Education in Yeovil

central School

and Special Subjects Centre

 

On 27 March 1914 the Yeovil Education Committee accepted a tender in the sum of £6,228 (just under £3 million at today's value) by J Dyer & Sons of Curry Rivel to build the new Central School and Special Subjects Centre on the corner of Eastland Road and Reckleford on the site of the old brickworks that had been demolished in 1912 in preparation for the building of the new school. However the contractor was, in October 1914, granted increases in respect of timber, iron and steel, sheet lead, glass, painting materials, nails and galvanised goods in consequence of increased prices owing to the war.

On 29 January 1915 the Committee decided to set up a dental clinic at the Special Subjects Centre premises in Eastland Road to be held on alternative Saturday mornings. Mr FG MacDonnell was employed to take the clinics at a salary of £40 per annum for both inspection and treatment.

In the Committee Minutes of 26 June 1915 "It is reported that instruction in Domestic Science at Eastland Road has commenced."

Kelly's Directory of 1919 recorded details of the school in its Public Elementary Schools section - "CENTRAL, Eastland Road, juniors, built in 1914 for 375 juniors; Miss Winifred Kate Linnett, Mistress.
SPECIAL SUBJECTS CENTRE, Eastland Road, built in 1914 for instruction in domestic subjects and handicraft; domestic subjects, cookery, laundrywork, and housewifery. Miss Charlotte Wallace Kipps, instructress; handicraft and metalwork."

Today the former Central School is Reckleford Community School.

 

gallery



Staff and pupils of the Central School photographed around 1932. At left is headmistress Miss Matthews and at right is class teacher Miss Wakeling. Pupils are -

back row - Kenneth Windsor, Tony Lewis, Keith Lewis, George North, Brian Hobbs, Charlie White, unknown, unknown, unknown.
third row - all unknown.
second row - ? Mitchell, Grace Moore, Rosemary Williams, unknown, Joan Anscombe, Peggy Wills, Myra Haim, unkown, Pauline Masters.
front row - Joan Andrews, Betty Wright, Joan Featherstone, Gordon Soper, Molly Sweet, Kathleen Mitchell and Margaret Chant.

 

The school clock and bell, erected in 1914. Photographed in 2014.