FEW REPRESSIONS AT STRANGEST BRITISH SCHOOL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22890, 9 March 1949, Page 4

FEW REPRESSIONS AT STRANGEST BRITISH SCHOOL

Smoking and swearing are permissible in Britain’s strangest school in 40acre grounds at Tylehurst, Surrey, where 14 children frolic at a cost of £4B a term.

Pupils, aged from five to 14 haven’t a worry about end of term reports. Instead. they write reports on the headmistress and teachers whom they call by their Christian names. Typical is the latest report on the headmistress, Miss Dorothy Mumford: "Dorothy is mean. She tells us to look up things in the dictionary, when she knows the answers all the time.”

The pupils are equally frank about “Lizzie” —Miss Elizabeth Wimbush, who teaches the younger classes —and “Arthur,’’ her husband, who is ready to tell the children how to make stink bombs as an added attraction to science lessons. ' Too Many Bods. The typical attitude of pupils is shown by Bridget Longfield, eight, of Devonshire. Today she said to the headmistress: “What, no riding lesson this afternoon, Dorothy? Blast, it!” There is no compulsion to attend classes. The schedule today offered arithmetic, English, a broadcast, history and work on the school magazine. Henry Lawson, 10. of London, did not take part. “I want to make a house for a guinea pig.” he explained. A 12-year-old new girl, lione Savill, played about outside, "because 1 don’t like lessons.” Pinned up in the hall is a notice written by a boy of 14. It was headed “Join the Communist Party.” It says: “There are too many fascist bods around here. Peter is one in disguise.” No Fines. Nine-year-old Josephine Williams, who had rouged cheeks, and for some reason rouged eyebrows, said candidly: "I don’t know. I suppose I am,” when she found herself classified “awful” on a notice list.

Only three rules are imposed by the teaching staff. Firstly, no fires may be lit outside for fear of forest fires.

Secondly, before leaving the school grounds, a pupil must “discuss” the project with a teacher. Thirdly, in school boys and girls may dress as they like, but if going to the village, must be clean and tidy. Any other regulations are discussed at • meetings at which each child and teacher has a single vote. There is no punishment. Last term a meeting of teachers and pupils voted for fines. This term they have been abolished.

Children eat when they like and what they like, unrebuked for indelicate table manners. The headmistress believes these unorthodox methods produce good citizens.