The Middy July 22 1999

The learning years

South Road in Haywards Heath looked entirely different in the early part of the 20th century.

There were few shops and much of the road was taken up by school buildings.

On the corner of South Road and Church Road was St Wilfrid's Junior School.

The school opened in 1857 as a National Elementary School, with Mr Newington as headmaster. It was used as a church on Sundays until the completion of St Wilfrid's in 1865.

Most of the original buildings have been demolished, although part of the old school – the Christian Science building – is still in use.

In 1900, the school had 400 children on role and eight teachers.

The 1902 Education Act abolished school boards, creating local education authority is controlled by a Board of Education.

Group managers assumed management for council schools in the town and some neighbouring villages.

In 1904 the board refused permission for another church school in Haywards Heath – the persistent growth of the town had caused a crisis in school accommodation with St Wilfrid's the only provision for elementary education.

The school was re-organised in 1933 and the upper age limit reduced from 14 to 11.

By the 1940s the school had become too small.

A new school in Eastern Road was built in 1951 – the first church school built in England after the Second World War, with 360 pupils and eight classrooms.

Within five years classroom space was, again, inadequate for the growth of the district and new ones opened in 1955.

"Heathmere", in South Road was originally a boys private school specialising in languages and preparing gentlemen’s sons for careers in the forces and public school examinations.

The school buildings were bought by the county education authority in 1904.

Council schools were built in the grounds in 1907 with separate entrances for boys and girls.

When building work was completed, Heathmere became a pupil teacher Centre and the County secondary School for girls.

In her book “Haywards Heath – yesterday remembered”, Lillian Rogers looks back at the strict discipline of the County Secondary School for Girls.

"A small misdemeanour would bring an order-mark to the whole form, while a larger one would earn a black-conduct mark." Girls were handed reports to give to their parents on the term’s work in sealed envelopes. Lillian recalled the day her report was found opened.

"I was nearly expelled. Not only had I disobeyed, but I had opened a missive addressed to somebody else and to say I was reprimanded by the headmistress would be an understatement.

"My awful deed was declared by her at assembly the next morning and the school was told of my black mark.”

In 1936 Heathmere was sold for commercial development and the girls transferred to Hove Grammar School.

Two years later, council schools were also demolished and replaced with Oathall school at Scrase Bridge.

Private-sector schools in Haywards Heath were numerous at the beginning of the century. 

Belvedere School offered education in English, classics and modern languages, shorthand, bookkeeping, music and drawing.

The Misses Holloway ran a "School for girls little boys" at Hengistbury, on the corner of Milton Road and Paddockhall Road. Sharrow, run in conjunction with Great Walstead School, was in Heath Road and there was also a prep school for boys – St Clair and Summerhill Court (now Tavistock and Summerhill).

Girls schools included Sunnycroft and Trevylan, both in Church Road, and Oakfield Villas in Perrymount Road.

Oathall Park was built in 1938, at a cost of £30,000. Edward Miles was the first headmaster of the secondary modern school (now Oathall Community College).

The Mid Sussex Times was given a preview of the school before it opened in September 1938.

The reporter said: "those who spent their school days in cold, draughty, cheerless rooms cramped in uncomfortable desks will perhaps eye this beautifully equipped building a little enviously.”

Features which impressed the reporter included a stage for school productions, a domestic science room with 12 electric ironing points and three different types of cooer - “one being a coal-fired cooking range.”

In the ‘manual instruction room’, boys had an anvil, lathes and tools of every description.

“He will indeed be an extra-ordinary boy who will object to a lesson here.” Gushed the reporter.

The school also had a gymnasium, medical room, an art room and ‘delightful decorations.’

The reporter enthused: “Going to school will be no ordeal for 400 new pupils - rather it will be something of a grand adventure.”

The reporter heard murmurs of the word ‘extravagant’ during the tour of the building by members of the Haywards Heath, Cuckfield and Lindfield Chamber of Commerce, visiting the building to see how ratepayers money has been spent.

After trying out one of the new desks, the `chamber’s president, Mr. F. Mackinney said: “Some of you will remember the old forms we used to sit on. If we got a splinter in, we pulled it out.”

The new school was faced with one problem - complaints from the Urban District Council that the main Scrase Bridge entrance was a danger to children.

A new access road was created for vehicles in Appledore Gardens.

St Paul’s School opened in Oathall Road in the 1930s on the site of Brunswick, a preparatory school for Eton and Harrow.

The school received a blessing from Pope Paul when it re-opened in September 1963.

In the early 1970s, the number of pupils grew to around 600, with a catchment area extending to Lewes, Uckfield, Seaford and Newhaven.

Haywards Heath’s Grammar/Technical school (now Haywards Heath College) was the first building to be built on Cuckfield Urban District Council’s Harland Farm Estate. Donald Jarvis was the first headmaster and the school opened on September 9, 1958 with 270 pupils on roll.

In subsequent months, with buildings still being constructed, the number of pupils gradually increased to 720.

In the mid 1960s a primary school, Harlands was also opened on the estate.