Village School

The Story of Grendon School

The school at Grendon has been at the very heart of the village for more than a century and a half. Built in 1850, probably by subscription from parishioners, it stood on land gifted by the Rev. John Wetherall of Rusholm, a major local landowner. From the start, it was a Church of England school, closely tied to the parish church.

The original building was a single classroom, though in 1894 a second room was added, now used as the school hall. At its busiest, the school could hold as many as 140 pupils, though it is doubtful that this number was ever reached, for by the late 19th century the village population was already beginning to decline.

In the early years of the 20th century, the vicar himself visited daily to take a scripture lesson, and he was remembered as a strict disciplinarian. An old logbook notes: “for talking out of turn, two strokes.” By mid-century, the school had passed into the care of the local authority, but it remained a Voluntary Controlled Church of England School, keeping its parish link.

The school was enlarged again in 1976, with the addition of two new classrooms, a staff room, two activity areas and a kitchen. For a time, hot school dinners were cooked there, but when too few children took them up, the kitchen became instead a resources room, used for cooking lessons, technology and a small library. Today, the school has around 81 pupils, drawing not only from Grendon but also from Castle Ashby, Chadstone, Wollaston, Earls Barton, Moulton, Irthlingborough and Easton Maudit.

Teachers and Memories

The school has known many teachers, each remembered with affection or awe.

• Miss Goodey guided the infants in the early 1900s.
• Mrs Goodwin was Head Mistress.
• Miss James, who lived at Mears Ashby, drove daily in her small Morris car “David” and is fondly recalled for reading The Wind in the Willows on Friday afternoons.
• Earlier still, Mr and Mrs Rush took charge, he as Headmaster and she as Infant teacher.
• Later generations were taught by Mrs Brown and Mrs Whitney. Mrs Whitney, though the pianist, inspired great love of music and singing.
• Miss Madge Drage deserves special mention as the school’s “wardrobe mistress.” Out of old sheets, towels and beads she conjured marvellous costumes for the Nativity plays.

Each left their mark on generations of Grendon children, and stories of them are still told today.

Lessons and Daily Life

For much of its history, the school had three classes: infants, middle and top. Each was taught in separate parts of the building, though sometimes two classes and two teachers had to share one room.

Heating was always a challenge. A coke stove kept the cold at bay, but in winter the older boys were sent to refuel it during the day. Toilets were across the playground, which meant braving the frost. One lad in the 1950s earned the nickname “The Half Timer” because he only came to school when he felt like it!

The curriculum was plain: reading, writing, arithmetic and scripture. By the later 20th century, there was more room for music, plays and practical work, but the core values of discipline and effort never changed.

Games and Festivals

Playtime was full of simple but lively games: marbles, hoops, whips and tops, skipping, hopscotch, “catty” (slingshot), hide and seek, hare and hounds, and football in the street.

The great highlight of the year was May Day. Children dressed in white, gathered wildflowers from the woods and hedgerows, and danced around the May Pole. A May Queen was crowned, and songs and prayers filled the day. In later years, Empire Day was also marked, with patriotic songs and flag parades.

Sunday School treats were another joy, with outings to Cowpers Oak, Yardley Hastings or Castle Ashby. Children also remember Sunday School concerts in the Village Hall, Nativity plays in the schoolroom, and Whist Drives that raised money for school funds.

Meals and Milk

Every child remembers the school milk: little glass bottles with cardboard tops, frozen solid in winter, sometimes topped with a splash of powdered chocolate from Canada during the war years.

Before hot dinners, many children carried food from home to the bakehouse, where meat and puddings were cooked in the big oven. Cold mutton and bubble-and-squeak were staples.

Plays and Concerts

Christmas meant the Nativity Play, rehearsed for weeks. Costumes were stitched together from old sheets and beads. The Crib and stage fittings were built by Mr Whitney, a carpenter and undertaker at Wollaston. The plays were full of charm, and parents remember the children waving to the audience with cries of “Hello Mum!”

The School Today

Though smaller now, the school continues to thrive. With its 81 pupils, it serves not only Grendon but nearby villages as well, carrying forward a tradition that began in 1850.

Much has changed: electric lights, warm classrooms, computers and modern teaching methods. Yet the spirit of Grendon School remains the same – close-knit, disciplined, lively, and full of music, laughter and village pride.