Lacey Green School

click St John's School Association for reports from the PTA

click Education Acts for laws

Click Lacey Green School Photos for those.

89 former pupils described their time at Lacey Green School in questionnaires at a school reunion organised by the Local History Group in 2000.

For pupils with leave dates from 1922- 1935 click Lacey Green School Reunion 2000.

For pupils with leave dates from 1936- 1948 click Lacey Green School Reunion 2000 leave dates 1936 - 48.

For pupils with leave dates from 1949- 1958 click Lacey Green School Reunion 2000 leave dates 1949 - 58.

For pupils with leave dates from 1959 -1971 click Lacey Green School Reunion 2000 leave dates 1960 -1971

For pupils with leave dates from 1972 click Lacey Green School Reunion 2000 leave dates from 1972

click 1919 Men Serving WW1 who had been pupils at the school - 48 in total.

click 1971 Lacey Green School New Hall Dedication

click 1985 Lacey Green School, a summary by Miles Marshall

Hallmark 1970. From the Headmaster, C of E Primary School: "Plans for extensions to cope with the continuing increase are now in an advanced stage and permission to build had been given by the Department of Education and Science."

1972 report in Hallmark. 13 children are welcomed this term from Speen to Lacey Green School.

Hallmark 1987. "Goodbye and Thank You". To Miss Muriel Agnew, after 27 years teaching at the village school is taking early retirement, not only the present children but past generations will wish her well, thank her for all the extras she has given to the school, and remember her with affection.

Hallmark November 1990. Report by Gaynor M. Newbold

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me to set up a School Museum. We now have a number of additional collections including bottles, wartime memorabilia, photographs and skulls. More items are always welcome – wherever possible we like the children to work from First Hand Experience.

Building work and repairs and maintenance at St. John's is almost complete inspite of the many extra problems encountered. The children adapted extremely well, inspite of the School looking more like a building site for many months.

This term we have a large intake from Speen as well as the Rising Fives and a number of children who have moved to our area or transferred to our School.

Already this term we have had two services in St. John's Church including the Harvest Festival during which all the classes made their own contribution. We were extremely pleased to see so many parents and friends present. The children's Harvest gifts were taken to St. Agatha's Home for Teenagers run by the Children's Society in Princes Risborough.

The staff are arranging visits for the children to support their chosen Study Topics. Visits to an Organic Farm and to the Science Museum to study Human Biology have or will soon take place. The Study Topics for this term are:- Festivals, Change, Materials, Earth, Air and Space and Changes – Ourselves/Lacey Green. A great deal of planning has gone on throughout the School in order to access all the Attainment Targets of The National Curriculum and work out the Programme of Study appropriate for each child. If you feel you could help in any way to enrich the children's experiences while they are studying these topics, perhaps with resources or expertise, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our telephone number is 08444 3521.

At the School the parents and/or grandparents are already involved in Paired/Apprentice Reading in addition to our Reading Scheme. From Monday 8 October we started to involve parents in 'Impact' whereby the children will be involved with Mathematics practical work at home, which will be continued and built upon at school based on the current topic. Our Mathematics Scheme, Ginn, will be used as before. We are pleased that our feeder School at Speen will be joining us at St. John's for the first meeting and hope to start this project with their children at the same time.

From this term we have started taking Rising Fives all day, after an initial few weeks of half a day only while they have settled in. Many Buckinghamshire schools only take the Rising Fives for mornings only because this is all schools are given funding for. With the implementation of the National Curriculum and because of my experience of the educational advantage of doing this in another authority, I feel we are, yet again, giving our children an excellent start.

If you know of any children who will be Rising Fives in 1991 or 1992 and have not yet visited us to register and look round the School, please will you ask them to do so as soon as possible.

Although we have a catchment area of Lacey Green, Loosley Row and also Speen at eight years, we welcome children from other areas. At the moment we also have children from Bledlow Ridge, Naphill, Princes Risborough, Saunderton, Walters Ash, Whiteleaf and central Wycombe. As we are also a Voluntarily Aided Church School, parents wanting to send their children to a Church School are particularly welcome.

We welcome anyone interested in Education to attend any of our Open Days, Services and Talks, you do not need to have children of primary school age to become involved!

Parents will shortly be coming into school for private interviews to discuss their child's progress at St. John's. We emphasise the partnership between home and school to enable our children to have an excellent start in their education.

At Christmas time we welcome the parents and members of the local community into school to join us for our Christmas Performances of the Christmas Story. We particularly enjoy sharing Christmas with the 8lst Club who join us for a special afternoon performance followed by tea. The choir trained by Mrs. Stansfield will perform Christmas Jazz as their contribution to an evening of song joining other village groups.

Hallmark Januay 1991. Young Designers Help Handicapped People. Report by George C. Ward – Bucks Association for Gardening with Disabled People (click George & Molly Ward for more about George)

The concern for disabled and elderly people is, happily, ever-increasing together with their encouragement for self-help. The greater involvement of young people will ensure even more future adults being involved, resulting in the less active living fuller lives.

A good example are the 11-12 year olds at St. John's Church of England (V.A.) Combined School, who selected Disabled People as the theme for their first term project. Supported by an understanding teacher they decided to analyse the needs of disabled people of all ages and limitations and to design tools/equipment for their use.

I was invited to discuss the gardening potential of the target group and share the experience of the Bucks Association for Gardening with Disabled People – but had not anticipated the depth of sensitivity and practical ideas of this age group.

Their written work indicated their ability to diagnose essential requirements for example suitable gardening tools, a riding saddle, a safety device for household baths. The models, in the course of construction, were practical and the dialogue between them and the visitor revealed their understanding of the technical and human factors involved.

This was a prime example of a teacher developing pupil self-confidence, leading to greater self-confidence by disabled people with the consequent personal satisfaction for all the parties involved.

Local residents should be proud of their local school children.

Hallmark January 1991. Travelling with St John's School. report by Joanna Pawlik and Hester Plumridge

Each year during the Summer Term the middle school classes of St. John's visit various Youth Hostels and Hotels around the country. This is a focus for the topic and gives a chance for some first-hand experience. Whilst there, they study the area's history and its landmarks.

Last year our class visited the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire. There were many museums around the area with interesting collections about the Industrial Revolution and these gave an example of Victorian life. This is the first time our school had visited this area and with the exception of having too many work sheets in one day we think our class all enjoyed it!

It is traditional for the first years to visit Swanage and stay at the Oxford Hotel. When we went there we especially enjoyed the Sand Dune Trail, beach combing at Kimmeridge Bay and pocket money time! Although the food at the Oxford Hotel left a little to be desired! In Swanage we looked at marine life and studied the geographical area and its history.

We also go on day visits to places linked with our project work, ranging from Stocken Farm and the local Church, to the Science Museum, London.

After visiting Ironbridge last year we made our own blast furnace and managed to smelt a small amount of iron. As a result of this the British Steel Works in Llanwern, Wales invited us to view their No. 3 Blast Furnace and to look around the works. This was a new experience for us and different to all our previous visits.

We have enjoyed all our trips although some are more memorable than others. We hope St. John's will continue to provide children with the same interesting and entertaining visits.

Editor's Note. Older readers will, I'm sure, be quite envious of the opportunities school children have today and join me in saying how nice it was to have this contribution from Joanna and Hester.

Hallmark January 1992. Report by Gaynor M Newbold (Headteacher)

We continue to attract children from outside as well as the children within our catchment area. This situation has been helped by Open Enrolment and the recommendation of existing parents.

In addition to our School Brochure, a very attractive pamphlet complete with photographs of life at the school has been produced by a group of our governors. This is hot off the press. The pamphlet will soon be available for newcomers to the area at the local library and estate agents, and at local nurseries.

Please remember you need to fill in a school enrolment form at least eighteen months before your child is due to start school, in order that I can give the county as near accurate predictions of numbers as possible. This has become more important with Local Management of Schools.

Thanks to the kind gift of a cello by our peripatetic music teacher Mr Higgs, we now have two cellos and six children are learning the instrument with Mrs Haynes. It is hoped that we will again have a musical evening in the Summer Term when the children will be able to show their expertise. The string group and the School Band made up of many instruments and age groups, who practice together weekly with Mr Higgs, will perform again.

Success against other schools at chess, football and netball continues. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated teachers to run our extra-curricular activities

I would like to appeal to readers to contact me if they are able to help with any of this terms topics. We would particularly appreciate talks or the loan of artefacts or suggestions for visits.

The lower First School are studying Weather, Rubbish and Domestic Life. Families and Children Throughout the Ages is being studied by the year 3 children. Rivers, Ships and Seafarers is the topic for year 4 who will also incorporate Weather in this topic. France is the topic for year 6 children who are aged ten to eleven. I am sure the Twinning Association will be able to help with this. Spaceship Earth including a local study on Lacey Green is the year 7 topic. An excellent display by our eleven to twelve year olds on the planets has already transformed our Practical Area.

I am still keen to increase our collections for the School Museum. Storage space is extremely limited however. Again, if you can help in anyway please contact me or call into the school.

Hallmark March 1995. Report by Peter Hale

On April 8th the school said farewell to Mrs Gaynor Newbold as she lays down the Headship of the school after eight years in the position. In that time Mrs Newbold has contributed enormously to the school. Today it is a school which has extremely high standards both in education and discipline. It has been given an extremely excellent and encouraging OFSTED inspection report. Much, if not all this, is due to the leadership which has been given by Mrs Newbold. She has led the school 'from the front’, and set an amazing example of very hard work for her staff who have loyally backed her throughout this time. Today we have an over-subscribed school and despite stringent budget restraints able to take on another full-time teacher in September. This is due to Mrs Newbold's management and leadership.

She will be greatly missed both by the Governors and staff, children and parents. Her contribution to St. John's will last a very long time. She has certainly left her mark on the school. Thank you for everything, Mrs Newbold.

Mrs Newbold’s retirement has meant that the Governing Body has had to appoint a new Head for the school. The Governors were unable to do this at the first attempt. At the second they were able to go ahead and interview three candidates, and as a result of that day Mr Stephen Coleman has been appointed Head. Mr Coleman is no stranger to the school! He has been Deputy Head for some time and is very much part of the scene. Staff and Parents, and children are very happy with the Governors choice, and we look forward to ‘great things to come’.

Hallmark May 1995. Report by S.L. Coleman Headteacher

A new term has begun and already our new children in Mrs McGuinty's class have settled in well to the routine of the school. Despite only four weeks passing since the start of the term, the pace of education continues. Visits have already taken place by our Yr. 7 class to Hughenden Manor and all looked splendid in Victorian costume. They had a very enjoyable day and extremely good comments were made about their behaviour and how well prepared they were for the visit. Well done to them and to Mrs Culliford.

Mrs Hamilton's class walked into the village and followed that up with Geography work – we sometimes forget how useful the local area is as a resource! A thank you to the parents who accompanied the children on their visits.

The Yr. 6 children are just completing their Key Stage 2 SAT's tests in English, Science and Maths. This is the first time they have been set on a national level and all the children have coped well with them. The papers have to be externally marked and then returned to us with the results, hopefully in time for Open Evening, later on this term.

At the same time the Yr. 2 children are also undertaking the SAT's tests in English, Science and Maths with Mrs Stansfield and Miss Harrison. Again, the children have coped well with them. It will certainly be interesting to see how our teacher assessments compare with the results of the tests.

We continue to attract children to the school from inside and outside the catchment area and now have 235 children on roll. This is an excellent achievement and - “(reflects the strength of the school's reputation and the hard work of the staff and governors of the school. It has meant that we have increased our staff and we are pleased to welcome Mrs Parry, one of our parents, who is working with some of our older pupils; and Mrs Culliford who has taken over the top class this term. We also welcome Mrs Kelloway and Mrs Doel in a midday supervisors role – always a busy time of the day, and a welcome back to Mrs Foster who is also working at lunch times. It does, however, mean that a lot of parents have to drive the children to school which means that parking in the morning and afternoon is difficult. I would ask parents to take care where they – park; it is frustrating for the local residents if they cannot get in or out of their drives.

Dates have been set for Summer Term events, particularly Sports Day, Open Evening and Musical Evening and parents will be receiving these soon after half term. Athletic and Cricket Clubs, despite the weather have begun and Gymnastics and Drama continue. Our younger pupils are also continuing to take part in French and Fitness for Fun clubs and the Short Tennis club has now moved over to the tennis courts next door at the Sports Club. That, and the use of the Cricket Square adds a marvellous extra dimension to our extra-curricular activities and is much appreciated by the children.

Hallmark September 1995. Report by S.L. Coleman Headteacher

A new year at St John's, and a warm welcome is extended to all our new parents and children to the school. The children will now have had the chance to use the new school library. Although it was disappointing to lose the old library, we are more than pleased with how the new extension has turned out. The building work is almost completed, after a long and hot Summer and the school is beginning to look as it should, a building we can be proud of.

On a disappointing note, it was saddening to have to deal with the vandalism that occurred during the summer, on three separate occasions. Whatever the reasons for these actions, the money that has to be spent on repairs is money taken away from the school budget that could have been spent on many other, more suitable things. Despite all the precautions such as alarms and security lights, it is almost — impossible to stop people who simply want to do damage to property. We all hope it won't happen again.

The term ahead promises to be as busy as ever. An Auction of Promises on 14th October and a mini-sale on 1^st December are important events organised by the Parents Association. The Governing Body and Parents’ Association AGMs will be held together on Tuesday 17th October and an invitation is extended to all present and prospective parents to visit the school on its Open Day on Wednesday 11th October.

A thank you, once again, needs to be offered to the Sports Club for allowing the school to use the Cricket Square and Pavilion for their cricket matches. The teas, prepared by the parents, are enjoyed by players and spectators alike.

Many parents will be following the discussions regarding the changes in the Age of Transfer from 12 to 11 with some concern. Although it is only at a consultative stage, if it should go ahead, as seems likely at the moment, it will have enormous implications for Middle, First and Combined Schools. No firm details are yet known. However, I will keep you all informed when the consultation stage has been completed.

Hallmark May 1996.

Hallmark August 1998. (excerpt) by Headteacher S.L. Coleman

This year was an unusual year with two year groups, Year 6 and Year 7 leaving because of the change in the ages of Transfer from 12 to 11. Both year groups enjoyed residential visits with Year 7 staying at Swanage and Year 6 visiting Ironbridge.

After school activities were well supported, with Tennis, Cricket, Gymnastics, Junior ball skills and Softball just a few of the activities that took place this term. Many of these clubs are either run by teaching staff or organised by the Parents Association with outside tutors. I am delighted at the range of activities that we can offer to the children at school if they wish to participate and most of them do!

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Village Sports and Social Club for allowing us to use their facilities, once again. As well as lots of children using the tennis courts for tennis coaching, the use of the cricket ground for matches is an excellent facility and envied by many other schools.

Unfortunately we have had children using the school grounds as a skate board area and also making a nuisance of themselves by throwing things in the pond and leaving cigarette ends littered around. Apart from the work the caretaker has to do to tidy up, the school is private property and should any accident occur the persons concerned would not be covered by insurance

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Research by Joan West

A Few Known Facts. There has been much debate about when Lacey Green School was founded. The following facts come from documents associated with Charles Brown, Sarah Shard (Charles & Sarah Shard), William Saunders (William Saunders & Bethia Janes) and census returns. None of them confirm when the school was founded.

1851 Census in Lacey Green. John Floyd 31 agricultural labourer, Mary Ann Floyd 36 schoolmistress, Jane Floyd 9 scholar, Mary Ann Floyd 6 scholar, Albert Joseph Floyd 4 scholar. In that census there are 24 scholars, aged from 4 to10 years. It does not say where Mary Ann taught. Mary Ann Floyd died in 1852. click John Floyd & Mary Ann Cook for their life story.

In 1847 Ann Horwood, aged 14, came with her parents from Aston Clinton to live in Lacey Green. She was a domestic servant at the Vicarage. A few years later it is said that the Vicar asked her to start a school. click Peter and Ann Floyd for Ann's life story. This could have coincided with the death of Mary Ann Floyd in 1852. In 1854 she married Peter Floyd, cousin of John Floyd, both grandchildren of John Floyd and Sarah, nee Janes, of Kiln Farm

Trade Directories indicate the opening of a day school in Lacey Green in 1951, but it is uncertain if the building occupied the present site.

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Report by Joan West. I started researching Lacey Green School when I was one of the Managers of the school, holding the position of Treasurer of the Managers. The documents of the school were at that time kept at the school. Excerpts from the head teachers logbooks I published in the book 'A Chiltern Village School'.

In 1983 when the Reverend Raymond Maynard, became the new vicar of the parish, my 'alarm bells' rang. I had heard that he had destroyed, given away, or sold a number of objects held by the church - from photographs to the original pews with little, often no, knowledge of his Parochial Church Council.

Raymond Maynard found himself to be the Chairman of Lacey Green School, it being a Church School with the Vicar and Churchwardens being the trustees. Having heard the reports about what was happening at the church I searched for and copied all the school documents then held at the school. I hope that those original documents are by now safely held in the Bucks Record Office in Aylesbury.

BELOW COPIES OF THE RESEARCH DOCUMENTS also click Lacey Green School Documents

School at Lacey Green

24th March 1860     An established schoolroom is purchased. (research note. This land adjoined the land of Stocken Farm)

Conveyance. Charles Brown of Stocken Farm purchased from the executors of Sarah Shard of Grymsdyke Lodge a schoolroom and 2 houses (a block of land including the schoolroom and two semi-detached cottages in which domestic workers for Grymsdyke House lived, stretching to Slad Lane).

16^th December 1870.   DEED of GIFT To the Church

Charles Brown gave the schoolroom to the Vicar and Churchwardens of St John’s Church, Lacey Green, as trustees.

1871. The Church of England adopted the school, naming it “St.John’s School”

3^rd February  1875          Conveyance of Land on which the school is built, by Charles Brown to the Vicar and Churchwardens

All that parcel of ground situate at Lacey Green, adjoining the Highroad, containing twenty one and a half yards or thereabouts and in depth sixteen yards or thereabouts as is now fenced out and divided from the other land of the said Charles Brown and which piece of land hereby conveyed, was many years ago given by the said Charles Brown for the purposes of education and on which piece of land schools and other buildings have for some years been created and built.

March 15^th 1926  William Saunders of Stocken Farm, conveyed quarter of an acre of land to the Vicar and Churchwardens (Trustees of St. John’s School).

November 1^st 1926    William Saunders of Stocken Farm, conveyed additional land to the Vicar and Churchwardens.

In the 1930s a House was built on Pink Road, Lacey Green with the proceeds of the sale of Loosley Row School. It was vested in the Vicar and Churchwardens to be a house for the head teachers' of Lacey Green School to which the Loosley Row children now came. See The School House for more.

Researcher's Note. In 1964 as treasurer of the Lacey Green School Managers I discovered that the Reverend Raymond Maynard, vicar and Chairman of the School Managers had put the School House on the market, the proceeds to go to the Charity Commissioners as it was no longer being used for the school. As this was vested in the Vicar and Churchwardens of Lacey Green (not the National Charity Commissioners) I contacted the Diocese at Oxford with my concern that any proceeds should remain in Lacey Green. They wrote to the Charity Commission to ensure that this was dealt with correctly.

The following letter was the reply, confirming our properties vested in the Charity Commission :-

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE (legal branch)

Curzon street

London W.1,

Dear Sirs                                                                                                             27^th October 1964

With reference to your letter of 29^th September 1964, and for the forms enclosed therewith.

I am directed by the Secretary of State to explain that in connection with the application for an order appointing Trustees of the Teachers House at the Lacey Green Church of England School, a statement of willingness to serve, if appointed, signed by yourself and the churchwardens should be forwarded as stated in the penultimate paragraph of the official letter of 25^th June 1964 to Mr. Adams

With regard to the application submitted for an order vesting the legal estate in properties in the Official custodian for charities,  I am to say that the Foundation known as the Endowment for Schools Erected by Emma Grace at Loosley Row and Speen now consists of a holding of £1,481.6.8   3  ½% War Stock, invested with the Official Custodian of Charities, being the proceeds of the sale of the farm at Hughenden, authorised by an Order of 19^th April 1940, which comprised the original endowment.   Thus there is no longer any real property to be vested in the Official Custodian.

The legal estate of the property of Lacey Green Church of England School is already held by the Vicar and Churchwardens and their successors as a corporate body under the Deeds of 3^rd February 1875 and 15^th March 1926, whereby the site was granted under Section 2 of the School Sites Act 1841.   As these Trustees are for the purpose of the said Act a corporate body having perpetual succession, it is not necessary to vest the property in the Official Custodian.

The vesting applications should be completed and returned, with the original Deeds, or certified copies thereof, under which the properties are held, to this department, for transmission to the Charity Commissioners.

I am, Reverend Sir,

Your obedient servant.

(Mrs,) E.M.Sims