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In attempting to trace the history of the school, one of
the aspects that has caused some head scratching has been the school
name. Apart from a number of official changes of title, local people
have tended to use their own "colloquial" names over the
years. Set out below is a summary our findings and problems to date!....
| Name |
From |
To |
Explanation |
| Whitstable Boys Board School |
1877 |
1905? |
As described in our history
page, this was the original name and it reflected the fact that
the school was founded and administered by a local School Board.
The board was set up under the terms of the Education Act 1870
by the Committee of Council on Education
(a forerunner of a government Education department). At that
time, the Oxford Street site was also home to a Whitstable Girls
Board School and a Whitstable Infants Board School.
The use of the term "Board School" distinguished
establishments from other schools administered by Church Trusts
The colloquial name of the day was probably "The
Boys Board School". |
| Whitstable Boys Council
School |
1905? |
1945 |
This title was introduced after
the Education Act of 1904 abolished school boards and
established a Local Education Authority at Kent County Council.
We do not know precisely when but it seems likely to have been
shortly after the legislation was passed.
Colloquial names included "Whitstable Boys",
"The Council School"... and even "The Big Boys
School"!. |
| Whitstable Boys Primary
School
or
Whitstable County Primary Boys School |
1945 |
1978 |
John Harman recalls the name
"Boys Primary School" name being introduced in 1945.
This ties in with the Butler Education Act of 1944 which
introduced secondary education for all and defined boundaries
between Primary (up to age 11) and Secondary (age 12
plus).
It was perhaps a name ahead of its time! Whitstable did not
actually have a separate senior school until the brand new Sir
William Nottidge Secondary Modern opened its doors at Bellevue
Road in 1952. In the meantime, the Oxford Street establishment
continued to cater for both Primary and Secondary boys.
At some stage, the word "County" was added... but
we do not know precisely when. I suspect that it was in
use by the mid-1950s and it was certainly in place when the
school published its centenary booklet in 1977.
Mind you, it wasn't just the authorities that were toying
with names during this period. The great Whitstable public was
also getting involved with a whole host of "colloquial"
names including.... "The Boys School"... "Whitstable
Boys"... "Whitstable Junior"... "Whitstable
County"... "Whitstable Primary"... "The
County"... "The Juniors".... "The Junior
School"... "The Junior Boys".... "The
County Primary"... "The County Junior"...
"Oxford Street"... "Oxford Street
Primary"... "Oxford Street Junior".... and
"Oxford Street Boys".
Take your pick! |
| Whitstable Junior School |
1979? |
Date |
Nowadays, the school is listed
simply as Whitstable Junior School.
We do not yet know the date that this title was introduced
but we suspect that it was probably 1979 when the school became
co-ed. Clearly, the word "Boys" would have been
dropped at that stage.
It also seems likely that "Primary" would also have
been removed as it was somewhat misleading. By then the term was
being used to describe the first years of formal education (ie
from age 5) whereas the school actually received its intake of
pupils from St Alphege and Westmeads at the age of 7. |
At the moment, our records are in a mess. So, can you
help by reading the name from your old school reports and emailing it to
us.
Perhaps, the best way to sum it all up is to point
out that, after almost 30 years of co-ed, some of us still call it
"The Boys School"... and the rest of us know what we are
talking about.
That's what being a Native is all about!!!!!
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