Collection GB 0074 ACC/3454 - SOUTH HACKNEY SCHOOL

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0074 ACC/3454

Title

SOUTH HACKNEY SCHOOL

Date(s)

  • 1910-1982 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1.06 linear metres

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

South Hackney School began its life as Lauriston Road Central School, which opened in March 1911 in an area that was then a fashionable suburb of London. After World War One air raids over London, the school moved into an existing school building in Cassland Road in 1917. It is believed that this Cassland Road building was the last Higher Grade School built by the London School Board before county councils took over responsibility for education in 1904.

The name of the school changed in 1913 to Hackney Council School, which reflected its role as one of the new central schools established in 1911 by the London County Council to provide education for brighter children whose parents could not afford the fees and who had not won a scholarship. According to Mr. Chew, Hackney Central's headmaster from 1911 to 1943, these schools 'were intended to put boys and girls on the road they could travel best'. Hackney Central Secondary School covered a fixed catchment area of elementary schools, and began with a commercial bias towards shorthand, book-keeping and typing. The syllabus developed towards more general education, although passing public examinations was not the primary aim of the central schools.

The school in Cassland Road was bombed during the Blitz and many children were evacuated to Northampton. In 1944 the school was forced to use another building in Lauriston Road and a new headmistress, Miss Beswick, took charge. The inter-war years started a tradition of school journeys and music and drama activities. The war had caused severe disruption with pupil members falling to 280, but the 1950s saw a period of growth and development.

Although the changes established by the 1944 Education Act refined the role of secondary education and the central schools, Hackney Central was one of the few schools allowed to select its pupils until the comprehensive system was introduced. But when the Education Committee decided that a school should not be allowed to bear the name of a borough, Hackney Central was forced to change its name in 1951 to Cassland Secondary School. The name derived from the old estate of Sir John Cass, a prominent educationalist, on whose grounds the school stood. The Sir John Cass Foundation gave permission for the family badges and shield to be worn on the uniform, and old pupils became familiarly known as 'Old Casslanders'.

Archival history

The records of this deposit were donated to the GLRO by the wife of the late Headmaster on 14 Dec 1994.

GB 0074 ACC/3454 1910-1982 Collection 1.06 linear metres Lauriston Road Central School x Hackney Central Secondary School x Cassland Secondary School

South Hackney School began its life as Lauriston Road Central School, which opened in March 1911 in an area that was then a fashionable suburb of London. After World War One air raids over London, the school moved into an existing school building in Cassland Road in 1917. It is believed that this Cassland Road building was the last Higher Grade School built by the London School Board before county councils took over responsibility for education in 1904.

The name of the school changed in 1913 to Hackney Council School, which reflected its role as one of the new central schools established in 1911 by the London County Council to provide education for brighter children whose parents could not afford the fees and who had not won a scholarship. According to Mr. Chew, Hackney Central's headmaster from 1911 to 1943, these schools 'were intended to put boys and girls on the road they could travel best'. Hackney Central Secondary School covered a fixed catchment area of elementary schools, and began with a commercial bias towards shorthand, book-keeping and typing. The syllabus developed towards more general education, although passing public examinations was not the primary aim of the central schools.

The school in Cassland Road was bombed during the Blitz and many children were evacuated to Northampton. In 1944 the school was forced to use another building in Lauriston Road and a new headmistress, Miss Beswick, took charge. The inter-war years started a tradition of school journeys and music and drama activities. The war had caused severe disruption with pupil members falling to 280, but the 1950s saw a period of growth and development.

Although the changes established by the 1944 Education Act refined the role of secondary education and the central schools, Hackney Central was one of the few schools allowed to select its pupils until the comprehensive system was introduced. But when the Education Committee decided that a school should not be allowed to bear the name of a borough, Hackney Central was forced to change its name in 1951 to Cassland Secondary School. The name derived from the old estate of Sir John Cass, a prominent educationalist, on whose grounds the school stood. The Sir John Cass Foundation gave permission for the family badges and shield to be worn on the uniform, and old pupils became familiarly known as 'Old Casslanders'.

The records of this deposit were donated to the GLRO by the wife of the late Headmaster on 14 Dec 1994.

Deposited in 1994

Records of South Hackney School, 1910-1982, including logbook for Lauriston Road Central School; logbook for South Hackney Central School; waiting list and admission register for South Hackney Central School; admission register South Hackney Central School (from 1951 Cassland County Secondary School); register of school leavers (entered in Register of Children over Compulsory School Age); weekly attendance record with names of school leavers; H.M. Inspector's reports on Cassland County Secondary School and Lauriston County Secondary School; roll of service of South Hackney Central School, 1914-1918; "The Diary" School Magazine, containing The Story of Cassland Secondary School 1910-1955; photographs of various subjects including school visit to Switzerland, school sports team, orchestra and drama production.

Also logbook kept by headmistress, Miss M Beswick, from formation of school in 1958 with details of teaching staff (closed until 2028); admin papers and correspondence including prize-giving, appointments of teachers and report of Inspection by London Board of Jewish Religious Education; newspaper cuttings and photographs; punishment books (closed until 2032); photographs of sports teams, plays, classrooms, workshops; programmes for school concerts, plays, short stories, poetry; school magazines, large photograph of Miss Beswick - headmistress 1944-1962 and large photograph of Mr Chew - headmaster 1911-1943.

ACC/3454/001-024.

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Copyright rests with the depositor.

English

Fit

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Further records held at the London Metropolitan Archives relating to South Hackney School:
Admission + Discharge Registers EO/DIV4/SOU/A&D/1 1910-1912
EO/DIV4/SOU/A&D/1 1913-1926
Inspectors Reports LCC/EO/PS/12/573/1-3 1923-1969
LCC/EO/PS/12/C20/1-6 1903-1952
Log Books EO/DIV4/SOU/LB/1 1928-1939 (closed until 2003)
Punishment Book EO/DIV4/SOU/MISC/1 1910-1913
Photographs 22.133 SOU Exterior 1972
22.133 SOU Exterior 1976

For Lauriston County Secondary School:
Inspectors Reports LCC/EO/PS/12/L12/1-39 1895-1963
Log Books EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/1 1892-1913 Boys
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/2 1913-1926 Boys
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/3 1913-1929 Senior Mixed
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/4 1932-1951 Senior Mixed (closed until 2017)
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/5 1953-1957 Mixed (closed until 2023)
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/6 1893-1906 Evening
Minutes of Teachers Annual Conference
EO/DIV4/LAU/MISC/1 1899-1924
EO/DIV4/LAU/MISC/2 1893-1898

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

July to October 2009 School leaving Educational environment School discipline Educational management School inspections Teaching methods Schools Educational institutions School visits School attendance registers School admission registers Information sources Documents School log books Education records Lauriston Road Central School x Hackney Central Secondary School x Cassland Secondary School

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Deposited in 1994

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Records of South Hackney School, 1910-1982, including logbook for Lauriston Road Central School; logbook for South Hackney Central School; waiting list and admission register for South Hackney Central School; admission register South Hackney Central School (from 1951 Cassland County Secondary School); register of school leavers (entered in Register of Children over Compulsory School Age); weekly attendance record with names of school leavers; H.M. Inspector's reports on Cassland County Secondary School and Lauriston County Secondary School; roll of service of South Hackney Central School, 1914-1918; "The Diary" School Magazine, containing The Story of Cassland Secondary School 1910-1955; photographs of various subjects including school visit to Switzerland, school sports team, orchestra and drama production.

Also logbook kept by headmistress, Miss M Beswick, from formation of school in 1958 with details of teaching staff (closed until 2028); admin papers and correspondence including prize-giving, appointments of teachers and report of Inspection by London Board of Jewish Religious Education; newspaper cuttings and photographs; punishment books (closed until 2032); photographs of sports teams, plays, classrooms, workshops; programmes for school concerts, plays, short stories, poetry; school magazines, large photograph of Miss Beswick - headmistress 1944-1962 and large photograph of Mr Chew - headmaster 1911-1943.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

ACC/3454/001-024.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

These records are available for public inspection, although records containing personal information are subject to access restrictions under the UK Data Protection Act, 1998.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright rests with the depositor.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Further records held at the London Metropolitan Archives relating to South Hackney School:
Admission + Discharge Registers EO/DIV4/SOU/A&D/1 1910-1912
EO/DIV4/SOU/A&D/1 1913-1926
Inspectors Reports LCC/EO/PS/12/573/1-3 1923-1969
LCC/EO/PS/12/C20/1-6 1903-1952
Log Books EO/DIV4/SOU/LB/1 1928-1939 (closed until 2003)
Punishment Book EO/DIV4/SOU/MISC/1 1910-1913
Photographs 22.133 SOU Exterior 1972
22.133 SOU Exterior 1976

For Lauriston County Secondary School:
Inspectors Reports LCC/EO/PS/12/L12/1-39 1895-1963
Log Books EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/1 1892-1913 Boys
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/2 1913-1926 Boys
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/3 1913-1929 Senior Mixed
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/4 1932-1951 Senior Mixed (closed until 2017)
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/5 1953-1957 Mixed (closed until 2023)
EO/DIV4/LAU/LB/6 1893-1906 Evening
Minutes of Teachers Annual Conference
EO/DIV4/LAU/MISC/1 1899-1924
EO/DIV4/LAU/MISC/2 1893-1898

Finding aids

Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

London Metropolitan Archives

Rules and/or conventions used

Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area