In the second of a series of articles to mark Churchfields Infants’ and Junior School’s 150th anniversary, former pupil Carol Elsbury (class of 1972) reflects on her memories of Miss Francis and Mr Baker
People often say schooldays are the best days of your lives. I felt a sense of security and happiness at Churchfields, which was a testament to the staff. We had recently moved from Swindon and starting a new school was terrifying. At the end of the first day, the school phoned my parents to congratulate them on my grasp of English, which confused my mum until she realised they thought I had come from Sweden, not Swindon!
I have hazy memories of the infants, where Miss Hollis presided over us one day in the playground, dividing our class into birthdays. We had no idea this would mean some of our friends would ‘disappear’ and our class would be altered going forward. We soon adjusted and my real memories begin clearly when we went into the junior school.
Our classroom was one of the huts built at the rear of the school, near the large field, to cater for the ever-growing student body. I can remember that hut as being so colourful, with paintings on all the walls, a large nature table on the right-hand side of the room and mobiles hanging from the ceiling. The tiny tables faced the blackboard and to the rear was the reading area. The teacher was Sheila Francis; she was one of two cherished teachers at that school who did so much for me.
I was okay until someone raised their voice; then I was scared. When Miss Francis would admonish someone, I would be upset but try not to show it. Finally, my mum spoke to Miss Francis, who came up with a simple but very kind plan. If she was going to raise her voice, she would walk over to me, hold both my hands and smile, and then tell someone off over her shoulder! It might seem silly now, but to me, it made all the difference in the world.
In my last year at juniors, we were supposed to have our first male teacher, Mr Baker. However, when we came in on that first morning, we were greeted by an elderly teacher, who I think was Mrs Mangham. She explained Mr Baker had been on holiday and had tragically lost his son in an accident. She taught us for a few weeks and said it was essential we did not say anything to Mr Baker about the accident and that we must be well-behaved upon his return. And we were. I found Mr Baker an encouraging and positive person, which was extraordinary given what he must have been suffering. He developed my love of reading and writing and my last report said I had a very “chatty” style!
I think the greatest sadness for pupils of our era is that when we return for the reunion in June, the buildings we remember will no longer be there. I can close my eyes and see the high windows, the painted bricks, the classroom doors surrounding the hall and the gigantic TV stand, which was ceremoniously wheeled out. But mostly, I remember a feeling of happiness, and for that, I am truly grateful.
A school reunion will take place on 8 June from 11am. For more information and to register, visit swvg.co.uk/c150
