Some of us who have attended recent reunions have a fair idea of how the Caldecott Foundation operates but others who were at the Caldecott Community in the 1950’s or 1960’s may not realise how different that was from the present Foundation, largely relating to the types of children that it caters for these days. Likewise, many of those at the Foundation may have little idea of what was the system at the Community in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Doubtless Caldecott has always been changing, sometimes by gradual evolution and sometimes with particular steps.
The Foundation has residential homes in Kent and also Nottinghamshire, also primary and secondary schools and a fostering service. The schools have specialist facilities for autistic / SEN children and are not dominated by the full-time residential homes but are largely concerned with children that either travel in from elsewhere or that board at the Garden House unit during weekdays in term time. Leaving aside homes in Nottinghamshire, the main site at Smeeth has a number of separate units for full-time residence by family-type groups each with boys and girls of varying ages.
In say 1960 the Caldecott Community was much like a boarding school, essentially closing during school holidays so that children then went to their respective families or elsewhere, for example camping etc for some of summer holidays. The children were generally in groups of essentially similar ages and, for seniors at least, by gender. There was a primary school in converted stables, almost without exception just for junior children residing at Caldecott (including the Paddocks / later Lacton Hall), so that seniors went to mainstream schools, especially in Ashford but sometimes at other places.
There were broadly eight groups. Above and around the primary school there was the Nursery, housing the youngest boys and girls, often including some toddlers. In part of the main house, the middle age group of juniors was the Junior Study. The oldest junior children comprised the Senior Study (often just “Study”). Girls of 11-13 were the Junior-Senior Girls. Boys of that age group were the Junior-Senior Boys. Girls of age 14 or more were Senior Girls (or Uniform Girls). Boys of age 14 or more were the Senior Boys (or Uniform Boys).
The focus was very much on the main house, especially the central part and the west wing. One dormitory in an upper floor of the central part was for Junior Study boys. Another part of that floor and on a floor above (reached via the top flight of the narrow stone staircase intended in 1766 for domestic servants) had dormitories for girls of different groups. Various upper floors of the west wing had dormitories for boys in the Senior Study and older boys. In 1958 the first emanation of the Colt House was built – just a playroom for boys of age 14 or more plus two small rooms (one for Simon’s bedroom / sitting room, the other as a sitting room for older boys / PPU’s), hence in 1960/61 some older boys were in dormitories with younger boys. In 1962 the first extension of the Colt House provided six tiny rooms for the oldest boys and a modest room to cram in beds for six other Uniform Boys (also a flat initially for the Marshall family). Hence the first floor of the west wing then had dormitories for Junior-Senior Boys and the second floor was for Senior Study boys.
There was a separate group at the Paddocks (now Caldecott House, Smeeth) which was the only family-type group having boys and girls of varying ages (below age 14). Later relocated to Lacton Hall.
A group might have 12 children in care of a senior staff member normally with a younger assistant, sometimes a student, although sometimes there was ad hoc cover for the day off of the senior staff member.
In 1960 both boys and girls in the Senior Study shared a large playroom overlooking the Deer Park. Betty Glue initially had to cope alone with at least 12 boys and girls, hence on her day off the boys went to tea with Mike Clover at the Paddocks, girls may have been looked after that time by Miss Dave or Miss E. Later we had Ulrich Fankhauser (Freddy) and then plus Joy Blackaby. However, in April 1961 Study boys were given two rooms at the bottom of the east wing (which had been available, but previously for assessments) including a sandpit. I think from then on Study boys and girls were divided (boys getting a room at the bottom of the central part in September 1962, formerly the main playroom of Junior Senior Boys of the west wing).
A sea change came in September 1970 when Caldecott generally moved to family-type units. Aside from Lacton Hall, the Nursery (later Garden House) and the Colt House, there were four other groups – A (top floor), B (West Wing), C (overlooking the Deer Park, later called Lakeview) and D (overlooking the front lawns, later called Brabourne). I think that the Nursery initially kept the youngest children but of course those that stayed grew older and others joined, so it was soon diversified). The Colt House remained for over 10 years for boys of age 14 or more but then some older girls joined, then in 1983 the teenagers swapped with the Lacton House group, so the group moving into the Colt House became Hornbeam.
Other changes were more gradual, reflecting the move to more problematic children. Increasing numbers of children had to be accommodated throughout the year, including in school holidays.
Pupils of age 11 or more often had to be given secondary education at the Community rather than going to mainstream schools, hence eventually that became the norm.
These days the schools of the Foundation are not even mainly for children in full time residential care at Caldecott but have a much wider scope.
The numbers of children in residential care are below those of my days (when it was over 100 – the numbers for clothes etc went up to 120) and there are obviously many more staff.
I recall that in May 1963 Simon had 13 of us in the Colt House – Billy M, Stephen Mc, Michael P (Poogie), Lewis S, Barry P, Richard A, Chris B, Victor P, Charlie J, David G, Ken S, David G and me (I had to sleep that term in the west wing – Colin I remained there that term although slightly older than me, perhaps Miss Travers liked his company). I think Rosemary Clover popped round to arrange for socks and so on to be washed.
In say 1974 the Hirsts and subsequently Dick Edwardes (with help from Jane Abbey and Paul Morris) had 12 boys age 14 or more in the Colt House. There were 13 children looked after by the domestic staff in the Nursery. The Hiltons at Lacton Hall (with some assistance) had 8 boys (including Tony C) and 4 girls. David Carver and Fran C (plus a helper) on the top floor had 7 boys and 8 girls (including Elizabeth O). Denise Wadley (with helpers) of Group B had 7 boys and 7 girls. Mima Ogilvie (plus helpers) in Group C had 8 boys and 8 girls. The Pikers (with some help) in Group D had 7 boys and 8 girls.
I suppose that 50 or 60 years ago children at Caldecott were fairly able to be left to their own devices for much of the time even though far from being angelic.
Gerald Moran