Our History

The Early History of Education in Boreham Wood

The First Ten Schools

Boreham Wood

This is the history of the early days of education in Boreham Wood before the National School was established. There were ten schools and information about the majority is sketchy to non-existent. Some of the ten could be classed as Elstree establishments, but Elstree's early history is concentrated around the one school on Elstree Hill.

1.  'Academy'

1826 (?) to unknown

This is the sole entry for this establishment which simply states : "Mrs Biggs (Ladies Boarding)".
 

2.  'Academy'

1845 to unknown

This was entered in The Essex Directory 1845 pp161-2 and not repeated in other directories. The only information it offers is : "Rev. Evan Edward Rowsell".
 

3. Medburn School

1860 to 1950

Watling Street, Radlett

 

Medburn School today

Pupils in 1908

Part of the Aldenham House estate.  This was a boys’ day school taking about 100 pupils from poor families.  It was funded by charitable trustees of the Platts Estate and administered by the Church of England.  Although it was situated within the parish of Aldenham, boys from Elstree and Boreham Wood went there.  In September 1940 refugees attended in the afternoons and some of the original pupils left to attend St Nicholas School in Elstree.  It is still there just up from the junction of Watling Street and Butterfly Lane, was used as Medburn Kennels and Cattery for a while, and is now a private house.

 

 

Above : Pupils in 1920     Right : Pupils - undated

4. Hillside Boarding School,

1874 to 1895 : also known as Boys’ Boarding School

"Hillside", Allum Lane, Elstree.

This property was formed from two earlier buildings, Barham House - 19th century, and Clock House - 18th century, and had alterations and extensions during the early 19th century.  ‘Clock House’ faced Allum Lane and both residences were built originally for domestic use.  The explorer Sir Richard Burton lived here for a short while.

The house was bought by David Munro who used part of it for education.  According to the 1881 census, the school had about fifty pupils.  These were probably all boarders as their home addresses included the West Indies and Plymouth.  They were all boys, with the exception of four girls who were the proprietor’s children. 

The last entry in Kelly’s Directory was 1882.  In 1898 it was owned by Chatto the publishers.  The building was sold in 1931 and later demolished when Barham Avenue was built a year or two later.

5. Sion Catholic School for Girls

c.1905 to 1952

Radlett Road (Theobald Street), Boreham Wood

Founded by Our Ladies of Sion, a religious order whose headquarters were in Bayswater, London.  On the 1872 OS map the house that was used as the convent later was called ‘The Oaks’.  In 1905 it was established as a convent run by The Order of our Ladies of Sion.  On the 1914 OS map it appears as ‘Sion’. Kelly’s Directories 1906 to 1918, state that the lady superior was Ellen Hodge and in 1914 ‘Radlett Road’ is shown as an address although it does not appear as a road name on any OS map of this area.  This was a local name for the road Theobald St. which led to Radlett.  In 1937 the entry was Sion Convent, Theobald Street, Rev. Mother Superior.

Although the name of the school implies that it was only for girls, it admitted boys as well.  It is thought that it did not really set up as a school until the outbreak of WW2.  The convent took boarders who were the children of English diplomats posted abroad throughout the British Empire and the children remained here during the holidays.  During the war many children, local and otherwise, attended the school.  There was a weekly charge for their education: 2/6d for Roman Catholics and 5 shillings for non Catholics.  Mary Hanson was a pupil there during WW2.  Young children to the age of eleven years were taught in the Pavilion. 

The Pavillion

The building was demolished and Nos. 36 & 38 Gables Avenue stand in its stead.  There was a round hermitage which was used allegedly by the nuns for solitude although the use of this building is questionable.  Mary recalls it as a bike shed!

6. The Briars  

c.1908 to unknown :  also known as Boreham Wood School for Boys & Girls

The Briars, Shenley Road, Boreham Wood

This was a private residence, one of six houses that were demolished in the 1930s.  It was situated between Nos. 20 to 38 Shenley Road. It first appeared in Kelly’s in 1906 as the private residence of Mr G Powell.

The only entry as a school appears in the 1908 edition of Kelly’s Directory : "Rev. Horace Townshend BA, School for boys and girls".  Supporting this is a photograph, copy above, of a group of well dressed children and the Reverend H. Townsend, on the left, as the sole named person in the group. 

After this the house is listed once again as private and belonging to Thomas Porter until 1912 and then Dominic Pius Leveroni.

7. Boreham Wood School

c.1912 to 1918

1 Drayton Road, Boreham Wood

The source of information for this school has come from Joyce Still, a former pupil, and her sister, Margaret who lived at Nicoll Farm, Elstree.

This was a house that set aside two rooms for schooling about twelve infant and junior children.  The master and mistress were Reverend Samuel Pendred and his daughter, Violet. The only uniform were hats : Panamas in summer and Velour in winter.  They had red, white and blue hat-bands which held a badge inscribed with black initials BWS.

8. Widebrook

c. 1915 to unknown

Mildred Avenue, Boreham Wood

This was a private house in which a few children were taught by the Baptist Minister Jose Tedeschi Wilson and his wife.

9. The Ferns

1917 to unknown

Barnet Lane, Elstree

The entry for this is "Preparatory School, Miss Fosbrooke". The building was a domestic residence because it was first listed under ‘domestic’ in Kelly’s Directory 1890 and the occupier was William Caan.  It was situated next to another house called Oaklands.  From then on it was omitted but appeared again under the ‘domestic’ list in 1917 and 1918 as a school.  Once more it disappeared from the directories until 1922 when Miss Fosbrooke was named as the occupier only.  St Nicholas Church Parish records : 1925 March 26th Miss Fosbrooke double grave.

10. Deacon’s Hill School for Girls

1933 to 1939

Fodderty, Deacons Hill Road, Elstree

This was a small private school where lessons were taught in a room of a domestic dwelling.  The first entry for this is in Kelly’s Directory 1933.  It simply states :  "...Miss Windsor principal". It appeared again in 1937 when Miss G Hughes was the principal.  Mary Hanson went there 1936 to 1939 and confirms that Miss Hughes was the head mistress at the time.  In 1939 at the outbreak of war Miss Hughes closed the school and moved to Dorset.  A teacher, Miss Sharman, started a small school in Palmers Lodge, Allum Lane in its place.