Broad Oak Community Primary School

On Tuesday 7th June we had a special assembly to mark the birthday. We planted a special Oak Tree to mark the event.

We were pleased to welcome back three past Head teachers...Mr Anderton, Mr Reynard and Miss Simmonds

On Friday 10th June we had a special school party in the marquee for the children. We had lots to eat donated by Chartwells and had fun with a puppet show and disco after dinner.

On Saturday and Sunday we opened the school for pupils past and present to visit the school and to view our extensive archive of photos and work. The staff spent many days putting the exhibition together and were pleased to welcome over 600 visitors to the school during the two days.

As part of our celebrations we created an eco style mosaic from bottle tops that we have been collecting for weeks. We welcomed to the school an artist for a week to design, make and finish a mosaic with the children. We created two in the end and they are now proudly on display in the entrance to our school.

On Saturday night the adults held a party and Bar B Q in the marquee. It was a great event attended by around 200 people. It went on well into the early hours and will be spoken about for many years!

As part of our celebrations each class produced some panels to create a wall hanging that will hang in the school Library after the celebrations. It looks fabulous and we finished it with plenty of time to spare.

During the open weekend, visitors were asked to fill in a memory they have of the school for our new time capsule.

I remember playing in the snow using tin trays down the slope. I got my head stuck between the black railings at the bottom right corner!

It was so lovely to remember so many friends. Very happy days were spent at the school.

I remember long hot summers in the new swimming pool with Miss Brown and her dog Billy. I mostly enjoyed school, especially the gardening!

My memories of my time in this school are all good. I remember bringing my gas mask during the war every day. It was treated as fun, although we knew that it was very serious.

Seeing Ian Harvey and Robin Marshall on home made skateboards ...What great fun we had!

Such fantastic memories of singing " Who put the colours in the rainbow" and really having fun and enjoying lessons. It felt like one big playtime adventure. xxx

The School hasn't changed that much. Good to come back and see friends. I remember Mrs Marshall had two boys on long stay from Nigeria whose father sent a shipment of mangoes for the school.

As Governor and Chair, my memories are countless. From the mundane-dealing with school improvements, to the great privilege of seeing the children grow and develop as they passed through the school. I remember OFSTED...interesting when they dares suggest that Broad Oak was anything but outstanding and my pride at recruiting Maria Maslin!

Mrs Marshall was headmistress and could be very strict. She would cane the boys when naughty and give 100 lines.

My junior teacher was Mrs Dane. If she had a book in her hand and anyone was not listening or misbehaving then she would swipe you with it . I enjoyed my days at Broad Oak School and have lots of fond memories..

I remember...when i was in trouble and had to stand under the clock. I remember playing football for Mr Perry's Blue team. I remember we used to slide over the playground when it was icy. Lovely to come back.

I remember Mrs Smith took me to school on my first day. She lived near me. We had Scottish dancing lessons with lovely full pleated skirts and long scarves which billowed out as we danced. I liked Mrs Smith very much. I did not like Mrs Marshall and she did not like me. She made me take off my new white socks and lend them to another girl for the school play.

WE HAD SO MANY MEMORIES THAT WE WILL BE CREATING A NEW PAGE SHORTLY TO SHARE THEM ALL WITH YOU. THANKS GO TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE WONDERFUL WEEK AND TO ALL OF YOU WHO VISITED.

We are currently compiling memories and photos from our school over the last 100 years. We aim to put as many as we can here on the website.

If you have any memories or photos that you wish to include please email us at;

Dear Mr Agate

Our family (the Farnfields) arrived in Broad Oak in 1963 as the big freeze was coming to an end. We lived at Little Stonehurst Farm at the end of Pottens Mill Lane. My parents ran a small dairy farm and it was only in 2003 that they moved away to Suffolk where there seems to be quite a large contingent of local East Sussex refugees!

I am the eldest of the four children and I enclose a number of pictures that I hope you might find of interest. I particularly like the team photo.

I arrived at the end of Miss Marshall's tenure and can testify that Sally Semple's account is spot on. Jean Brown followed her and she was wonderful. I left in 1966 to go to Christ's Hospital in Horsham often known as the Bluecoat School because of the tudor uniform we wore. Jean was pretty well responsible for getting me there and I am always grateful for her help as the education I received there (a boarding school was excellent). Indeed I am now one of the trustees of the foundation that provides the funds that allow so many of the children to enjoy either a free education or a least a substantially subsidised one. The school is there to provide an education to those in need (financial and social) and you may with your professional hat on be interested in finding out more. Go to the website www.christs-hospital.org.uk

I do hope you are able to get others to contribute to this celebration: have you thought of going to the Friends Reunited site to contact old pupils? There are quite a few listed there.

All the best

Peter.

Friday 10th June....Lunchtime Birthday part in the marquee followed by an afternoon of fun events