It’s a sobering thought that the kids in these pictures of Sturminster Newton High School will be in their 70s now.
The photos were taken soon after the school opened in 1960 – although it was the County Secondary Modern School until comprehensive education came along in 1968.
I inherited the pictures from my mother, Connie Guttridge, who was the last secretary at the old Secondary Modern in Penny Street and the first at the ‘new’ school in Bath Road.
Sturminster Newton High School in 1960
Much to her relief, I was never a pupil there but I do have a vivid memory of 1960, as she made use of my ten-year-old muscles during the summer holiday.
I remember unwrapping and stacking a zillion pristine exercise books and text books in the walk-in stationery cupboard.
The school was originally designed for 350 pupils but opened with 497 so it probably wasn’t too far short of a zillion books.
The school was formally opened in September 1960 by the Bishop of Sherborne.
Stan Tozer was the first headmaster and I think Harry Dawes was deputy head.
As we can see from these pictures, the school’s facade has changed remarkably little in 60 years.
One obvious difference is the disappearance of the factory chimney, which I presume reflects a change in heating arrangements.
The windows on the three-storey teaching block also appear to have grown.
The school had an early problem with ground floor windows, some of which opened onto a footpath and caused minor injuries to pupils who walked into them.
A barrier had to be erected to prevent mishaps.
On the rear side of the school, there have been far more changes including extensions to accommodate science labs, art and textile rooms and sixth-form students.
Steps, paving stones and railings have contributed to a transformation of the Courtyard area in particular.
Roger Guttridge
I remember this school when it first opened in 1960, I remember Mr Hannah the music teacher, our teacher was Miss Speed and the teachers were so well dressed in courtaulds. The arts and craft teacher who also taught history who had a Brummie accent. The PT teacher who assured new boys who were to shower after sport to have no embarrassment and nothing to be ashamed of.
A boy referred to the drama teacher as a red headed chicken for her ridiculous wig and got whacked by the head teacher Mr Tozer. I contacted Harry Dawes in 2000 who lived close to the school and we spoke on the phone and I explained I was an old boy and welcomed me to his home for dinner with his wife. Time passed on and delayed arrangements slowly occurred. I lived in London but shortly afterwards I learned he had passed away. Most kids were Church of England but there was one boy who was catholic and stood isolated at the back of the hall until assembly was finished for the day.
I was just thirteen and remember the day trip to the Bath and West show. It was known that Harold Macmillan would be there and I was walking right in front of him a few feet ahead, I kept turning around to look at him but he just ignored me. No high security then and only two senior officers in uniform walking abreast with him but not too close. It was interesting but at the Bath and West show not too much for a boy to do. The school has three pianos. two on the stage, an upright and a grand and the third in the music room.
We lived in Stalbridge at the time and the school bus arrived promptly every weekday to ferry us to Sturminster Newton school. Seasons greetings from Peter Starr Luton UK