Rosa Bassett
Encyclopedia
Rosa Bassett, MBE
(9 August 1871 – 19 December 1925) was an English
educationist and headmistress of the County Secondary School, Streatham, in London
.
She was instrumental in the first application of the Dalton Plan
of teaching within an English secondary school
. She contributed a chapter to Helen Parkhurst
's book on the Plan, as well as writing the introduction to a book of Dalton Plan class assignments prepared by the staff within her school.
, London
, the daughter of an engineer's clerk. She was successful academically and obtained a BA
degree from the University of London
, going on to become a teacher. In 1905 she was appointed to a position as second mistress at Kingsland
County Secondary School
(later known as Dalston
County Secondary School) in north London, at which she was seen to be a great success, and in 1906 she was made headmistress of the new Stockwell
County Secondary School for Girls.
and Tooting
, becoming the County Secondary School, Streatham. Under Bassett's continued leadership the school was a success, and by 1917 was noted for its academic achievement and encouraging self-reliance and responsibility amongst its pupils.
The First World War saw Bassett's organisational skill put to good use when she was invited to help set up the processes for the recruitment and testing of new female staff at the War Office
and later other parts of the Civil Service. It was her work in this area that led to her receiving the honour of MBE
in 1917.
by Belle Rennie was published in the Times Educational Supplement
, introducing the ideas of Helen Parkhurst
to a British audience. Parkhurst's view that education should move away from traditional, rigid, class-based teaching and allow for teaching to be adjusted to the pace of each individual child clearly aligned with those of Bassett, as within a month Bassett had started a small-scale trial using the Plan at the school with a group of pupils who had already completed their university entrance examinations. The results were deemed a success, and the full-scale use of the Plan within the County Secondary School, Streatham was phased-in over the 1920–1921 academic year.
Rosa Bassett's support of the Dalton Plan was considerable, and she wrote about the school's introduction of the Plan for The Times
, which was reprinted as a chapter within Parkhurst's book. Bassett supported Parkhust's visit to England in 1921 by opening the school to visitors who wished to see the Plan in practice. A two-volume set of Dalton Plan assignments covering English, Geography, History, Mathematics and Science, prepared by the staff of the school with an introduction by Bassett, was published in 1922.
In 1921 Bassett was given leave of absence from the school so that she could visit America to see the operation of the Dalton Plan there. She also lectured in New York on the experience learned while introducing the Plan in England, donating her fees to the Dalton Association to support further visits of teachers to America.
in 1951, in honour of its first headmistress.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(9 August 1871 – 19 December 1925) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
educationist and headmistress of the County Secondary School, Streatham, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
She was instrumental in the first application of the Dalton Plan
Dalton Plan
The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst.Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 19th century, educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey began to cast a bold vision of a new progressive approach to education...
of teaching within an English secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
. She contributed a chapter to Helen Parkhurst
Helen Parkhurst
Helen Parkhurst was an American educator, author, lecturer, the originator of the Dalton Plan and the founder of The Dalton School....
's book on the Plan, as well as writing the introduction to a book of Dalton Plan class assignments prepared by the staff within her school.
Early life
Rosa Bassett was born in DeptfordDeptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the daughter of an engineer's clerk. She was successful academically and obtained a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, going on to become a teacher. In 1905 she was appointed to a position as second mistress at Kingsland
Kingsland, London
Kingsland was a small road-side settlement centred on Kingsland High Street, on the Old North Road , Middlesex. It has now been subsumed within inner city London, principally as part of Dalston in the London Borough of Hackney and has lost its separate identity.-Origins:Kingsland derives its name...
County Secondary School
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
(later known as Dalston
Dalston
Dalston is a district of north-east London, England, located in the London Borough of Hackney. It is situated northeast of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
County Secondary School) in north London, at which she was seen to be a great success, and in 1906 she was made headmistress of the new Stockwell
Stockwell
Stockwell is a district in inner south west London, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross. Brixton, Clapham, Vauxhall and Kennington all border Stockwell...
County Secondary School for Girls.
Headmistress of the County Secondary School, Streatham
The school at Stockwell prospered and, in 1913, it transferred to a new site between StreathamStreatham
Streatham is a district in Surrey, England, located in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is situated south of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and Tooting
Tooting
Tooting is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, becoming the County Secondary School, Streatham. Under Bassett's continued leadership the school was a success, and by 1917 was noted for its academic achievement and encouraging self-reliance and responsibility amongst its pupils.
The First World War saw Bassett's organisational skill put to good use when she was invited to help set up the processes for the recruitment and testing of new female staff at the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
and later other parts of the Civil Service. It was her work in this area that led to her receiving the honour of MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
in 1917.
The Dalton Plan
On 27 May 1920 an article on the Dalton PlanDalton Plan
The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst.Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 19th century, educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey began to cast a bold vision of a new progressive approach to education...
by Belle Rennie was published in the Times Educational Supplement
Times Educational Supplement
The Times Educational Supplement is a weekly UK publication aimed primarily at school teachers in the UK. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in The Times newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 1914, the supplement became a separate publication selling for 1 penny.The TES...
, introducing the ideas of Helen Parkhurst
Helen Parkhurst
Helen Parkhurst was an American educator, author, lecturer, the originator of the Dalton Plan and the founder of The Dalton School....
to a British audience. Parkhurst's view that education should move away from traditional, rigid, class-based teaching and allow for teaching to be adjusted to the pace of each individual child clearly aligned with those of Bassett, as within a month Bassett had started a small-scale trial using the Plan at the school with a group of pupils who had already completed their university entrance examinations. The results were deemed a success, and the full-scale use of the Plan within the County Secondary School, Streatham was phased-in over the 1920–1921 academic year.
Rosa Bassett's support of the Dalton Plan was considerable, and she wrote about the school's introduction of the Plan for The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, which was reprinted as a chapter within Parkhurst's book. Bassett supported Parkhust's visit to England in 1921 by opening the school to visitors who wished to see the Plan in practice. A two-volume set of Dalton Plan assignments covering English, Geography, History, Mathematics and Science, prepared by the staff of the school with an introduction by Bassett, was published in 1922.
In 1921 Bassett was given leave of absence from the school so that she could visit America to see the operation of the Dalton Plan there. She also lectured in New York on the experience learned while introducing the Plan in England, donating her fees to the Dalton Association to support further visits of teachers to America.
Rosa Bassett's legacy
Rosa Bassett's career was cut short by her early death in 1925, resulting from a fall on an icy pavement, however the school continued to apply many of the principles of the Plan in the years that followed. The County Secondary School, Streatham was renamed Rosa Bassett SchoolRosa Bassett School
Rosa Bassett School was a grammar school for girls in South London. It was established in Stockwell in 1906 as the Stockwell County Secondary School and in 1913 moved to Welham Road on the boundary between Streatham and Tooting, becoming the County Secondary School, Streatham, often referred to as...
in 1951, in honour of its first headmistress.