I wonder if some of you may tell us if you have any idea of when some groups of children at Caldecott acquired a name and maybe even why.
Before September 1970 grouping of children was generally by age and partly gender. ‘Nursery’ for the youngest (living over the primary school), ‘Junior Study’, ‘Senior Study’ (oldest juniors - split after Easter 1961 between girls and boys), ‘Junior-Senior Girls’, ‘Junior-Senior Boys’ (based in West Wing), ‘Senior Girls’, ‘Senior Boys’ (from 1958, with playroom in initial Colt House, manufacturer of shack, with beds in next phase from September 1962). Family-type group at the Paddocks from 1956, then at Lacton Hall from September 1965.
Hatch family groups initially had uninspired 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' (plus ‘Nursery’ for more phased change, also Colt House for oldest boys, plus eventually some girls). ‘A’ in practice was ‘Top Floor’, ‘B’ was ‘West Wing’. From visits, I think by 1980 ‘C’ was obviously ‘Lakeview’, ‘D’ was ‘Brabourne’ (later changed perhaps about 1990 to ‘Mayfield’), former 'Nursery' was ‘Garden House’ (as it overlooked kitchen garden). Later, 'Top Floor' was renamed ‘Oaklea’. I wonder why.
In 1983 older adolescents of Colt House swapped premises with family-type group at Lacton Hall - so the latter group became ‘Hornbeam’ (after informal name of wood west from Hatch).
In 1996 'West Wing' group moved to a unit on Paddocks land at Smeeth - obviously ‘Westhaven’ (but by 2010 it had been renamed ‘Summer House’, maybe simpler for kids). In 1997 'Oaklea' group moved to unit of that name at Smeeth site (later position for primary school). In May 2001 'Hornbeam' group moved to unit of that name at Smeeth site. In August 2001 'Garden House' group moved to unit of that name at Smeeth site.
In 2002 'Mayfield' group were in Lacton Hall (at that time called ‘Mayfield’) and 'Lakeview' were evidently in two new houses at the village of Shadoxhurst (‘Woodlands’ and ‘Five Acres’ - soon sold off).
I wish I knew more.