Report of
The Consultative Committee
on
INFANT AND NURSERY
SCHOOLS
(Hadow Report 1933)
APPENDIX IV
SHORT DESCRIPTIONS BY SUPERINTENDENTS, HEAD TEACHERS AND OTHERS OF TYPICAL NURSERY SCHOOLS; NURSERY CLASSES; BABY CLASSES
(A) NURSERY SCHOOLS
Bradford, Princeville Council Nursery School. London, Deptford, The Rachel McMillan Council Nursery School. London, Notting Hill Voluntary Nursery School. Manchester, Collyhurst Voluntary Nursery School. Sheffield, Denby Street Council Nursery School.
LONDON, DEPTFORD, RACHEL MCMILLAN NURSERY SCHOOL
The Rachel McMillan Nursery School which is now the largest nursery school in England was started in 1911 as a small voluntary enterprise in the garden of Evelyn House, Deptford, where the premises were lent rent free to form a night camp for children over eight years of age while little children were received in the day time. This was the nucleus of the nursery school. In 1914 the 'camp' was moved to a shelter on the Stowage site. This site had originally been acquired by the London County Council for a new elementary school, but there had been a decrease in the child population of the district and they had agreed to allow Miss Margaret McMillan the temporary use of the site at a nominal rent.
The 'camp' was used during the war by the children of munition workers and a government grant of 7d. [3p] a day was paid to Miss McMillan for each child. The crèche for the munition workers' children was in reality an open-air nursery school.
In 1917 Mr HAL Fisher, the President of the Board of Education, opened new buildings erected on the Stowage site.
In 1919 the Council entered into an agreement with Miss McMillan giving her the use of the Stowage site for five years, with the proviso that then, or at her death if it occurred before, the site and the buildings she had erected should pass to the Council. In 1924 and subsequent years this agreement was renewed. The nursery school was recognised by the Board of Education in 1919 and grant by the Council was first paid in 1920. In 1921 HM Queen Mary opened new buildings erected by the Council, with accommodation for 100 children, on another part of the site. From then until Miss McMillan's death in 1931 the school consisted of two parts, one maintained by the Council and the other, which had been provided by Miss McMillan, aided by grant from the Council. These two parts were conducted as one organisation under one superintendent.
In 1924 Miss McMillan provided additional places in premises (since demolished) in Wellington Street, and in 1927 a new shelter was built by her on the Stowage site. The accommodation of the school had then become 260 places, i.e. 160 in the voluntary part and 100 places in the Council's part.
In 1931, on Miss McMillan's death, all the premises of the voluntary school passed to the Council under the agreement previously referred to and the school has been wholly maintained by the Council since then.
In 1932 the temporary premises in Wellington Street were required for the purposes of a housing scheme and a new shelter was built on the Stowage site. The total accommodation of the school, 260 places, remained unchanged.
The school is of the 'village' type consisting of six open air shelters standing in a large garden. The shelters are self-contained, having separate cloakrooms, bathrooms and sanitation; each shelter accommodates 35 to 50 children. The garden is specially designed to meet the needs of young children. It makes an attractive playground with its slide, 'jungle gym', and its little paths and steps to tempt adventurous toddlers. There is an aviary and a dove cot. Rabbits and guinea pigs are kept as pets and the children greatly enjoy feeding them.
The school is staffed by qualified teachers with special nursery school experience, aided by students from the adjoining nursery school training college, who gain useful insight into nursery school management whilst giving service which enables the nursery school to be conducted at a reasonably low cost.
The nursery school opens at 7.30 am to admit special cases and most of the children arrive between 8 am and 9 am. They make their way to their own shelters with a mother or an elder sister who has brought them, and after greeting their teacher go straight to the bathroom for their morning toilet. Breakfast is served at 9 o'clock. The morning is spent in handwork occupations or in play either in the garden or in the shelter if weather is inclement. Between 11.30 am and 12 noon the children sit down to a two course dinner, after which they are ready for their midday sleep. The afternoon's activities consist of free play, music and games. Tea is served at 4 o'clock and between 5 and 5.30 pm the parents arrive to take their children home.
A weekly charge of 1s. 8d. [8½p] is made to those parents who can afford to pay this sum. This covers the cost of the raw food. Necessitous cases are carefully considered and reductions are made to meet the needs of individual parents.
The School is visited once a week by one of the London County Council doctors, and a Council nurse attends daily for an hour. The treatment recommended by the doctor is carried out at the Margaret McMillan Treatment Centre, Reginald Square, Deptford. Breathing exercises, massage and sunlight treatment are given where necessary. The physical condition of the children rapidly improves under favourable hygienic surroundings.
One of the nursery school shelters is reserved for delicate children who require special treatment and diet. (1)
There is a flourishing mothers' club in connection with the school. This club meets weekly and is of inestimable value as a link between home and school.
Adjoining the nursery school is the Rachel McMillan Training College where 100 students are now in resident training for nursery school teachers. Their work brings them into close touch with the social problems of the day and they have ample opportunities of observing the physical and mental development of the children in the school.