Origins... In Law & Social Change

Many Whitstable people recall the Sir William Nottidge simply as a new, local school that arrived on Bellevue Road in the early 1950s. However, from a brief bit of research, it seems to me that it was actually one element of a much bigger and broader picture. In fact, it was  part of a nationwide revolution in education that had been planned during the final stages of World War II and formalised in The Butler Education Act of 1944.

Prior to that legislation, any extended secondary education had been restricted to those who could afford fees and those who could gain a scholarship to one of the established grammar or private schools. For many children, such opportunities never arose and their schooling ended at the age of 14 when they completed a basic education.

Rab Butler's Act defined and imposed a clear division between primary and secondary education. "Primary" schooling would cater for pupils in the age range 5-11 and "Secondary" would provide more advanced education from the age of 11 to 15. The Act also abolished fees at all state grammar schools and, for the first time, made secondary education a right rather than a privilege. The new school leaving age of 15 was introduced in 1947.

Rab Butler was a Conservative politician but elements of the system met with some approval across the political spectrum (albeit for different reasons) and the basic ideas survived the election of a Labour government in the late 1940s.  

The Three Tier System...

The 1944 Act also specified another type of division.... in the form of a Tripartite system for secondary schooling. This was based on the idea that children should attend schools that best matched their ability and aptitude. Three categories were defined ...

However, lack of funding meant that few Technical Schools were provided. Thus, while 25% of pupils attended Grammar Schools, a mere 5% secured a place at a "Tech". This left the "Modern" schools as the largest category.... providing education for the vast majority of young people (70%).... and introducing co-educational schooling on a wide scale for the first time. 

Most grammar schools already existed prior to 1944. Few additions were made in this category and many continued as separate "Boys" and "Girls" establishments. 

However, a substantial building programme was required to provide new schools in the "Modern"  category. These establishments quickly became known as "Secondary Modern" and included a brand new co-educational Sir William Nottidge. The school acquired its name from the then Chairman of Kent County Council who performed the opening ceremony at Bellevue Road in, (we believe), 1952. 

The 11+ Exams

As early as the 1920s, some theorists had suggested that relatively simple tests could be used to determine the most appropriate type of education for individual pupils. The Butler Education Act required some form of filtering and, by separating primary and secondary education at the age of 11, it also provided a convenient point at which to undertake such testing. Thus the "11+" exam was born and it became a crossroads.... not just for school life but also, in many cases, for future careers.

However, one thing is worth noting. Butler's legislation specified an arbitrary age division which compelled testing at the age of 11. Some advocates of the "testing" theory were dissatisfied with that particular implementation of their ideas - arguing that it was too early to determine a child's future and failed to cater for "late developers".

This was not the only criticism of the Tripartite system that would arise as the latter part of the twentieth century unfolded. However, it would be inappropriate to address that debate here.  

The System in Whitstable 

Prior to this education revolution, Whitstable had no separate secondary school of any substantial size. The lucky few who could afford fees or attain scholarships often made their way to establishments elsewhere.... primarily in Canterbury. 

However, most children attended "single sex" primary schools until age 14 and then made their way in the world. Thus, schools such as the Oxford Street Boys and Endowed Girls provided the majority of education in the town.

The Education Act of 1944 had far reaching consequences. With 70% of pupils destined for "Secondary Modern", there was sufficient demand for a new school in Whitstable. Thus, the Sir William Nottidge was constructed. Like many similar new schools in other towns, it was co-ed, located within reach of a main road and built on farmland on the outskirts - the only place where sufficient space was available at reasonable cost for such a large undertaking. Whilst urban sprawl has since surrounded the site, the location has retained its relaxed atmosphere and panoramic views across Whitstable from  Bellevue Road.

There was no similar move to provide Grammar and Technical schooling in Whitstable. Presumably, with just 25% of pupils heading for Grammar school via the 11+, demand was insufficient to justify a building programme. Local "grammar" pupils travelled to separate "boys" and "girls" schools in Canterbury (Simon Langton) or Faversham.

Technical School provision suffered even greater scarcity. The only local option was provided by the Boys and Girls Techs at Canterbury. Even then, a place could not be provided until the second (or third?) year of secondary education. As a result, "technical students" attended the Sir William Nottidge briefly before suffering another upheaval and a move to the city.

Mobility and Change

To some extent, the Tripartite system and the introduction of widespread secondary education required greater "mobility" amongst the student population with more pupils  travelling some distance to school. Apart from necessary journeys from Whitstable to grammar and techs, there was a decline in the role of village schools and greater centralisation of education in urban areas. Parental choice also meant that some Whitstable children were sent to secondary moderns in neighbouring towns such as Herne Bay, Faversham and beyond. 

Friendships were often broken at the age of 11. No longer would the majority of local kids pass through the education system together at the same Oxford Street or Endowed school. However, the co-ed approach offset this to some extent by bringing local boys and girls together.

Whitstable was becoming part of a bigger picture in the field of education. In the decades that followed, it would also be forced to reassess its role in the wider context of business and, indeed, other aspects of "modern" living. The town's "insularity" was disappearing amidst social and economic change. 

Local Re-organisation..

The arrival of the Sir William Nottidge had a significant impact on existing schools in the area. Pupils in the new Secondary Modern category were moved into the new school. Many came from Oxford Street Boys and the Endowed Girls. However, other establishments were also affected such as the village school at Blean. Some small schools may even have closed. 

Attracted by new premises and the chance to specialise in secondary education, a number of senior teachers also transferred to the new school. Roger and Denise Harris (Australia) have mentioned that this included some well remembered names such as "Porky" Hatton (gardening), "Pop" Green (metalwork), "Nobby" Clark (Woodwork) and, possibly, Mr. Rawlings. All moved the short distance uphill from Oxford Street Boys.

Of course, some teachers remained (such as the Oxford Street headmaster, Frank Newsome) and, under the newly defined title of primary education, they were charged with the task of revamping their schools to cater for a smaller and younger clientele. Some of the changes were relatively minor but quite visible to the outside world! The large gardens at the rear of the Oxford Street school were halved in size.... because younger children were unable to maintain such a vast area of ground.

The schools also had to dovetail with the new tier above.... by providing a path to secondary education rather than a route to the outside world. They also had to partake in the selection process. Who will forget the one day each year when the schools were closed to pupils in years 1-3... in order to provide a serene environment for fourth year pupils sit their 11+ in the school hall?

The Facilities...

In carrying out a few internet searches, I have encountered suggestions that the Tripartite system was undermined by an unfair distribution of funds.... with the well established Grammar Schools acquiring a disproportionate share of the money.

Whatever the picture nationwide, I am not sure that this was quite so evident in Whitstable.... or, at least, it didn't seem that way to us kids. Certainly, the Technical school category was never implemented on the envisaged scale and it achieved far less impact than perhaps it should.

However, like many of the new Secondary Moderns, Sir William Nottidge possessed buildings and lands that were the envy of Grammar Schools - many of which continued in cramped and antiquated premises in the centre of Canterbury and Faversham and used sports fields located some distance from the main school. It wasn't until the late 1950s (and beyond) that new grammar school buildings began to appear and co-ed reached this sector of education on a significant scale.

As a kid, I marvelled at the sheer extent of Sir William Nottidge.... with its separate hall, dining room and gymnasium.... its modern science labs, woodwork room and metalwork room... and its imposing foyer.

For the time, its sports facilities were second to none. The school grounds incorporated a superbly maintained playing field - complete with a cricket square, athletics provision and two of the best maintained football pitches in the district. 

School sports field  in the  mid 1950s

Grass tennis courts were sited in a sheltered spot on the south side of the complex. There was also space for a separately fenced school garden and a further open area containing a substantial pond close to the Coastal Road (now Old Thanet Way). 

The school also controlled the existing Church Street playing field which it shared with several junior schools - The Oxford Street Boys, St. Marys and St. Vincents. This area contained changing rooms, two cricket squares and no fewer than 5 football pitches of varying size.  

The legacy of the original infrastructure remains to this day and it has provided the current school (now the Community College Whitstable) with the opportunity for extensive additions and improvements in excellent surroundings.    

Fast Growth

With 70% of the nation's teenagers attending Secondary Modern schools and the impact of a post war baby boom unfurling on secondary education in the mid to late 1950s, the population of Sir William Nottidge swelled to over 1200 - making it by far the most significant educational establishment in Whitstable. By the end of the Millennium, that number had dropped back to a figure just below the 700 mark. 

Debate and Progression...

The Tripartite system and the 11+ exam suffered increasing criticism from the 1960s onward. Whereas many aspects of the 1944 Education Act had found support across the political spectrum in the immediate aftermath of World War II, the consensus began to fall apart in the decades that followed. The Labour government of 1964 advocated an end to Tripartite and a move to comprehensive schooling.   

Despite a significant nationwide lurch towards comprehensive education, the county of Kent has retained its Grammar Schools to this day. However, the original concept of a separate, widespread Technical School category has perhaps disappeared.

Meanwhile, much attention has focused on the old Secondary Modern category. Various initiatives have been implemented at individual schools... including technology status, wide ability and, more recently, some specialism in certain aspects of education. 

End of a Name

In 1998, the Sir William Nottidge School was relaunched as The Community College Whitstable with a new ethos, management structure and approach - combining the best aspects of the original school with new ideas for the future. This was accompanied by the introduction of a new badge (depicting an Oyster Yawl) and a motto ("Striving for Excellence"). It was also marked by  the re-introduction of a royal blue  uniform - albeit in a somewhat darker and more practical shade than that of the 1950s.

Our Pages...

The school carries our best wishes for the future and we hope that our readers will take time to visit The Community College web site at....

http://www.ccw.kent.sch.uk 

In the meantime, these few pages on the Simply Whitstable web site allow some of our older visitors to look back, consult the old photo album, share a few memories and resurrect old friendships in celebration of those far off days when they attended the school under the title "The Sir William Nottidge". We hope that you enjoy the content and come together to build a special contribution to the annals of town history.     

Dave Taylor
Simply Whitstable