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A history of the Greenwich Blue Coat Schools
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Greenwich Blue Coat School 1700
St John's National School
Blackheath & Kidbrooke School
Blackheath Bluecoat School
School Archives
Contact
Home
Greenwich Blue Coat School 1700
St John's National School
Blackheath & Kidbrooke School
Blackheath Bluecoat School
School Archives
Contact
Anne Walters (Head Girl) 1952
The School was relatively small with a roll of 60 girls. At the end of the Autumn Term of 1952 the Head Mistress, Miss Baggs, was taken seriously ill with pneumonia. As a result the school began the Spring Term a week late on 14 January 1953. Miss Baggs, although still not completely recovered, returned because she was worried about a particularly difficult staffing situation. Two of her experienced teachers had left and been replaced with teachers who had not been teaching for several years. Her staff consisted of two newly appointed full time teachers, two temporary full time teachers and three part time teachers. Miss Baggs went on convalescence leave for two weeks on 21 January. She was on sick leave again in the Summer Term for two months.
In the Summer Term of 1954 another landmark in the school’s history was reached when the school entered girls for the first time in the London General Certificate of Education in English Language, Art and Cookery.
The School was invited to visit Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex by the Chairman of Governors and his wife,
Sir Harold and Lady Spencer Jones. He was the last Astronomer Royal to be associated with the school. He had moved in 1948 to Herstmonceux Castle with a view to re-siting the Royal Observatory there from its home in Greenwich Park. After many delays it finally moved in 1957. Sir Harold Spencer Jones died in 1960 and the school was represented at his memorial service at St James’. Piccadilly. Lady Spencer Jones continued to be associated with the school in the early 1960s.
In the Autumn Term of 1957 the governors met with the governors of Blackheath & Kidbrooke National Church of England School to discuss an amalgamation between the two schools, which had first been proposed in 1945 by the London County Council. The Blue Coat School was too small to survive as a secondary school in its own right. Miss Baggs retired as Head Mistress on 26 April 1959 and Miss Violet Tinniswood became Acting Head. On 7 September 1959 the school re-opened after the amalgamation as the Blackheath and Bluecoat School.
