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Head Teachers
1877-1977
Thanks to the school's centenary publication, Bell
Book and Boys, we can provide a list of head teachers for the
school's first 100 years of service. For each entry, we have added a
brief synopsis to link names to significant events in the school's
history.
| 1877-1883 |
Thomas Clements |
Appointed as the first headmaster by
the new Whitstable & Seasalter School Board in 1877, he helped to establish state education in Whitstable for
the first time.
Although assisted by two "Pupil Teachers", he was
the only qualified teacher on the payroll and he battled a variety
of problems including shortage of accommodation, truancy and
some apathy amongst the local population. |
| 1883-1923 |
George Kirby |
The longest serving headmaster. He
inherited many of the problems of his predecessor but guided the
school from the fraught days of early state education to the
relative tranquillity of 1920s Whitstable.
Along the way, he supervised the expansion of the school as
it assumed responsibility for the entire Oxford Street site
following the exodus of the girls establishment.
Managed changes brought about by several increases in the
school leaving age (from 10 to 14), the introduction of free
schooling and, the replacement of the local School Board by the
KCC based Local Education Authority.
Introduced many new ideas to the school including a wider
range of activities and an increase in vocational training.
Left the school prior to some major reorganisations in the
mid-1920s |
1923-1927
Senior Boys |
C. Clifford Parmree |
Head of the Senior Boys Department
during a brief period when the school was sub-divided on an age
basis. |
1923-1928
Junior Boys |
Mr. Sparshott |
A former headmaster of the Endowed
Anglican School, he was appointed Head of the Junior Boys
Department. Oversaw the amalgamation of Oxford Street Junior
Boys with their counterparts from the Endowed School |
| 1928-1931 |
H. E. Shoesmith |
Became head of both Senior and Junior
departments and thereby established a structure that would
become familiar to so many pupils of the mid-twentieth century. |
| 1931-1935 |
William Henry Metcalfe |
Head during a period of relative
stability in local education. It seems he was quite a character
as Bell, Book and Boys describes him as "a thin man who
sported a pencil thin moustache and often wore tweed plus fours
and a flat cap". |
| 1935-1960 |
Frank Newsome |
A strict and imposing headmaster with
a hefty build and a thick shock of wavy white hair. He always
struck me as being somewhat remote from his pupils and a person
only encountered in cases of misbehaviour!
Nevertheless, he was the managerial titan who carried the school through a
torrid spell in its history. This included World War II, the
raising of the school leaving age to 15 (in 1947) and the revamp
of local education following the arrival of Sir William Nottidge
Secondary Modern School (in 1952).
Retired in the summer of 1960 as the last of the
"Old Style" headmasters to occupy the hot seat at
Oxford Street. |
| 1960-1965 |
A. M. Queen |
Introduced a full uniform to the
school for the first time. Raised the school profile and
gave it a more progressive image.
Experimented with the removal of the academic streaming that
had divided pupils into A, B and C streams.
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| 1966
-???? |
Gerald Povey |
Introduced the concept of "year
groups" in which teachers had opportunity to teach all pupils in their
year by specialising in some subjects.
Faced problems of overcrowding at the outset with classes of
40 pupils quite common. Re-organised the school when its
catchment area was reduced following the arrival of new
state schools at Joy Lane and Swalecliffe.
Prepared the school for its gradual metamorphosis into
co-ed between 1978 and 1981.
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Can You Help?
We would like to take our list beyond 1977.... but we
need your help.
For example, we know that a Mr. Blatchford was in
command from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. He was succeeded by a
Mrs. Metcalfe. Can anyone supply dates and later head teachers?
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