Camborne Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Camborne Grammar School in Camborne
, Cornwall
, was a girls' grammar school
between 1908 and 1976.
to be headmistress until 1896 when Miss Kay took charge. In 1897 Miss Pratt of Girton College, Cambridge
took over the role.
With the 1904 Education Act, state secondary education
was planned for a limited number of pupils. Redbrooke College became Redbrooke County School and the number of pupils increased so that it was necessary to transfer to a new larger building at the bottom of Camborne Hill, (Trevu Road).
-Redruth
area, extending from Gwithian
in the west to St. Agnes
in the east and south to villages such as St Day
and Troon. (Boys from this same area attended Redruth Grammar School
).
The first headmistress of Camborne Grammar School was Miss Pratt and up until the 1930s the number of pupils increased. In 1933 Miss Evans became headmistress and during the depression years the numbers attending the school decreased. In 1935 Mr C.V.Thomas, chairman of the governors presented the school with a new gym and Camborne was the first grammar school in Cornwall to have a purpose built gym.
During the Second World War
the pupils and staff of Paddington
and Maida Vale
school shared the premises for some time and at this time biology
was the only science subject taught due to lack of staff. Even after the war there was still rationing of food and school dinners and milk were said to be welcome.
With the Education Act of 1944 the kindergarten and preparatory department were closed and there were no more fee payers in the school. Also in 1944 the Eleven plus exam scheme for entry to the Grammar school
was introduced. In 1947 Miss Evans retired and Miss Bain from Edinburgh University became headmistress.
In the 1950s the school premises became too small for the greater number of pupils and in 1954 a new block was built in the school grounds. Miss Bain left in 1967 when Mrs. Bannister became headmistress until 1971 when numbers had increased by 33%. Mrs Mostyn took over in 1971 when it became necessary to look elsewhere for extra classrooms. The first outpost was the nearby St. Johns Catholic School and the second outpost was the Camborne Community Centre.
In 1975 the sixth form was moved to a new centre at Treswithian School
, Camborne and due to the introduction of the comprehensive system, at the end of the 1976 summer term the rest of the school followed to this site.
In June 2009 Cornwall County Council put the building up for sale as a site for development. Not only does this mean that Children's services and facilities face closure in September 2009, but potentially the building could be demolished to redevelop the site. Local parents have formed a campaign group to try to force the Council to reconsider their actions.
Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow
spokesman and local campaigner, Zoe Fox has condemned the proposed closure of the Children's Centre at Trevu in Camborne. She said, “It is a scandal that Trevu Childrens’ Centre is under threat and the building is scheduled to be sold off for soulless residential redevelopment. The facilities at Trevu are first class and incredibly well used. The proposed dispersal of these services will impact badly on many families. The Centre gives heart to our community and is the best possible use of our heritage. It gives local people the chance to enjoy a beautiful old building with services available on one site including a sensory playground, cafe, toy library, day care and after school clubs catering from nursery to teens as well as support for families. It is a community hub and a valuable resource particularly for isolated young families. Just because the site is valuable is not a reason to sell it off and disperse the services."
Camborne
Camborne is a town and civil parish in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is at the western edge of a conurbation comprising Camborne, Pool and Redruth....
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, was a girls' grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
between 1908 and 1976.
Origins
In 1877 Redbrooke College for young ladies was founded at Redbrooke House on Camborne Hill. There were about 20 boarders and also day girls. There were three teachers at first and later a Miss Chudleigh came from LiskeardLiskeard
Liskeard is an ancient stannary and market town and civil parish in south east Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Liskeard is situated approximately 20 miles west of Plymouth, west of the River Tamar and the border with Devon, and 12 miles east of Bodmin...
to be headmistress until 1896 when Miss Kay took charge. In 1897 Miss Pratt of Girton College, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
took over the role.
With the 1904 Education Act, state secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
was planned for a limited number of pupils. Redbrooke College became Redbrooke County School and the number of pupils increased so that it was necessary to transfer to a new larger building at the bottom of Camborne Hill, (Trevu Road).
History
The new premises were officially opened in 1908 as Camborne Grammar School and were built to accommodate pupils from the CamborneCamborne
Camborne is a town and civil parish in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is at the western edge of a conurbation comprising Camborne, Pool and Redruth....
-Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
area, extending from Gwithian
Gwithian
beach2Gwithian is a coastal village in west Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated three miles northeast of Hayle and four miles east of St Ives, Cornwall across St Ives Bay....
in the west to St. Agnes
St Agnes, Cornwall
St Agnes is a civil parish and a large village on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated approximately five miles north of Redruth and ten miles southwest of Newquay....
in the east and south to villages such as St Day
St Day
St Day is a civil parish and village in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is situated between the village of Chacewater and the town of Redruth.St Day is located in a former mining area and St Day accrued considerable wealth from mining...
and Troon. (Boys from this same area attended Redruth Grammar School
Redruth Grammar School
Redruth Grammar School in Redruth, Cornwall, was a boys school between 1907 and 1976.-History:The school was opened on 5 October 1907 by General Sir Redvers Buller. It was originally built to accommodate 150 pupils and to serve the Camborne-Redruth area, extending from Gwithian in the west to St....
).
The first headmistress of Camborne Grammar School was Miss Pratt and up until the 1930s the number of pupils increased. In 1933 Miss Evans became headmistress and during the depression years the numbers attending the school decreased. In 1935 Mr C.V.Thomas, chairman of the governors presented the school with a new gym and Camborne was the first grammar school in Cornwall to have a purpose built gym.
During the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the pupils and staff of Paddington
Paddington
Paddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
and Maida Vale
Maida Vale
Maida Vale is a residential district in West London between St John's Wood and Kilburn. It is part of the City of Westminster. The area is mostly residential, and mainly affluent, consisting of many large late Victorian and Edwardian blocks of mansion flats...
school shared the premises for some time and at this time biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
was the only science subject taught due to lack of staff. Even after the war there was still rationing of food and school dinners and milk were said to be welcome.
With the Education Act of 1944 the kindergarten and preparatory department were closed and there were no more fee payers in the school. Also in 1944 the Eleven plus exam scheme for entry to the Grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
was introduced. In 1947 Miss Evans retired and Miss Bain from Edinburgh University became headmistress.
In the 1950s the school premises became too small for the greater number of pupils and in 1954 a new block was built in the school grounds. Miss Bain left in 1967 when Mrs. Bannister became headmistress until 1971 when numbers had increased by 33%. Mrs Mostyn took over in 1971 when it became necessary to look elsewhere for extra classrooms. The first outpost was the nearby St. Johns Catholic School and the second outpost was the Camborne Community Centre.
In 1975 the sixth form was moved to a new centre at Treswithian School
Camborne Science and Community College
Camborne Science & International Academy, formally Camborne Science & Community College, is a comprehensive school and Sixth Form College in Camborne, Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The school teaches 11-19 year olds...
, Camborne and due to the introduction of the comprehensive system, at the end of the 1976 summer term the rest of the school followed to this site.
Later Use
The school building later became home to Trevithick County Primary until 1997, in which the school moved to a new building further down the road. Today the school premises are known as the 'Trevu Children's Centre' for pre-school children and early learning which provides a toy library, various health services, a nursery and crèche, a cafe, and access to training and development for parents and carers.In June 2009 Cornwall County Council put the building up for sale as a site for development. Not only does this mean that Children's services and facilities face closure in September 2009, but potentially the building could be demolished to redevelop the site. Local parents have formed a campaign group to try to force the Council to reconsider their actions.
Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow
Mebyon Kernow is a left-of-centre political party in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It primarily campaigns for devolution to Cornwall in the form of a Cornish Assembly, as well as social democracy and environmental protection.MK was formed as a pressure group in 1951, and contained as members activists...
spokesman and local campaigner, Zoe Fox has condemned the proposed closure of the Children's Centre at Trevu in Camborne. She said, “It is a scandal that Trevu Childrens’ Centre is under threat and the building is scheduled to be sold off for soulless residential redevelopment. The facilities at Trevu are first class and incredibly well used. The proposed dispersal of these services will impact badly on many families. The Centre gives heart to our community and is the best possible use of our heritage. It gives local people the chance to enjoy a beautiful old building with services available on one site including a sensory playground, cafe, toy library, day care and after school clubs catering from nursery to teens as well as support for families. It is a community hub and a valuable resource particularly for isolated young families. Just because the site is valuable is not a reason to sell it off and disperse the services."
Headmistresses
- Miss Pratt (1908–1933)
- Miss Evans (1933–1947)
- Miss Bain (1947–1967)
- Mrs Bannister (1967–1971)
- Mrs Mostyn (1971–1976)