Banstead Village

My old school - brings back such lovely memories!! Waitrose is there now :(

What fabulous memories of this little school. Miss Bates the headmistress treated each pupil to a little present on their birthday. The green hut was the dinner hall. My brother who is 4 years older walked me to school with my sister from our home, The Wheatsheaf Inn on the Brighton Road, sometimes we got a lift on the milk float with Tom the milkman.

My first teacher here was Mrs Orchard , then Mrs Kirk who sent me up to Miss Bates on a fairly regular basis - I spent many a happy hour sorting out the birthday present box in her office ! Miss Bates was a very humane and kindly headmistress and knew all her pupils very well.

I too have such good memories of this school which I started in 1971. Would be lovely if someone has some photos of the inside of the school! I have posted my memories of the school in the Banstead History website.

Gosh - what instant recognition this photo prompts! I attended the school c. Easter 1967 -70. I lived next door but one - Laurel Cottage (Fern Cottage, adjoining us was the immediate neighbour). Thinking (hoping) that attendance was somewhat optional I remember asking Mrs Solesby (not so nice) if I could go to the toilet, getting my coat, and walking out to return home. Miss Bates whistled out of the window shown above (her office) and beckoned me back with a curled finger. She was lovely - gave me a boiled sweetie and took me back to class. Mrs Solesby spanked me and made me stand behind the blackboard easel for the rest of the morning! Miss McLaren was a scary dinner lady and made us finish everything on our plate. It made me very scared of dinner time. Nevertheless, I have really happy memories of my time there - Mrs Voice and Miss Eddows are other names I remember. And Mr Wyatt the caretaker (and our neighbour), who gave me ice creams in the summer. Mothers used to congregate on the high street pavement to coo at their children through the chain link fence. Miss Bates used to shoo them away! My Dad was a vocal part of the committee which opposed the Waitrose redevelopment, but alas, it went ahead. He made the point that the council proposed replacing a school with inside classrooms and outside toilets (a major plank of the developer's argument) for one with inside toilets and outside classrooms (huts up at the Horseshoe).

Wow that picture brings back good memories. I lived in the Wheatsheaf Pub on Brighton Road Banstead between 1976 until 1983 and went to this wonderful school. I remember huge horse chestnut tree in the garden. Coincidently I can see Jane Smith also lived at the Wheatsheaf!

A boiled sweetie never came my way when I was also dragged back through the iron gate by my teacher, Miss Woods. It was playtime during my first days at school in 1940 and as all the children had put on their coats I thought it was time to go home.

An iron railing separated the infants from the junior playground and there were rosebushes planted alongside it.

I remember gathering up petals that fell from them. Along the green wall of the "canteen" were piles of coke for the school boilers, we were strictly forbidden to climb on them.

I went to this school during the 1970's, a lovely place (apart from the toilets!). Miss Bates was the headmistress, and other teachers included Mrs Nicholson, Miss Gibbs, Mrs Williams (music). Lunch time playground supervisor Mrs McLaren. Dinner lady Mrs Ransome.

I was at the school at about the same time as you, Wendy (Phillips), and your name does ring a bell! I remember the nice Miss Woods very well - from the Junior School, rather than the Infants. There's a photo of her, along with two other teachers in the Juniors, in 'The History of Banstead', Vol 2. She's referred to as 'Mrs 'Woods, but I'm sure it's her.
I remember Playtimes, when we marched round the playground, arms around shoulders, chanting 'Join on the girls if you want to play...' We rarely did play the game, as the bell rang first!
I also recall we did a lot of knitting in class, and I was forever snapping the fragile plastic needles, and having to sneak up to the box of spares when Teacher wasn't looking. I still blush at the memory!

If you added a comment on this page, you may like to know about over 40 pics of the school added to this archive in the last few days (May 2023)

I went to this school between 1972-75.

I had Mrs Adams in my 1st year, in one of the two portacabins. The roof leaked every time it rained.

I had Mrs Adams again (maybe 4th year, possibly in the smaller building, left side classroom under the Head's office) when she took on an older cohort - someone said she'd asked for her old class back again. She was one of the nicest teachers we had. Coped with a class with zero teaching assistants.

I also remember Mrs Handley (sp?), also nice, who took us for Games sometimes (football on the field).

I don't remember much about my 2nd or 3rd year - except I was in the larger building, probably on the playground side - and seem to recall having more than one teacher - possibly supply, or student teachers. One was from either Cyprus or Crete (began with a C, near Greece) - used to tell us lots of things about the area.

Tim, I think that it might have been Mrs. Hadden rather than Mrs Handley....Mrs. Hadden was in the classroom at the bottom of the staircase that led up to Miss Bates' office.

I attended Banstead First school from 1974-79 . I remember I loved the country dancing in the main assembly hall . The Green building was where we had our hot lunches which I remember were horrible. Mrs McLaren the dinner lady was intimidating. Stewed tinned tomatoes, spam fritters , mashed potatoes with no butter, liver, yummy!!!!

I remember the toilets with the permanent dripping and moss and tracing paper for loo roll.

I remember playing in the big field in the summer and taking turns doing handstands against a wall. Having to wear a tie and green uniform. Not knowing my times tables but they had a chart on the wall showing each pupils progress . Quite Victorian now.

My twin brother and sister also attended 2 years later (Kathrine and Simon Ibberson) and there were also 6 other twins at the school!!!! We used to go to the playground opposite after school sometimes.

Tim Watts - it was Mrs Handley, I remember her, she was so nice. And Mrs Adams, I had her too. And I had Miss Gibbs, who was very young.

Suzanne Wheaton, all your memories are exactly the same as mine. Can still see and taste those horrible stewed tomatoes and spam fritters.

I'm enjoying the comments - there's so much more that I could add! Am thinking back to my very first days at the Infant School (which dates me!). The war had just started, and we were issued with gas masks (not from school). Mostly, the young ones were given Mickey Mouse masks, but they must have run out, because mine was for adults. I tried it on at home, and gasped for breath. I'd NEVER be able to use the mask! And then - horror, our teacher told us to bring our masks in, and we'd have a practice. What?? But I took in my mask, and the teacher made the session a jolly occasion. She told us to breathe in, and blow out the rudest possible noises we could imagine! (No problem there!) In no time, we were giggling our socks off. Thankfully, we never needed our gas masks but, if we had, the teacher's insistence could have saved my life. What WAS her name..?

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