Mr Frank Amos (Headmaster 1913-1944) introduced the post of Head Boy and Head Girl in the 1920s and gave the pupils chosen for the post the responsibility of a number of administrative duties. The Head Boy was responsible for ringing the bell, and had to go to the back door of the School House at 8.30 each morning in order to collect the key. He then opened up the school and rang the bell. Until 1930, this involved pulling the rope of the original bell in the bell-tower, but when this was removed because it was too dangerous, a hand-bell was used, which was placed on a ledge in the corridor, close to the original rope. When the original bell was still in use, there were two bells to summon children to school. “First bell” as it was known was rung at 8.45 am and sounded through the village and was a reminder to children that they should be getting to school. “Second bell” was rung just a few minutes before school was due to start at 9 am. The Head Girl’s duties included going to each class and writing down the numbers present.
Dick Knight who was head boy for
two years from 1936 to 1938 has added to this list of duties: "...Monday
morning: visiting each teacher for them to request various items e.g. chalk,
exercise books, pencils etc. which were collected from the stock cupboard and
delivered to the teacher. Selling national saving stamps and then visiting the
post office to buy new stock. Locking the school every evening and taking the
keys to the head's house. Collecting all the ink wells from the desks and filling
them with home made ink (from a packet). On Wednesdays the school opened in
the evening for the changing of public library books when it was my job to prepare
the room."
The post of Head Boy and Girl lasted until 1981. In the post-war period, the
post of Deputy was also created. No list of Head Boys and Girls survives at
the school, but the following (incomplete) list has been compiled from information
obtained from past students. If you are able to fill in any of the unknown names,
please email history@badsey.net.
1930-31 Frank FIELD, Unknown
1931-32 Unknown, Unknown
1932-33 Unknown, Unknown
1933-34 Kenneth ELLISON, Jean KNIGHT
1934-35 Kenneth Knight, Unknown
1935-36 Walter WARMINGTON, Mollie COLLETT
1936-37 Richard Knight, Dorothy COX
1937-38 Richard Knight, Margaret STANTON
1938-39 Bernard REDGEWELL, Jean SMITH
1939-40 Edward HEMMING, Mary JELFS
1940-41 Roger SAVORY, Hazel LONGMORE
1941-42 David BRAZIER, Celia HARRISON
1942-43 David SOUTHERN, Pat BARNARD
1943-44 Brian JENNINGS, Pamela HARVEY
1944-45 Unknown, Unknown
1945-46 Unknown, Shirley EVANS
1946-47 Unknown, Unknown
1947-48 David ROUSE, Unknown
1948-49 Unknown, Unknown
1949-50 Unknown, Unknown
1950-51 David CASWELL , Unknown
1951-52 Martin MILLER, Unknown
1952-53 Michael STEPHENS, Josie SMITH
1953-54 BillieCHURCHILL/DerekHARWOOD, Margaret BROTHERTON
1954-55 Michael WELLS, Mary CHURCHILL
1955-56 Unknown, Unknown
1956-57 John NEWBURY, Maureen GREGORY
1957-58 Unknown, Anthea TAYLOR
1958-59 John HARWOOD, Diane HARTWELL
1959-60 Norbert TUCKER, Katie GORIN
1960-61 Clifford HARTWELL, Maureen LEWIS
1961-62 Christopher TUCKER, Rosemary TUCKER
1962-63 David STEWART, Mary BRABY
1963-64 Paul HARVEY, Margaret TYSZKOW
1964-65 Stephen TUCKER, Sara KITCHER
1965-66 Trevor SOUTHERN, Julia WILLIAMS
1966-67 Robert HEMMING, Valerie
MARSKELL
1967-68 Ian HARDWICK, Jane GOLDSTRAW
1968-69 Unknown, Unknown
1969-70 Unknown, Unknown
1970-71 Unknown, Unknown
1971-72 Unknown, Unknown
1972-73 Unknown, Unknown
1973-74 Stephen EVANS, Diane BURFORD
1974-75 Unknown, Unknown
1975-76 Nigel CARELESS, Caroline BYRD
1976-77 Unknown, Unknown
1977-78 Unknown, Unknown
1978-79 Richard SMITH, Joanna BOWRING
1979-80 Stephen POTTER, Sarah SIMMS
1980-81 Sean WITHEFORD, Sally STRATTON
For further information see the Amos Years and Maureen Spinks's excellent history 'Heads and Tales: A History of Badsey Schools' published by the Badsey Society.