not been able to afford the somewhat high fees, for it was now bound to admit a certain proportion of "free scholars". At the same time, the Pupil Teacher Centre in Yarmouth closed and the students entered the High School for their last years of training. Miss Haig welcomed the chance of wider usefulness and, staunch conservative as she was, she had no sympathy with those who deplored the supposed loss in social status.
The opening decade of the 20th century was an anxious time for the school, for it was doubtful at times whether it could continue. But by 1910, Richard Ferrier (the Honorary Secretary of the Committee before it was taken over by the Board of Governors) felt that the troubles of the Great Yarmouth High School were over. "The ship has weathered the storm," he said, "and, I believe, has permanently reached calmer waters."
1910 TO THE END OF THE GREAT WAR
In September 1910, the Great Yarmouth High School opened in new surroundings in Trafalgar Road, for by this time the house in Albert Square had become quite inadequate. Since 1872, the building had been the home of the Boys' Grammar School, but now a new school had been built for the boys in the north of the town.
Improvements, alterations and renovations had to be made to make the building suitable for girls. Temporary inconvenience was caused owing to the fact that a Headmaster's residence had not been provided at the new boys' school thus, while it was being erected, Mr Williams had temporarily to occupy the eastern wing at the High School. There seemed the danger of overcrowding again, and it was a great relief when the remainder of the building was handed over two terms later. The Hall and classrooms seemed palatial after the quarters in Albert Square, and for the first time, large social gatherings could be held on the premises. The old house had been far too small for the present size of the school, but it had been admirable in several respects, and many lamented the move from the aristocratic south-facing aspect of the Square to the old Grammar School in Trafalgar Road with its bleak northern aspect. In an article written many years later for The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, 1943, V M Alston was moved to comment, "but at least the cold there was so intense that microbes could not survive!"
One real addition to school life was that for the first time the school had a science laboratory, enabling the girls to study chemistry and physics; previously it had been possible to teach only botany. Domestic science was also taught for the first time. The teaching of these subjects was in accordance with the Regulations for Secondary Schools, 1904, which stated that a minimum four-year course should be provided, and recommended that it should embrace English language and literature, geography, history, at least one language, mathematics, science and art; "housewifery" was strongly urged for the girls and "manual work and physical exercises" were considered essential for both sexes. In order to improve physical training at the school, Swedish drill was instituted.
A very important character in the school in those days was "Tim", an Irish terrier, and the inseparable companion of Miss Alston. He was always to the forefront in school affairs whether leading his form out of Hall after prayers, guarding his mistress' coat at the Recreation Ground, or appearing with Moonshine in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1910) or as a hunting-dog in As You Like It (1912)! The School Inspectors highly approved of Tim's presence and said that a dog made a school so "human".
The years before the war were ones of unbroken prosperity, with numbers continually rising. In 1914 the school observed its 21st birthday. Among many festivities to mark the occasion, an entertainment was held in the hall, which was preceded by the singing of a school song composed by Miss Alston, and set to music by Dr Haydon Hare, "Rex et nostra jura".
In the same year, the Great War broke out. Miss Haig (whose cousin was Earl Haig) faced the war with equanimity and courage. In spite of the fact that Yarmouth people were the first at home to hear the thunder of German warships and to experience Zeppelin raids, this had no detrimental effect on the school. There was no upheaval or panic; a few families left the town, and some of the younger children were sent into the country villages for a time but soon returned. Inevitably numbers dropped, but only in the lower classes. The elder girls sat as usual for public examinations, and even though an east coast town in war-time was not the best place for quiet study, there were no failures and an unusually high percentage of honours each year.
The girls were conscious of the part they must play in war-work, whether it was making garments for service-men, or the excitement of having a "spy" in their midst! The "spy" was Miss Alston, who was arrested one day for making "sketches" of the harbour. In vain she assured the sergeant that she had only been preparing school lessons at her favourite spot by the harbour mouth. Poor Miss Alston had visions of spending the night under arrest or having to ask Mr Worlledge and Miss Haig to bear witness to her unimpeachable character, but fortunately an airman appeared and said that henceforth she must not work at the harbour mouth.
On 11th November 1918, the school was hard at work when suddenly all the ships in the harbour hooted and the church bells rang out. The war was at an end! The school celebrated on the official "Peace Day" the following year by holding an outdoor party and fancy dress parade, Miss Copeman wearing a long white robe, enormous white wings, and a sash with PEACE printed across it. The school had again "weathered the storm", but unfortunately the permanent calmer waters Mr Ferrier had hoped for in 1910 were not to be: difficult days were ahead.
BETWEEN THE WARS
Prize Day 1918 was begun by singing the Doxology in thankfulness for the cessation of hostilities. "The year that has passed since then will ever rank as one of the memorable years in the world's history," said Miss Haig, "and it has been impossible even for our little community not to feel the backwash of great events, not to be influenced by the spirit of the times.
The most notable way the school was affected by public events, was the way in which the town was participating in the great movement passing through the country in favour of a wider education for a larger proportion of the population. Within one year, numbers had increased by over a hundred, partly due to a local cause, the temporary closing of the Convent School, but mainly to this movement in favour of secondary education.
In order to cope with the sudden rise in numbers, in September 1919 the Governors hired two rooms in the Holkham Hotel while future plans were considered. After Easter the school had to give up these rooms and, as it was financially impossible to build at that time, a large wooden army hut was erected in the playground. The annexe was meant only as a temporary measure to relieve congestion, but unfortunately it became a permanent fixture.
In November 1919 Miss Haig became seriously ill and Miss Copeman acted as Headmistress until June 1920. For weeks Miss Haig had lain at death's door, and though with her usual courage she returned to work at the earliest opportunity, her health broke down again, largely due to the strain and controversy about salaries in connection with the Burnham Scale - a controversy which was carried on with little consideration for Miss Haig's feelings. At the same time, the Governors, faced with financial stress, decided to make a drastic cut in expenditure, proposing to abolish the High School kindergarten, reduce staff and increase fees, thus reducing the deficiency to be met out of the local rates. The High School was the special object of attack, and the views of Miss Haig, the most qualified to judge, were not taken into account. Thus in July 1921, due to her recent illness and the strain of the controversy, Miss Haig took a year's leave of absence and had a well-earned holiday in the south of France.
For the second time in a short period, Miss Copeman found herself in the position of Acting Headmistress, at a time when many changes were taking place. In July 1921 the kindergarten closed, but the following year, an "Old Girl", Miss Doris Palmer, opened Elm House School for children up to the age of nine, which was mainly a preparatory school for High School children. Another change occurred in 1923 when a regulation came into force applying to all secondary schools of the High School's type, that no child could be admitted unless she had passed a qualifying entrance test.
On her return, Miss Haig quickly found that her strength was limited, and wisely acknowledged her limitations. In 1925 she was forced to resign through ill-health and Miss Copeman was appointed as her successor. Miss Haig retired to a cottage in Scotland, but was destined to have only a short retirement. It was with great sorrow that the school heard of her death in January 1927.
Towards the end of the Great War, a navy and white uniform had begun to be worn. In 1914 a tunic had been introduced for games, underneath which was worn a white square-necked blouse, which soon became general wear. Velour hats were worn in winter and panamas in summer, along with special summer dresses.
At the beginning of her headship, Miss Copeman inaugurated the system of "Houses", giving to each House a name of significance to the school: Worlledge, in memory of the late Chairman of the Governors who died that summer; Ferrier, in honour of the new Chairman; Palgrave, after the first Chairman; and Haig, in honour of their former Headmistress. This was done partly to train the girls to be more self-reliant, responsible and loyal members of the school, and partly to assist in the improvement of school games. Games were played enthusiastically, although handicapped as the school had no playing-field, and had to be played on the Recreation Ground. Not until 1938 was a playing-field, with a pavilion on the site, opened. In addition, the High School Guide Company, founded in 1917, was supported with much enthusiasm.
For many years it had been clear that certain improvements were necessary, and it was not long before some of the dreams materialised. A more adequate heating system was installed, and the building was well heated, except when a high north wind made any amount of stoking quite useless, and all froze! The coldness was the striking thing in winter, whilst in summer it was the noise from the amusements on the nearby Marine Parade.
In 1930, a new wing was added to the school, housing an Art Room, ten classrooms and a cloakroom; at the same time, the old tower room was converted into a Reference Library which was to be a memorial to their late Headmistress. "Simplicity of colouring and arrangment gives the peace and quietness so essential to serious study," wrote O Skelton in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, March 1931, "and watching over all hangs Miss Haig's portrait, while we, her sometime pupils, prepare ourselves for life in a room that she would have loved."
The end of an era came in 1938 when, on 1st August after much controversy, the school lost its Direct Grant status; from then until 1947 it was Authority-aided. At the same time, the fear of war was hanging over the country, a war which was to cause great upheavals to people everywhere, not least the pupils of the Great Yarmouth High School. The events of the succeeding few years were to have profound effects on the life of the school, and were ones which would not easily be forgotten.
THE HIGH SCHOOL IN EXILE
In September 1939 the ugly head of war reared itself throughout Europe, and at once the school was affected. Many families left the town, and term opening was delayed until 13th October, by which time suitable shelters had been built in the playground. But this was nothing compared with the great upheaval which occurred less than a year later.
On Sunday 26th May 1940, shortly after the capitulation of the Low Countries and the evacuation of Dunkirk, many High School girls heard news on the wireless which was destined to change the course of their lives for a longer period than any expected: schoolchildren from east coast towns were to be evacuated. There followed a feverish week of preparation for evacuation to an unknown district, for they were to depart the following Sunday.
On a hot June day, 180 High School girls, accompanied by staff, set off on their adventure into the unknown, leaving behind their homes, families and school building. The journey was tiring, but by late afternoon, the school had arrived at its destination, Retford, Nottinghamshire, where, hot and tired, the girls walked to the County High School to be welcomed by Miss Southam, the Headmistress. By evening, each girl had been taken to her billet and made the acquaintance of her new family.
Retford High School did everything possible to welcome the Yarmouth girls and help them adjust to evacuation life. In spite of many difficulties, a near-normal routine was established. Yarmouth and Retford girls shared the High School building, an arrangement which worked remarkably well, especially as they adopted a clockwise method of going in and out of school. The pupils had to accustom themselves to different hours at school, with the dinner-hour lasting 2¾ hours, afternoon school lasting from 3 until 5 o'clock, and five lessons on Saturday mornings. This meant that the day was long drawn-out and exhausting to both girls and staff. Nevertheless, the work of the school was satisfactory and suffered very little on the whole from the effects of evacuation. Homework was difficult in some cases, especially for the older girls, but in spite of that, the examination results were good.
War work played an important part in the activities of the school. Girls over 16 became fire-watchers and, during the summer months, many girls, especially those in the middle school, did useful work on neighbouring farms, potato-picking, pea-pulling, fruit-picking, weeding and bean-topping.
In 1942 Miss Copeman retired after a lifelong association with the school, the last 17 years being spent as Headmistress. "To say goodbye when the school is still 'in exile'," she wrote, "is especially difficult for all who leave this term, whether Headmistress, staff or girls, but we look forward to a reunion some day in the dear old school or (who knows?) in a palatial edifice on our playing field!"
Miss Kerr, the new Headmistress, came at a time when an important change took place in the school. In the middle of the autumn term, the school acquired Glenesk, an old house. Everyone was thrilled at the prospect of having their own building once more and, during free time, Glenesk was a hive of industry as girls worked hard to convert the house into a school. The arrival of school furniture from Yarmouth was hailed with joy and, by the end of the term, everyone had settled in. The outstanding advantage for the school was the return to more normal hours, and the customary free Saturday mornings.
Whilst still in exile, the school celebrated its Jubilee anniversary in 1943 and, although away from home, celebrations were as through as possible. "At a time when so few girls really remember the Trafalgar Road building, the school is especially glad of an opportunity to look into its history and traditions," wrote Miss Kerr. "Wherever we are, these remain our heritage, and of them we are justly proud." As an old Head Girl said, "We come from a comparatively small town so that our school unity is strong. When you have left, this unity will take you back to school time and again …. It is not until you leave that you realise that our GYHS is a living personality formed by the Headmistress, the staff and 200 odd girls who are all in some way subtly influenced by her traditions and who unconsciously are making new traditions for the future. The proof of what I have been trying to explain is that she can thrive in exile."
THE POST-WAR PERIOD
After four years in exile, the school returned to Great Yarmouth in September 1944. A hint had been given to the girls at the end of the summer term that they might not be returning to Retford and the official news came through two days after term ended. As in 1940, when departures were made in a hurry, so in 1944 there was no chance of making proper farewells.
Great efforts were made by the staff, girls and workmen to get the school in Trafalgar Road ready in time for the beginning of term, but school did not open until 29th September, nine days later than intended and, even then, much work was still to be done to restore it to normal. Whilst the school was at Retford, the building had been used first as an RAF hospital and then requisitioned by the army. It had received blast damage, rendering the annexe unusable, and other parts of the building were in a bad condition, the Hall being minus its two main windows.
Of the pupils who assembled on the first day of term in Great Yarmouth, only 15 had attended the school in its pre-war days; to the other 225 it was completely new. Of the staff, however, only one, apart from Miss Kerr, had not previously worked in the Trafalgar Road building. Nevertheless, the pupils soon settled down to the normal round of work and activities and Retford seemed an adventure of the dim past.
The first term was necessarily one of transition and re-establishment. "All the girls are very pleased indeed to be back although I think they have gained by the evacuation in experience and independence," said Miss Kerr, in an article in The Yarmouth Mercury of 4th November 1944. Although the senior forms were still very much at evacuation size, the lower forms were larger than formerly. In addition, the preparatory department for girls from eight to eleven years, was reopened with 20 children.
The first year of peace saw the school at its greatest know strength: 396 girls on the register, including a Sixth Form of over 20, and the building taxed to capacity. The years of peace saw also the return of the proper hat-band which looked and wore better than the esily-shabbied navy-blue one of the war years. "Behind all these lesser things, we are trying hard to live up to the ideals of an age which is putting great faith in the powers of education, faith which we must prove to be justified," wrote Miss Kerr in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, 1945-46.
Since 1938, the High School had been a deficiency aided school, but in 1947 it became voluntarily controlled as a result of the 1944 Education Act, the Local Authority thus paying all the expenses of maintaining the school. The Act made compulsory the abolition of fees in all maintained secondary schools from 1st April 1945, so the distinction between scholars and fee-payers had gone. In consequence, there was now only one standard of admission to the main school: all prospective pupils, whether from the old elementary or private schools or from the preparatory department, had to take the same "Eleven-Plus" examination, and admissions were solely on merit. In addition, the preparatory department had to come to an end in July 1947 because a secondary school could no longer have a primary department under the same roof.
At Whitsuntide 1950, Miss Kerr became quite seriously ill and her place was taken by Miss Taylor until she felt strong enough to return. However, at the end of the summer term, Miss Kerr left to become Headmistress of Queen Ethelburga's School, Harrogate, and she was succeeded by Miss Margaret Black, Senior Mistress of the Manchester Girls' High School.
In 1951 the school, as with schools all over the country, had its first experience of the General Certificate of Education, of which Miss Black said, "We are, as yet, more suspicious of its shortcomings than grateful for its opportunities." Various criticisms had been levelled at the old School Certificate Examination for it was felt that the old grammar school curriculum was "still coloured by obsolete doctrines of the faculties and of formal training; and the endeavour to teach a wider range of subjects to the same high level to all pupils has led to the overcrowding of the timetable" (S J Curtis in History of Education in Great Britain, Oxford, 4th edition, 1957).
The 60th anniversary of the foundation of the High School was commemorated in a special service in St Peter's Church. From 21 children in 1893, numbers had risen to over 400 in 1953. The school was continually growing, and in September 1955, there were so many new girls that it was necessary to have three Upper Third forms (as the first-year intake was still known, even though there were no longer lower forms in a preparatory department). As elsewhere in England, the post-war birth-rate had filled the school to overflowing and more than ever the need for a new building was realised.
Since the 1930s, hopes had been entertained of an adequate building for the Girls' High School, but not until 1957 was this dream realised. Work on a new building was begun in May 1955 on a site just outside the borough boundary and, when the schools reassembled in September 1957 for the winter term, the High School "crossed the water" to the present site in Gorleston. "It is almost like a country school because most of the specialist rooms, the assembly hall and some of the classrooms look out over open countryside," said a report in The Yarmouth Mercury of 30th August 1957. For the first time in its history, the school had rooms large enough for the numbers they were required to hold, adequate laboratories, a school hall and stage, a gymnasium and playing fields on the school site.
In its new surroundings, the school thrived exceedingly well in both work and games. The Headmistress was now Miss R I Brookes, who had succeeded Miss Black in 1955. She remained until 1960 when Miss Irvine took her place and, when Miss Irvine moved in 1965, Miss Marion Evans, who had had a lifelong association with the school, became Acting Headmistress. In a few years' time, the school was to become co-educational, thus it was decided to appoint an Acting Head for the time being. Miss Evans coped admirably and, when she retired in 1969, all wished her a long and happy retirement. But, like Miss Haig, one of her noble predecessors who had also devoted her life to the school, she was destined to have only a short retirement. With great sorrow, the school heard of Miss Evans' death less than a year later.
An era had closed on the school. Many changes were to take place in the next few years, and the Great Yarmouth High School has had to adapt itself to the educational trends of Great Britain today. It is now a vastly different place from that of 1893, but as any good school, it must adapt itself to the changing times of the modern world.
CONCLUSION
A new era is now facing the school. In 1969, the school welcomed its first Headmaster, Mr William Batten. The appointment of a male as Head of a girls' school was in preparation for co-education which took place the following September, when the borough's two oldest secondary schools, the High School and the Grammar School, both hitherto single-sex establishments, began new chapters in their distinguished histories with the admission of children of the opposite sex. "I think co-education is a more normal form of education," said Mr Batten. "Boys and girls work together in junior schools. Separation at 11-plus is artificial. I have never previously found any disadvantages in mixing." Mr D G Farrow, the Chief Education Officer, said, "So far as catchment areas are concerned, we hope that those parents who live on the east side of the river will choose the Grammar School and those on the west side will choose the High School."
The reorganisation called for extensive building work, additions and conversions. Mixing at both schools was thorough-going from the start and, with the exception of the examination forms - the fifth year and the Upper Sixth - at least two out of three classes in each age division were mixed. The mixing and the building work were integrated with the Education Committee's larger plan to turn the two schools, together with the Technical High School, into non-selective comprehensive high schools, each with around a thousand pupils aged 13 to 18.
In September 1971, a significant change was made when the school altered its name from the Great Yarmouth High School to Gorleston Grammar School. This name will be acceptable as long as the school remains selective, but will have to be reconsidered when comprehensive reorganisation takes place in the borough. At the same time, a new badge had to be designed to replace the one in use, the simple monogram formed by the initial letters of Great Yarmouth High School. The new design embodies emblems of the school's four Houses and incorporates the school motto; it was designed by a pupil, Caroline Newton.
The boys have soon made their mark on the school, participating in plays and musical performances and, despite their relatively small numbers at first, have acquitted themselves well in games. After 77 years as a girls' school, mixing has had no small impact on the school. But it is another proposal - the abolition of selection and the admission of children of all abilities - rather than the mixing, which is likely to have the most telling effect on the character of the school in the long run. If the original plans had gone into operation, the school would now be experiencing the first year of comprehensive education, but various factors have caused this date to be delayed, making the earliest possible date now September 1976.
The role of the Great Yarmouth High School has changed immensely since 1893 and the school of today is in great contrast to the small, select girls' school established in King Street. Yet it retains vital links with the past and one hopes that when the centenary is celebrated in 1993, it will still serve the same important function in the town as it has done for the last 81 years. Let me finish with two verses from the school song:
Still true to the spirit of the past,
Our school her eyes doth backward cast,
And to this motto she holds fast,
Rex et nostra jura.
In work, in play, we ever strive
To keep this spirit still alive;
Now may Great Yarmouth ever thrive!
Rex et nostra jura!
HEAD TEACHERS OF THE SCHOOL SINCE THE FOUNDATION
Miss Mary L Johnson 1893-1896
Miss Jessie A Sallitt 1896-1902
Miss Adaline Charlotte Haig 1903-1925
Miss Margaret Selwyn Copeman 1925-1942
Miss Eleanor Kerr 1942-1950
Miss Margaret M Black 1950-1955
Miss R I Brookes 1955-1960
Miss M E Irvine 1960-1965
Miss Marion Evans 1965-1969
Mr Willian Norman Batten 1969-
CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNORS
Sir R H Inglis Palgrave 1906-1919
E W Worlledge 1919-1925
R F E Ferrier 1925-1933
H Chamberlin 1933-1934
P C Ellis 1934-1940
H T Greenacre 1940-1952
Mrs K M Adlington 1952-
AN APPRECIATION OF MISS M EVANS, ACTING HEAD 1965-1969, BY MR PETER NEWTON, DEPUTY HEAD, PUBLISHED IN THE GREAT YARMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE, 1968-1969
The end of the summer term 1969 marks the close of an era at the High School in many senses. The retirement of Miss Evans and her replacement by a Headmaster in preparation for the advent of co-education next year are events of great significance in the school's history.
In attempting to write these words of appreciation of her work, I am struck by the fact that Miss Evans is more than a Headmistress, a role which she has played for a comparatively short time - she is such an integral part of the school that without her the school must inevitably change. In over 30 years of service, she has become an institution and it is not easy for us, who by her standards have been at the High School only a short time, to realise and appreciate how much of her life Miss Evans has devoted to the girls of this town. She is one of a disappearing breed of men and women - but especially women - who have dedicated all or most of their teaching careers to the advancement of a single school. There are those who would say that this may lead to conservatism but I am among those who believe that it promotes a sense of purpose, direction and continuity to a school and this, I am sure, is Miss Evans' greatest legacy to us.
I can only speak personally of the past 13 years or so, by which time Miss Evans was already a long-established and respected member of staff, a "mother" and guide to the Upper Thirds, and the Head of Haig House, to which she welcomed me at the first House Meeting I attended. This was done in such a friendly way that I was immediately made to feel at home in what was in those days an entirely feminine society. One of the most striking things about there was her versatility. Needlework, Scripture, English, Maths - whatever the demand, Miss Evans could meet it and, on one occasion, which I'm not sure she herself remembers, Geography became one of her sidelines for a year.
With the retirement of Miss Adams, Miss Evans took over the duties of Deputy Head, with universal approval, her period of service at the school already being far longer than that of any other member of staff at the time. Barely four years later, on Miss Irvine's promotion, Miss Evans was appointed Acting Head "for a term or two", which turned out to be four years. With the future of the school uncertain, with changes looming, receding and looming again, and with the feeling that she was presiding over the end of the school as she knew it, these have been difficult years through which Miss Evans has had to guide us. During this time the school's welfare, as ever, has been her deepest concern, and we see her go with sense of real loss. We shall miss her, and many owe much to her - the number of girls who have benefited from her teaching, her advice and her example is large indeed. But she goes with our very good wishes for a long and happy retirement and many years of pleasant memories of her achievements at Great Yarmouth High School.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Recollections of Early Days at the Great Yarmouth High School, Olive Worlledge.
Reports of the Great Yarmouth High School, 1910-1927
Articles in The Yarmouth Mercury
Articles in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle
J B Whitehead, A History of Great Yarmouth Grammar School, 1951
S J Curtis, History of Education in Great Britain, 1957
"I have just discovered your website. I was a pupil at the school from 1967-1974, during which time it changed its name to Gorleston Grammar School and started admitting boys. For my A level History project in 1974, I wrote a history of the school. My mother did lend the project to the Head Teacher after I left the school in order that a copy could be made for school records, but I don't believe he ever got round to doing it.
I am at the moment in the process of writing a history of my son's school in Worcestershire where I live, and it made me remember the history I wrote some time ago. Earlier in the year, I was anxious that the research should not be lost, so I typed up the project and submitted a file to the National Grid for Learning who, at the beginning of this year, were encouraging people to send in historical articles for different areas of the country. The article was on their website early this year, but the website has changed since then, and I don't believe it's on there any longer. At the same time, on my annual visit to Yarmouth, I also gave a copy to Yarmouth Library.
Here is a Word file with the text, which I would be happy for you to publish on your website if you feel it is appropriate.
Maureen Spinks (nee Coe)"
A HISTORY OF GREAT YARMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL1893-1974
by
Maureen Coe
1974
INTRODUCTION
In the 81 years that have passed since a High School for Girls was established in Great Yarmouth, great changes have taken place as it has evolved from being a small church school, principally for the daughters of the middle classes, to its present-day status as a selective, co-educational grammar school. The school has changed buildings a number of times, the name has recently been altered from the Great Yarmouth High School to the Gorleston Grammar School, and the next decade should see comprehensive education established in the town. It is thus my intention to recount the history of the school from 1893 to the present day and show how it has adapted itself to meet the demands of the changing educational world.
It was not until 1893 that an adequate education could be acquired for girls in Great Yarmouth. Until the 19th century, very few schools existed in England for the education of girls, and well-to-do parents either employed governesses to train their daughters or sent them to private schools where the main instruction was in languages, deportment and other accomplishments. But then in the Victorian era began a movement to provide good secondary schools for girls which was really part of the much wider emancipation of women and which, in less than a century, established women's education in England on the same footing as men's. The movement began with an attempt in the first half of the 19th century to secure suitable training for governesses, and progressed in the latter half with the work of the pioneers of girls' secondary education, Miss Buss and Miss Beale, the former who became Headmistress of the North London Collegiate School in 1850 and the latter Principal of the Ladies' College, Cheltenham, in 1858. The Girls' Public Day School Trust was founded in 1872, and was followed by the formation of similar smaller companies. One such company was the Church Schools' Company, founded in 1883, which gave rise to the establishment of a High School for Girls ten years later in Great Yarmouth.
I have attempted to trace the history of the High School since its foundation by referring in the main to school magazines and newspaper reports, backed up by interviews with "Old Girls" of the school. In writing this project, I am deeply indebted to Miss Hunt and Mr Batten of the Gorleston Grammar School for their kindness in allowing me to borrow magazines and records of the school, which have proved of invaluable help, and to Miss Brewitt for all her encouragement. I would also like to express my gratitude to the staff of the Great Yarmouth Public Library for their assistance with the research into this project; to my mother, herself an "Old Girl" of the Great Yarmouth High School; and finally to all "Old Girls" who so kindly responded to my appeal in the newspaper for information. Thank you!
BIRTH OF THE GREAT YARMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL
In the latter half of the 19th century, a great upsurge in favour of girls' education caused girls' schools to be founded all over the country. In Great Yarmouth, the idea of establishing a High School for Girls had been maturing for a long time, but it was not until the 1890s that the dream of such a school materialised, due to the enthusiasm and influence shown by the prime movers of girls' education in the town, Edward Worlledge and R H Inglis Palgrave.
Canon Venables, formerly vicar of Yarmouth, gave support, and it was he who conceived the idea that a girls' school could perhaps be opened under the auspices of the Church Schools' Company, established in 1883. The aim of the Company was to promote a thoroughly sound public education, with the teaching of distinct Church principles; at the same time any parent or guardian had the right to withdraw a pupil from religious instruction as given in one of the schools. So, in 1892, the Church Schools' Company was approached and it was decided to open a new branch in Yarmouth. In accordance with one of the conditions laid down by the Council of the Company, influential men like Worlledge and Palgrave showed their faith in the venture by becoming shareholders.
Thus, on Tuesday 17th January 1893, the Great Yarmouth Girls' High School was born in 147 King Street, immediately opposite St George's Church. Although small, the house met every requirement for the time, and was adequate for the needs of the 21 pupils who entered the school during the first term. Canon Venables' original idea had been "that there should be a clearer view of the grand old Parish Church, and yet to have in the vicinity a fine group of school buildings." He hoped that his dream might one day be realised but in the 80 years that have passed since then, this has not been fulfilled.
In King Street, the school prospered under the headship of Miss Mary Johnson, BA (London). From the beginning, the standard of work was high, and proved the comment in the Taunton Report, 1869, that "the essential capacity for learning is the same, or nearly the same, in the two sexes". The curriculum of English girls' schools was to a great extent modelled on that of the boys' schools, but modern subjects were included also. Thus at Yarmouth, Divinity, English, History, Geography, Mathematics, French, German, Latin, Class Singing and Drawing were to be found on the timetable; and within three years, pupils were passing the Higher Certificate Examinations of the Oxford & Cambridge Joint Board very successfully. Games, too, had a place in school life, and cricket, tennis and hockey were played with enthusiasm, first on a field at Caister, and later on the new Recreation Ground.
Soon a school hat-band was designed, and very proudly, the girls walked through the streets of Yarmouth wearing the school monogram, "Fidelitas in parvis" ("Faithfulness in little things"). Then there was the daily promenade round and round St George's Church until the ringing of the first bell; the tramp, tramp of girls going up the narrow staircase to the bare, top room; the warning voice of "Steady, girls, steady"; and special private instruction in the art of stair mounting for those who went up too gaily! All this was a part of life in the early days of the school, and was vividly recalled in an article by Florence M Green in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, March 1914.
After only two years, the school was already too small for the house in King Street, and in September 1895, when the pupils numbered 83, the High School moved to 7 & 8 Albert Square, one of the largest mansions in the town. The aristocratic calm of Albert Square was in contrast to the noise of King Street, and the house, with its southerly aspect and large airy rooms was ideal for a small school. Miss Alston, an English mistress, who had spent her first two years of teaching at a northern High School, found the Great Yarmouth High School in contrast "a haven of peace with its small classes and amazingly biddable children". The initial difficulties of converting a private house into a school were soon overcome, even the problem of finding a suitable office for the Headmistress: a bathroom was cleverly adapted for the purpose, the bath being transformed into an imposing-looking settee! Memories of these early days were recounted in an article by Miss Alston in Great Yarmouth High School Jubilee Souvenir, 1943.
The pleasant surroundings proved conducive to study, and Miss Johnson, and Miss Sallitt who succeeded her in 1896, both sought "to impart a high, noble, moral character to every child". In the first few years, the foundations of the High School were well and truly laid, and the girls, for all their light-hearted ways, were sensible to the fact that their hands were the first to mould the spirit of "the high tradition of the school".
YEARS OF CRISIS
In 1902, Miss Sallitt retired at a time when the school was at its lowest ebb as regards numbers, with only just over 40 pupils. The first period of prosperity had been followed by a time during which the school, though still doing excellent educational work, was less popular in the town. It was officially recognised by the Board of Education, the only girls' secondary school in the area to have that distinction (with the exception of Norwich High School), yet it was felt that as long as it was controlled by the Church Schools' Company, it would never be used by all the sections of the community who desired a good secondary education for their daughters. It fell to the lot of Miss Adaline Haig, who had been in charge of the kindergarten in the early days and who now, after an absence of five years, returned to the town in January 1903 as Headmistress, to take on the uphill task of building up the school.
It seemed doubtful whether the school could survive for, after the Education Act of 1902, when the Church Schools' Company found it could not get grants for any of its schools, it was decided that the expense was too great to justify the existence of the school in Yarmouth. Thus, the town was again faced with the problem of having no adequate education for girls. But the Council of the Church Schools' Company then suggested that some of the schools might continue to be run, under the control of a local committee of church people instead of under the Company's control. In 1905, the Local Committee adopted this course, undertaking to maintain the school as a church school. Accordingly, there was no break, and the High School continued as before with the same staff and Headmistress. In order to help the school, the Council paid the rent for the premises for two years, but in 1907 the Church Schools' Company relinquished all hold over the Great Yarmouth High School.
From the time that it was under Committee control, the school advanced steadily in public favour, perhaps because parents of all religious denominations felt that, although the atmosphere of the school continued to be religious, they had no need to fear any undue influence being exerted upon their children. Proving her good faith in this respect, Miss Haig appointed three Nonconformists to posts on the staff.
The task before Miss Haig was not an easy one, and although handicapped by low funds, she set to work to do the best under the circumstances. In the first year under control by the Committee, the school showed an increase of more than 20%, and she was rewarded by seeing it gradually rise to a place of real importance in the town. Year after year, examination results, scholarships gained, successes at the universities, showed how thorough was the work done. In games, the tennis champions and hockey teams held their own against larger schools in the championships of the Eastern Counties' Games Association; and in drama the school, under the direction of Miss Copeman, acquitted itself well in its annual performances which, since 1903, were held at the Theatre Royal. Above all, Miss Haig built up a reputation for good tone and public spirit. Her views were summed in the following address to the school on 16th January 1914, "Just as no brilliance of intellect can make up for a weak, selfish or dishonest character, so nothing can go well with a school if its tone or character is not high and true. Do not be satisfied with easy things, low motives, half-done slovenly work; above all, do not let yourselves drift into carelessness about honour, honesty, straightforwardness, truthfulness."
She sought to instil in her pupils the spirit of the school motto: "A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in little things is a very great thing."
In 1909 another crisis had to be faced when the Board of Education decided that more children should be given the advantage of secondary education. In Great Yarmouth, there was no room for a High School to exist in addition to a Secondary School, thus it was decided that it should come under the Board of Governors of the Grammar School Foundation, and that both schools should give the necessary advantages that secondary schools supplied. The sphere of the school was thus very much widened, for as well as catering for those who had always supported it, it became available for the children of many who until then had not been able to afford the somewhat high fees, for it was now bound to admit a certain proportion of "free scholars". At the same time, the Pupil Teacher Centre in Yarmouth closed and the students entered the High School for their last years of training. Miss Haig welcomed the chance of wider usefulness and, staunch conservative as she was, she had no sympathy with those who deplored the supposed loss in social status.
The opening decade of the 20th century was an anxious time for the school, for it was doubtful at times whether it could continue. But by 1910, Richard Ferrier (the Honorary Secretary of the Committee before it was taken over by the Board of Governors) felt that the troubles of the Great Yarmouth High School were over. "The ship has weathered the storm," he said, "and, I believe, has permanently reached calmer waters."
1910 TO THE END OF THE GREAT WAR
In September 1910, the Great Yarmouth High School opened in new surroundings in Trafalgar Road, for by this time the house in Albert Square had become quite inadequate. Since 1872, the building had been the home of the Boys' Grammar School, but now a new school had been built for the boys in the north of the town.
Improvements, alterations and renovations had to be made to make the building suitable for girls. Temporary inconvenience was caused owing to the fact that a Headmaster's residence had not been provided at the new boys' school thus, while it was being erected, Mr Williams had temporarily to occupy the eastern wing at the High School. There seemed the danger of overcrowding again, and it was a great relief when the remainder of the building was handed over two terms later. The Hall and classrooms seemed palatial after the quarters in Albert Square, and for the first time, large social gatherings could be held on the premises. The old house had been far too small for the present size of the school, but it had been admirable in several respects, and many lamented the move from the aristocratic south-facing aspect of the Square to the old Grammar School in Trafalgar Road with its bleak northern aspect. In an article written many years later for The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, 1943, V M Alston was moved to comment, "but at least the cold there was so intense that microbes could not survive!"
One real addition to school life was that for the first time the school had a science laboratory, enabling the girls to study chemistry and physics; previously it had been possible to teach only botany. Domestic science was also taught for the first time. The teaching of these subjects was in accordance with the Regulations for Secondary Schools, 1904, which stated that a minimum four-year course should be provided, and recommended that it should embrace English language and literature, geography, history, at least one language, mathematics, science and art; "housewifery" was strongly urged for the girls and "manual work and physical exercises" were considered essential for both sexes. In order to improve physical training at the school, Swedish drill was instituted.
A very important character in the school in those days was "Tim", an Irish terrier, and the inseparable companion of Miss Alston. He was always to the forefront in school affairs whether leading his form out of Hall after prayers, guarding his mistress' coat at the Recreation Ground, or appearing with Moonshine in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1910) or as a hunting-dog in As You Like It (1912)! The School Inspectors highly approved of Tim's presence and said that a dog made a school so "human".
The years before the war were ones of unbroken prosperity, with numbers continually rising. In 1914 the school observed its 21st birthday. Among many festivities to mark the occasion, an entertainment was held in the hall, which was preceded by the singing of a school song composed by Miss Alston, and set to music by Dr Haydon Hare, "Rex et nostra jura".
In the same year, the Great War broke out. Miss Haig (whose cousin was Earl Haig) faced the war with equanimity and courage. In spite of the fact that Yarmouth people were the first at home to hear the thunder of German warships and to experience Zeppelin raids, this had no detrimental effect on the school. There was no upheaval or panic; a few families left the town, and some of the younger children were sent into the country villages for a time but soon returned. Inevitably numbers dropped, but only in the lower classes. The elder girls sat as usual for public examinations, and even though an east coast town in war-time was not the best place for quiet study, there were no failures and an unusually high percentage of honours each year.
The girls were conscious of the part they must play in war-work, whether it was making garments for service-men, or the excitement of having a "spy" in their midst! The "spy" was Miss Alston, who was arrested one day for making "sketches" of the harbour. In vain she assured the sergeant that she had only been preparing school lessons at her favourite spot by the harbour mouth. Poor Miss Alston had visions of spending the night under arrest or having to ask Mr Worlledge and Miss Haig to bear witness to her unimpeachable character, but fortunately an airman appeared and said that henceforth she must not work at the harbour mouth.
On 11th November 1918, the school was hard at work when suddenly all the ships in the harbour hooted and the church bells rang out. The war was at an end! The school celebrated on the official "Peace Day" the following year by holding an outdoor party and fancy dress parade, Miss Copeman wearing a long white robe, enormous white wings, and a sash with PEACE printed across it. The school had again "weathered the storm", but unfortunately the permanent calmer waters Mr Ferrier had hoped for in 1910 were not to be: difficult days were ahead.
BETWEEN THE WARS
Prize Day 1918 was begun by singing the Doxology in thankfulness for the cessation of hostilities. "The year that has passed since then will ever rank as one of the memorable years in the world's history," said Miss Haig, "and it has been impossible even for our little community not to feel the backwash of great events, not to be influenced by the spirit of the times.
The most notable way the school was affected by public events, was the way in which the town was participating in the great movement passing through the country in favour of a wider education for a larger proportion of the population. Within one year, numbers had increased by over a hundred, partly due to a local cause, the temporary closing of the Convent School, but mainly to this movement in favour of secondary education.
In order to cope with the sudden rise in numbers, in September 1919 the Governors hired two rooms in the Holkham Hotel while future plans were considered. After Easter the school had to give up these rooms and, as it was financially impossible to build at that time, a large wooden army hut was erected in the playground. The annexe was meant only as a temporary measure to relieve congestion, but unfortunately it became a permanent fixture.
In November 1919 Miss Haig became seriously ill and Miss Copeman acted as Headmistress until June 1920. For weeks Miss Haig had lain at death's door, and though with her usual courage she returned to work at the earliest opportunity, her health broke down again, largely due to the strain and controversy about salaries in connection with the Burnham Scale - a controversy which was carried on with little consideration for Miss Haig's feelings. At the same time, the Governors, faced with financial stress, decided to make a drastic cut in expenditure, proposing to abolish the High School kindergarten, reduce staff and increase fees, thus reducing the deficiency to be met out of the local rates. The High School was the special object of attack, and the views of Miss Haig, the most qualified to judge, were not taken into account. Thus in July 1921, due to her recent illness and the strain of the controversy, Miss Haig took a year's leave of absence and had a well-earned holiday in the south of France.
For the second time in a short period, Miss Copeman found herself in the position of Acting Headmistress, at a time when many changes were taking place. In July 1921 the kindergarten closed, but the following year, an "Old Girl", Miss Doris Palmer, opened Elm House School for children up to the age of nine, which was mainly a preparatory school for High School children. Another change occurred in 1923 when a regulation came into force applying to all secondary schools of the High School's type, that no child could be admitted unless she had passed a qualifying entrance test.
On her return, Miss Haig quickly found that her strength was limited, and wisely acknowledged her limitations. In 1925 she was forced to resign through ill-health and Miss Copeman was appointed as her successor. Miss Haig retired to a cottage in Scotland, but was destined to have only a short retirement. It was with great sorrow that the school heard of her death in January 1927.
Towards the end of the Great War, a navy and white uniform had begun to be worn. In 1914 a tunic had been introduced for games, underneath which was worn a white square-necked blouse, which soon became general wear. Velour hats were worn in winter and panamas in summer, along with special summer dresses.
At the beginning of her headship, Miss Copeman inaugurated the system of "Houses", giving to each House a name of significance to the school: Worlledge, in memory of the late Chairman of the Governors who died that summer; Ferrier, in honour of the new Chairman; Palgrave, after the first Chairman; and Haig, in honour of their former Headmistress. This was done partly to train the girls to be more self-reliant, responsible and loyal members of the school, and partly to assist in the improvement of school games. Games were played enthusiastically, although handicapped as the school had no playing-field, and had to be played on the Recreation Ground. Not until 1938 was a playing-field, with a pavilion on the site, opened. In addition, the High School Guide Company, founded in 1917, was supported with much enthusiasm.
For many years it had been clear that certain improvements were necessary, and it was not long before some of the dreams materialised. A more adequate heating system was installed, and the building was well heated, except when a high north wind made any amount of stoking quite useless, and all froze! The coldness was the striking thing in winter, whilst in summer it was the noise from the amusements on the nearby Marine Parade.
In 1930, a new wing was added to the school, housing an Art Room, ten classrooms and a cloakroom; at the same time, the old tower room was converted into a Reference Library which was to be a memorial to their late Headmistress. "Simplicity of colouring and arrangment gives the peace and quietness so essential to serious study," wrote O Skelton in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, March 1931, "and watching over all hangs Miss Haig's portrait, while we, her sometime pupils, prepare ourselves for life in a room that she would have loved."
The end of an era came in 1938 when, on 1st August after much controversy, the school lost its Direct Grant status; from then until 1947 it was Authority-aided. At the same time, the fear of war was hanging over the country, a war which was to cause great upheavals to people everywhere, not least the pupils of the Great Yarmouth High School. The events of the succeeding few years were to have profound effects on the life of the school, and were ones which would not easily be forgotten.
THE HIGH SCHOOL IN EXILE
In September 1939 the ugly head of war reared itself throughout Europe, and at once the school was affected. Many families left the town, and term opening was delayed until 13th October, by which time suitable shelters had been built in the playground. But this was nothing compared with the great upheaval which occurred less than a year later.
On Sunday 26th May 1940, shortly after the capitulation of the Low Countries and the evacuation of Dunkirk, many High School girls heard news on the wireless which was destined to change the course of their lives for a longer period than any expected: schoolchildren from east coast towns were to be evacuated. There followed a feverish week of preparation for evacuation to an unknown district, for they were to depart the following Sunday.
On a hot June day, 180 High School girls, accompanied by staff, set off on their adventure into the unknown, leaving behind their homes, families and school building. The journey was tiring, but by late afternoon, the school had arrived at its destination, Retford, Nottinghamshire, where, hot and tired, the girls walked to the County High School to be welcomed by Miss Southam, the Headmistress. By evening, each girl had been taken to her billet and made the acquaintance of her new family.
Retford High School did everything possible to welcome the Yarmouth girls and help them adjust to evacuation life. In spite of many difficulties, a near-normal routine was established. Yarmouth and Retford girls shared the High School building, an arrangement which worked remarkably well, especially as they adopted a clockwise method of going in and out of school. The pupils had to accustom themselves to different hours at school, with the dinner-hour lasting 2¾ hours, afternoon school lasting from 3 until 5 o'clock, and five lessons on Saturday mornings. This meant that the day was long drawn-out and exhausting to both girls and staff. Nevertheless, the work of the school was satisfactory and suffered very little on the whole from the effects of evacuation. Homework was difficult in some cases, especially for the older girls, but in spite of that, the examination results were good.
War work played an important part in the activities of the school. Girls over 16 became fire-watchers and, during the summer months, many girls, especially those in the middle school, did useful work on neighbouring farms, potato-picking, pea-pulling, fruit-picking, weeding and bean-topping.
In 1942 Miss Copeman retired after a lifelong association with the school, the last 17 years being spent as Headmistress. "To say goodbye when the school is still 'in exile'," she wrote, "is especially difficult for all who leave this term, whether Headmistress, staff or girls, but we look forward to a reunion some day in the dear old school or (who knows?) in a palatial edifice on our playing field!"
Miss Kerr, the new Headmistress, came at a time when an important change took place in the school. In the middle of the autumn term, the school acquired Glenesk, an old house. Everyone was thrilled at the prospect of having their own building once more and, during free time, Glenesk was a hive of industry as girls worked hard to convert the house into a school. The arrival of school furniture from Yarmouth was hailed with joy and, by the end of the term, everyone had settled in. The outstanding advantage for the school was the return to more normal hours, and the customary free Saturday mornings.
Whilst still in exile, the school celebrated its Jubilee anniversary in 1943 and, although away from home, celebrations were as through as possible. "At a time when so few girls really remember the Trafalgar Road building, the school is especially glad of an opportunity to look into its history and traditions," wrote Miss Kerr. "Wherever we are, these remain our heritage, and of them we are justly proud." As an old Head Girl said, "We come from a comparatively small town so that our school unity is strong. When you have left, this unity will take you back to school time and again …. It is not until you leave that you realise that our GYHS is a living personality formed by the Headmistress, the staff and 200 odd girls who are all in some way subtly influenced by her traditions and who unconsciously are making new traditions for the future. The proof of what I have been trying to explain is that she can thrive in exile."
THE POST-WAR PERIOD
After four years in exile, the school returned to Great Yarmouth in September 1944. A hint had been given to the girls at the end of the summer term that they might not be returning to Retford and the official news came through two days after term ended. As in 1940, when departures were made in a hurry, so in 1944 there was no chance of making proper farewells.
Great efforts were made by the staff, girls and workmen to get the school in Trafalgar Road ready in time for the beginning of term, but school did not open until 29th September, nine days later than intended and, even then, much work was still to be done to restore it to normal. Whilst the school was at Retford, the building had been used first as an RAF hospital and then requisitioned by the army. It had received blast damage, rendering the annexe unusable, and other parts of the building were in a bad condition, the Hall being minus its two main windows.
Of the pupils who assembled on the first day of term in Great Yarmouth, only 15 had attended the school in its pre-war days; to the other 225 it was completely new. Of the staff, however, only one, apart from Miss Kerr, had not previously worked in the Trafalgar Road building. Nevertheless, the pupils soon settled down to the normal round of work and activities and Retford seemed an adventure of the dim past.
The first term was necessarily one of transition and re-establishment. "All the girls are very pleased indeed to be back although I think they have gained by the evacuation in experience and independence," said Miss Kerr, in an article in The Yarmouth Mercury of 4th November 1944. Although the senior forms were still very much at evacuation size, the lower forms were larger than formerly. In addition, the preparatory department for girls from eight to eleven years, was reopened with 20 children.
The first year of peace saw the school at its greatest know strength: 396 girls on the register, including a Sixth Form of over 20, and the building taxed to capacity. The years of peace saw also the return of the proper hat-band which looked and wore better than the esily-shabbied navy-blue one of the war years. "Behind all these lesser things, we are trying hard to live up to the ideals of an age which is putting great faith in the powers of education, faith which we must prove to be justified," wrote Miss Kerr in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle, 1945-46.
Since 1938, the High School had been a deficiency aided school, but in 1947 it became voluntarily controlled as a result of the 1944 Education Act, the Local Authority thus paying all the expenses of maintaining the school. The Act made compulsory the abolition of fees in all maintained secondary schools from 1st April 1945, so the distinction between scholars and fee-payers had gone. In consequence, there was now only one standard of admission to the main school: all prospective pupils, whether from the old elementary or private schools or from the preparatory department, had to take the same "Eleven-Plus" examination, and admissions were solely on merit. In addition, the preparatory department had to come to an end in July 1947 because a secondary school could no longer have a primary department under the same roof.
At Whitsuntide 1950, Miss Kerr became quite seriously ill and her place was taken by Miss Taylor until she felt strong enough to return. However, at the end of the summer term, Miss Kerr left to become Headmistress of Queen Ethelburga's School, Harrogate, and she was succeeded by Miss Margaret Black, Senior Mistress of the Manchester Girls' High School.
In 1951 the school, as with schools all over the country, had its first experience of the General Certificate of Education, of which Miss Black said, "We are, as yet, more suspicious of its shortcomings than grateful for its opportunities." Various criticisms had been levelled at the old School Certificate Examination for it was felt that the old grammar school curriculum was "still coloured by obsolete doctrines of the faculties and of formal training; and the endeavour to teach a wider range of subjects to the same high level to all pupils has led to the overcrowding of the timetable" (S J Curtis in History of Education in Great Britain, Oxford, 4th edition, 1957).
The 60th anniversary of the foundation of the High School was commemorated in a special service in St Peter's Church. From 21 children in 1893, numbers had risen to over 400 in 1953. The school was continually growing, and in September 1955, there were so many new girls that it was necessary to have three Upper Third forms (as the first-year intake was still known, even though there were no longer lower forms in a preparatory department). As elsewhere in England, the post-war birth-rate had filled the school to overflowing and more than ever the need for a new building was realised.
Since the 1930s, hopes had been entertained of an adequate building for the Girls' High School, but not until 1957 was this dream realised. Work on a new building was begun in May 1955 on a site just outside the borough boundary and, when the schools reassembled in September 1957 for the winter term, the High School "crossed the water" to the present site in Gorleston. "It is almost like a country school because most of the specialist rooms, the assembly hall and some of the classrooms look out over open countryside," said a report in The Yarmouth Mercury of 30th August 1957. For the first time in its history, the school had rooms large enough for the numbers they were required to hold, adequate laboratories, a school hall and stage, a gymnasium and playing fields on the school site.
In its new surroundings, the school thrived exceedingly well in both work and games. The Headmistress was now Miss R I Brookes, who had succeeded Miss Black in 1955. She remained until 1960 when Miss Irvine took her place and, when Miss Irvine moved in 1965, Miss Marion Evans, who had had a lifelong association with the school, became Acting Headmistress. In a few years' time, the school was to become co-educational, thus it was decided to appoint an Acting Head for the time being. Miss Evans coped admirably and, when she retired in 1969, all wished her a long and happy retirement. But, like Miss Haig, one of her noble predecessors who had also devoted her life to the school, she was destined to have only a short retirement. With great sorrow, the school heard of Miss Evans' death less than a year later.
An era had closed on the school. Many changes were to take place in the next few years, and the Great Yarmouth High School has had to adapt itself to the educational trends of Great Britain today. It is now a vastly different place from that of 1893, but as any good school, it must adapt itself to the changing times of the modern world.
CONCLUSION
A new era is now facing the school. In 1969, the school welcomed its first Headmaster, Mr William Batten. The appointment of a male as Head of a girls' school was in preparation for co-education which took place the following September, when the borough's two oldest secondary schools, the High School and the Grammar School, both hitherto single-sex establishments, began new chapters in their distinguished histories with the admission of children of the opposite sex. "I think co-education is a more normal form of education," said Mr Batten. "Boys and girls work together in junior schools. Separation at 11-plus is artificial. I have never previously found any disadvantages in mixing." Mr D G Farrow, the Chief Education Officer, said, "So far as catchment areas are concerned, we hope that those parents who live on the east side of the river will choose the Grammar School and those on the west side will choose the High School."
The reorganisation called for extensive building work, additions and conversions. Mixing at both schools was thorough-going from the start and, with the exception of the examination forms - the fifth year and the Upper Sixth - at least two out of three classes in each age division were mixed. The mixing and the building work were integrated with the Education Committee's larger plan to turn the two schools, together with the Technical High School, into non-selective comprehensive high schools, each with around a thousand pupils aged 13 to 18.
In September 1971, a significant change was made when the school altered its name from the Great Yarmouth High School to Gorleston Grammar School. This name will be acceptable as long as the school remains selective, but will have to be reconsidered when comprehensive reorganisation takes place in the borough. At the same time, a new badge had to be designed to replace the one in use, the simple monogram formed by the initial letters of Great Yarmouth High School. The new design embodies emblems of the school's four Houses and incorporates the school motto; it was designed by a pupil, Caroline Newton.
The boys have soon made their mark on the school, participating in plays and musical performances and, despite their relatively small numbers at first, have acquitted themselves well in games. After 77 years as a girls' school, mixing has had no small impact on the school. But it is another proposal - the abolition of selection and the admission of children of all abilities - rather than the mixing, which is likely to have the most telling effect on the character of the school in the long run. If the original plans had gone into operation, the school would now be experiencing the first year of comprehensive education, but various factors have caused this date to be delayed, making the earliest possible date now September 1976.
The role of the Great Yarmouth High School has changed immensely since 1893 and the school of today is in great contrast to the small, select girls' school established in King Street. Yet it retains vital links with the past and one hopes that when the centenary is celebrated in 1993, it will still serve the same important function in the town as it has done for the last 81 years. Let me finish with two verses from the school song:
Still true to the spirit of the past,
Our school her eyes doth backward cast,
And to this motto she holds fast,
Rex et nostra jura.
In work, in play, we ever strive
To keep this spirit still alive;
Now may Great Yarmouth ever thrive!
Rex et nostra jura!
HEAD TEACHERS OF THE SCHOOL SINCE THE FOUNDATION
Miss Mary L Johnson 1893-1896
Miss Jessie A Sallitt 1896-1902
Miss Adaline Charlotte Haig 1903-1925
Miss Margaret Selwyn Copeman 1925-1942
Miss Eleanor Kerr 1942-1950
Miss Margaret M Black 1950-1955
Miss R I Brookes 1955-1960
Miss M E Irvine 1960-1965
Miss Marion Evans 1965-1969
Mr Willian Norman Batten 1969-
CHAIRMAN OF THE GOVERNORS
Sir R H Inglis Palgrave 1906-1919
E W Worlledge 1919-1925
R F E Ferrier 1925-1933
H Chamberlin 1933-1934
P C Ellis 1934-1940
H T Greenacre 1940-1952
Mrs K M Adlington 1952-
AN APPRECIATION OF MISS M EVANS, ACTING HEAD 1965-1969, BY MR PETER NEWTON, DEPUTY HEAD, PUBLISHED IN THE GREAT YARMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL MAGAZINE, 1968-1969
The end of the summer term 1969 marks the close of an era at the High School in many senses. The retirement of Miss Evans and her replacement by a Headmaster in preparation for the advent of co-education next year are events of great significance in the school's history.
In attempting to write these words of appreciation of her work, I am struck by the fact that Miss Evans is more than a Headmistress, a role which she has played for a comparatively short time - she is such an integral part of the school that without her the school must inevitably change. In over 30 years of service, she has become an institution and it is not easy for us, who by her standards have been at the High School only a short time, to realise and appreciate how much of her life Miss Evans has devoted to the girls of this town. She is one of a disappearing breed of men and women - but especially women - who have dedicated all or most of their teaching careers to the advancement of a single school. There are those who would say that this may lead to conservatism but I am among those who believe that it promotes a sense of purpose, direction and continuity to a school and this, I am sure, is Miss Evans' greatest legacy to us.
I can only speak personally of the past 13 years or so, by which time Miss Evans was already a long-established and respected member of staff, a "mother" and guide to the Upper Thirds, and the Head of Haig House, to which she welcomed me at the first House Meeting I attended. This was done in such a friendly way that I was immediately made to feel at home in what was in those days an entirely feminine society. One of the most striking things about there was her versatility. Needlework, Scripture, English, Maths - whatever the demand, Miss Evans could meet it and, on one occasion, which I'm not sure she herself remembers, Geography became one of her sidelines for a year.
With the retirement of Miss Adams, Miss Evans took over the duties of Deputy Head, with universal approval, her period of service at the school already being far longer than that of any other member of staff at the time. Barely four years later, on Miss Irvine's promotion, Miss Evans was appointed Acting Head "for a term or two", which turned out to be four years. With the future of the school uncertain, with changes looming, receding and looming again, and with the feeling that she was presiding over the end of the school as she knew it, these have been difficult years through which Miss Evans has had to guide us. During this time the school's welfare, as ever, has been her deepest concern, and we see her go with sense of real loss. We shall miss her, and many owe much to her - the number of girls who have benefited from her teaching, her advice and her example is large indeed. But she goes with our very good wishes for a long and happy retirement and many years of pleasant memories of her achievements at Great Yarmouth High School.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Recollections of Early Days at the Great Yarmouth High School, Olive Worlledge.
Reports of the Great Yarmouth High School, 1910-1927
Articles in The Yarmouth Mercury
Articles in The Great Yarmouth High School Chronicle
J B Whitehead, A History of Great Yarmouth Grammar School, 1951
S J Curtis, History of Education in Great Britain, 1957
THE HISTORY OF GREAT YARMOUTH GRAMMAR SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Added 2017
This note continues the history of Great Yarmouth Grammar School for Girls from where Maureen Coe's history left off until the end.
Our thanks to Mr Newton and to Mrs Jean Morris for their help with this.
1961 (not 1960)
Miss Brookes left and took up the headship at Cambridgeshire County High School for Girls
She was replaced by Miss Irvine.
Miss Adams retired.
Miss Evans became deputy head.
1965
Miss Irvine left.
Miss Evans took over as acting head
Mr Newton became deputy head.
1969
Miss Evans left.
She was replaced by Mr Batten.
1970
The school became co-educational, but remained a grammar school and changed its name to Gorleston Grammar School.
1981
Mr Batten and Mr Newton retired. The school became comprehensive and changed its name to Lynn Grove High School. A new Sixth Form College was founded.
This note continues the history of Great Yarmouth Grammar School for Girls from where Maureen Coe's history left off until the end.
Our thanks to Mr Newton and to Mrs Jean Morris for their help with this.
1961 (not 1960)
Miss Brookes left and took up the headship at Cambridgeshire County High School for Girls
She was replaced by Miss Irvine.
Miss Adams retired.
Miss Evans became deputy head.
1965
Miss Irvine left.
Miss Evans took over as acting head
Mr Newton became deputy head.
1969
Miss Evans left.
She was replaced by Mr Batten.
1970
The school became co-educational, but remained a grammar school and changed its name to Gorleston Grammar School.
1981
Mr Batten and Mr Newton retired. The school became comprehensive and changed its name to Lynn Grove High School. A new Sixth Form College was founded.