Our History

Campions School

1955 to 1984

Stapleton Road, Boreham Wood

The sachool was built as a County Secondary Modern it shared a large site with Greenacres Infant School and  Parkside Junior Mixed Infants School. At its opening there were 450 children on the roll and Miss Janet Holman was appointed Headmistress.  Miss Liley was transferred there from Furzehill School.  The building contained an assembly hall and stage, gymnasium and changing rooms, dining room and two rooms for up to twn children with Special Educational Needs.  There were extensive playing fields with two large playgrounds, two netball/tennis courts and a garden with a greenhouse. 

 

The log book records that there was provision for swimming in the town but it does not say where.  In 1958 children went to the Watersplash Hotel at London Colney for swimming in its outdoor pool.  The school badge had the emblem of a pink campion, a wild flower that grew on and around the site.  


Dining Room September 1955

Craft Room September 1955

A newspaper article, District Post, 15 March 1956, states that the architect was Mr C V Howard and it cost £140.000 to build. The article also relates a comment from Miss Holman that it opened in September 1955 among rubble and workmen.  Original pupils included, Carol Robinson, Glynnis Williams, Terence Norman, Chris Barnes.


Official Opening Ceremony

In January 1956 children from Parkside Junior Mixed School and infants who were due to attend Greenacres upon their respective completions in February and April shared part of the school.  The headmistress of the Infants section was Mrs Marion Liley who was previously at High Canons School in Ridge.


Frankie Vaughan & Anna Neagle 1957 - Opening of Air Raid Centre for Physical Activities

In September 1959 Mrs Eggle joined the staff on a part-time basis having transferred from Saffron Green Primary School.

In 1965 Mr Phil Fryer started his teaching practice and was given a teaching post in 1967.  He moved away and later became Headteacher at Furzehill School.  The school produced its own magazines on an irregular basis and its name was changed many times.  The log records In 1965 it was called Campions School Magazine and priced at 1/-, 1967 it was given an Elizabethan word, Gallimaufry and 1980 Campions Observer issue No.1.

In 1960 it ran an exchange programme with an American school in Bushey when two children from each school went to the other for a week to experience the different systems and cultures.  


Long John Baldry At Campions Fete 22 June 1967

The teachers of the school included Mr Hill and Mrs Rattenbury science, Mr Greatorex french, Mrs Whitehead english, Mr John Lear PE, Mr Ladd deputy head, Mr Tasker music, Miss Betty Steele history, Mr Bullen woodwork, Mr Parrott, Mrs Dowling domestic science, Harry Hilton french.

In 1974 it became a Middle School taking children from nine to thirteen and was adapted to meet the needs.  Mr Cliff Weeds was appointed headteacher in January 1980 having come from Holmshill School as Deputy Head. Mr Phil Fryer was a teacher who subsequently became headteacher at Furzehill Middle School in 1987.

In July 1984 the school ceased to operate due to falling numbers and was subsequently demolished.  In 1985 about 80 houses were built on the site.  The children either moved on to upper schools or were transferred to Holmshill Middle School

A grand piano in the hall was obtained by John Cooper for Monksmead School after Campion’s closure.  He related that it was donated to Campions by a former music teacher.  The piano made of walnut, was a Beckstein and made in Berlin in 1897 and in 2001 it was situated in the main hall at Monksmead School.


School Photo 1979

Netball 1968

Football 1961     


Teachers 1962


Teachers 1969