Our History

Holmshill School

1958 to 2001

Thrift Farm Lane Boreham Wood

Holmshill opened September 9th 1958 as a County Secondary Modern with a four form entry taking children from eleven to fifteen years.  This was described as the last of fifteen new schools to be built in the town in the last ten years.  It may have inherited its name from a lane in Ridge.  The cost of the school was £175,000.  There were ten classrooms.  Also a large one that was divided into two, and a craft room.  The headteacher was Mr P R Heaton until 1963.  Teachers were Miss I Carr - 1965, Miss E Sale - 1965, Mrs J Foyle, Mrs J Wakefield, Mr V O’Driscoll, Mr L Mead, Mr B Goodfellow - 1965, Mr J McKenna - 1964, Miss Gregory - music, Mr Hill - geography, Miss Barnett - assistant librarian, Mrs Griffiths - laundress.  The caretaker was Mr Fletcher and the cleaner Mr Farthing.  There were 267 children on the roll which was made up of 208 First years and fifty-seven Second years who were transferred from Campions Secondary Modern.  The playground and the school buildings were not completed at this stage.  ‘B’ Block and the gymnasium in Block A were finished which was where the first assembly was held.  The telephone was installed in February 1959.

The children were issued with two set squares, pen, pencil, rubber and a ruler.  Exercise books, a rough book and text books which were on loan.  They took ballroom dancing lessons one day each week which led to bronze medal stage.

In October the playground was ready.  Students from the London College of Dance and Drama began teaching practice at the school and there were experimental ballet classes and dance and drama run by Miss James with Mrs Hudson as pianist.  Later the Winter Trophy was awarded to winners of dance competitions.  Nurse Jackson made her first inspection of the childrens’ heads hands and feet and found that six had athletes foot.  The first Harvest Festival was held in November and eighty-four parcels were distributed locally. 

A film had been made of the school in the process of its construction and the pupils were given a viewing.  More of the rooms were completed : the head’s room, staff room and the general office but there were problems with the heating.  At Christmas there were parties, entertainment and a carol service and a collection from the parents of £5.5.0 was sent to Herts CC Child Care Fund.  The first Christmas holiday was 17th December to 8th January. 

In January 1959 there were half yearly exams.  Schools had always had a half term in February in which Friday and the following Monday were taken as holiday.  In modern times (post WW2) Easter breaks had been three weeks.  In 1980 this changed and a whole week was awarded every February and the Easter holiday was shortened to two weeks.  The school allowed lettings to the Mother’s Union Wednesdays.  New teachers were : Mr Fry who became deputy head and Mr Robinson.  After Easter the school began clubs on Tuesdays and Thursdays which took subjects in old time dancing, badminton, ballroom dancing, table tennis, boxing and indoor games.  In April the new science block was in use and new teachers were Miss P Short - PE, Mr Head and Miss Pownall - music, and Mr Cornelius -craftwork.  Friends of Holmshill was originated.  A pond in the grounds was completed.  Regular annual holidays to Cuffley Camp for a week began this year. 

In September 1959 staff were: Mr Fry - art & humanities, Mr Hill - 1960 - geography, Mr Mansfield - geography & history, Miss Foyle, Miss Williamson and Miss Horsley - 1960 - domestic science, Miss Pownall - 1960 - music, Miss Short and Mr McKenna - PE, Mr Goodfellow - craftwork, Mr Winter - ballroom dancing, Miss Carr - english & library, Mr Caudle - english & french, Mr Robinson - maths & science, Miss Sale and Mr Millard - science, Mr Wright - maths, Miss Clenbod (?) - rural science (&&&), Mr Hound - drama & oral English, Miss Yeldhan - 1960 - art, Mrs Barnet - librarian, Miss Gregory - piano & violin, Miss P Smith - secretary, Mrs Robson- kitchen supervisor, Mr Bizzadyke - groundsman and then caretaker in 1960.

The official opening was on 5th October 1959 by the Earl of Gorhambury, Lord Verulam.  At this time there was a library with a potential of holding 7,000 books and Mr Heaton invited the parents to purchase books for the school.  The General Certificate of Education exams were taken.

School band

In January 1960 there were 565 on the roll.  The school produced its own magazine Oak Leaves.  On 6th May a holiday was taken for the wedding of Princess Margaret to Tony Snowdon.  New staff in September with 667 on the roll were Mr Holden - geography, Mr Palmer -  technical drawing & art, Mr Sholdrick - music & history, Miss Hughes - art, Miss Morton - music, Mrs Choat - domestic science and Mrs Drinkwater as a general assistant.  There were 150 children in the First year and the whole school just fitted into the main hall.  The log records that on the 11th September the ‘Monitor Film Unit taking film of Ballroom Dancing sequences for a programme called Dance Story’.  Cycling Proficiency training began.  The 4th years took College of Preceptors Exams which included Needlework

In 1961 3rd year boys visited Warden & Co. printers of the Boreham Wood Post and the Ford Motor Works.  In June there was a heat wave and temperatures in the kitchen reached 102F.  In September the roll was 738 with fifteen pupils in the 5th year, 4th year had 189 in six forms, 3rd year had 272 in eight forms, 2nd year had 140 in five forms and the 1st year 112 in four forms.  The school began a programme of St. John’s Ambulance Certificates and Duke of Edingburgh Awards.  Mr Simpson became the caretaker.  Students from Trent Park began teaching practice.  Mr Green and Mr Oldfield were groundsmen until 1962.

School photo - June 1961

In 1962 there were discussions regarding the acquisition of land to the north of the school boundary and in 1963 this was bought from MGM Studios.  The Ivor Bailey Trophy was awarded for the 100 yards sprint.  A local company, Elliott Brothers, hired a classroom in July and August.  Children attended the College of Further Education for a Commercial Course two afternoons a week.  Teacher Mr David Aubrey joined the school in September and retired in 1995.

In 1963 there were twenty-eight full time and seven part time staff with 655 on the roll.  In January there were deep drifts of snow and school was disrupted.  There were no assemblies and ash was brought in from Campions and Boreham Wood Grammar Schools.  The cold lasted all month and in March it was still inclement. On the 7th there was no heating in some rooms and all the pupils were sent home at lunch time.  In June construction on an outdoor school swimming pool began.  £4000 of funds for the pool were given by the parents and Friends of Holmshill.  In addition £725 was given as a grant by Herts County Education dept. with an interest free loan for four years in order to provide and run a purification plant.  It opened from May until September each year and for a while, pupils from Greenacres Infant School used the pool on Tuesdays.  It was at first run by the parents but was handed over to the school in 1967 through lack of support. 

Mr N J Rumbelow was appointed deputy head in 1964.  The assistant caretaker was Mr Turner.  Mrs Marion Liley, music teacher previously at High Canons and head at Campions Infant section, retired.

In 1965 there were 525 on roll.  A mobile classroom was installed and used as a Commerce and Careers discussion room.  Meetings took place relating to the reorganisation of secondary education.  In September staff were : Mrs Wheales, Mr Brian Cooper, Miss Linda Yates, Mr Biggs, Mr Thompson, Mr Aubry, Mrs Norma Alison, Miss Benson, Mrs Lovelock, Mrs Patricia Garcia, Mr Swan, Miss Helen Scrimshire, Mr Jarman, Mrs Smith, Mr Large, Miss Foyle, Mr Caudle, Mrs Chant, Mrs Drake, Mr Millard, Mr Brazier, Mrs Fregunna (***), Mr Dix, Mrs Betts, Mrs Hannaford (+++), Mr O’Driscoll and Mrs Green as cook.  An entry in the log dated 11th November ‘Our head boy …died in his sleep last night.  A tragic day for us all’

In May 1966 the Certificate of Secondary Education exams commenced.  There were rumours of closure caused by the Education Authority proposal to change the education system.  It was thought that two schools would close. A thorn hedge and fencing were erected later on the boundary with the new public indoor swimming pool which backed onto the grounds.

Mr Heaton left to take up another appointment and Mr Rumbelow was acting head until the appointment of Mr Colin Willis in 1970 - 1990.  In January 1968 there was heavy snow and all the children were sent home the after the new term began.  In 1974 Herts CC changed the education system in Boreham Wood to 3 tier and Holmshill was made a Middle School taking children from the age of 4 - 9 years.  It received alterations to cater for the change.

In 1980 school meals were fifty pence a week.  The swimming pool was becoming too expensive to repair.  The school was provided with a Crossing Patrol Officer, because of the increase in traffic using Shenley Road.  Mr George Kenny occupied the post in 1989.  In 1982 BBC computers were installed.  Richmond Tests were taken to monitor child attainment.  The Governors Minutes record that in the last six years 1000 houses had been built in Boreham Wood but the child population had fallen.  This is reflected in the closure of Campions Middle School in 1984 whose pupils were transferred to Holmshill.  The pupils participated in the Domesday Project.

Head Teacher Chris Wright with two pupils

In 1990 the secretary was Mrs J Cullen and Mr Chris Wright was appointed head until 2001 when the school ceased to operate as a Middle School.  In 1991 there were 391 on the roll.  Mr Graham Yates had been the craft design and technology (CDT) teacher half time at both the Hillside School and at Holmshill and it was now decided that he would remain at Hillside and Lyndhurst and Holmshill Middle Schools should share a new teacher.  This was Mr Luis Dominguez de Sousa Mendes, usually called Mr Dominguez.  Other teachers at this time were : Miss Kerry Elliston, Mr Richard Litson, Mr David Lewis, Mr David Aubrey - maths, Mr Alan Popplewell -  geography, Miss Elaine Edwards - science technician, Mrs Connie Turner - rural studies assistant, Mrs Ros Kent - home economics assistant, and Miss Hazel Woods who had been at the school since 1974 and left to be married.

The Harvest Thanksgiving Appeal now sent contributions to St Botolph’s Crypt Centre in London for distribution to the ‘homeless’.  There was also a school concert given in order to raise funds for leukaemia research because recently a young pupil had died from the disease.  Another pupil had died the year before in an accident and benches had been set up in the grounds in his memory.  Most of the children who came to Holmshill from St Nicholas C of E School in Elstree went on to Bushey Meads School in Bushey rather than the two upper schools in Boreham Wood.  In Spring 1991 the minutes recorded :

"The B.B.C. approached the school asking if a group of children could participate in making a film that would be used for training all the B.B.C. regions in preparing for the Children In Need day.  They were so pleased with the co-operation of pupils and staff that Holmshill was selected to represent the South East region".

1st April 1995 Holmshill elected to adopt Grant maintained Status.

An all-weather pitch was created in 1997. The uniform was blue and the badge was an heraldic white shield enclosed with a gold border and the initial H in the centre.  In 1999 the school had to revert to county council control as part of the New Labour Governments' educational policies. 

In 2000 Herts CC decided that the education system in Boreham Wood should revert to two-tier.  This had the result that Holmshill acted as a primary school until its closure in July 2001 after which it was used as an upper annexe to Hertswood Lower School in Cowley Hill. 

In 1999 there was a Forty Year Reunion held at the school. From the Souvenir Brochure here are a some memories of the school's early days :
                                             

Footnote from John Batt, former pupil : The school was used as a location for a Hammer film in the Summer of 1964. The film was called Fanatic in the UK, and Die! Die! My Darling! in the USA. It was released on 21 March 1965. No pupils were used as extras.

More from John :
Reading your description of Holmshill on the Museum website there are 3 mistakes in the teachers info. In 1965 it should be 'Mrs Tregunna' not 'Fregunna' (***) - she was the games mistress. And it's 'Mr' Hannaford not 'Mrs' Hannaford (+++) - he was my games teacher.  Also it says Mr Colin Willis was headmaster in 1970 but I left in 1969 and I'm pretty sure he had become headmaster by then - because his initials were CD we called him SEEDY WILLIS.  'Miss Clenbod' (&&&) with a question mark as Rural Science/Studies teacher - when I was there 1965 to 69 it was Mr Welbourne so maybe the name was misread originally.