14 November 2024
In my time at Hatch there was a primary school essentially for Caldecott children (later supplemented by the special unit, Lacton House from 1985). Almost invariably when over age 11 or 12, children in my time there went to external schools in Ashford or in some instances elsewhere. Quite a few boys went to Ashford Grammar boys school (later Norton Knatchbull school). The largest number of the boys went to the then Ashford North Secondary Modern boys school (which then had a lower school for first and second years). I know some boys that went to Brock Hill school, Saltwood near Hythe. Some older boys went to Technical colleges. There was then a separate Ashford North Secondary Modern girls school (next to the upper school for boys), also other schools for girls, but someone else can give details. I recall a girl that went to St Leonards, Hythe. Slightly later some Caldecott boys and girls went to The Towers school. I vaguely recall an Ashford South Secondary Modern school which was renamed Rothelawe Comprehensive school but it closed in 1990.
At Ashford North, boys in each class were randomly divided into four Houses - Athens (red), Corinth (green), Sparta (yellow), Troy (blue). At Ashford Grammar boys were divided into four Houses perhaps by localities - Barrett and Burra (green and blue), Harper (yellow), Knatchbull (red). Caldecott boys there generally were in Knatchbull unless there was a nearby home address for instance at Kennington( so one boy was in Harper). After my time, when there were four classes there in most years (perhaps more children and / or smaller classes), classes were designated such as by 1 Ba, 1 Bu, 1 H, 1 Kn.
I recall a few of the Grammar boys - Barry Northam, Chris Howell, and others.
In about May 1983 a mobile double classroom was lowered into the kitchen gardens at Hatch (near the small garages) for the increasing numbers of children needing to be in a transitional or support class, with difficulty in external secondary schools. I believe that it was in about Autumn 1988 that Caldecott became geared for educating most of the children up to age 16.
Doubtless others have memories of education at and outside Caldecott.