Ripon Road Bournemouth?

[marcie dean]

Yes sorry.

Linda, in answer to your question, I went to what started as East Howe School for girls
and became Kingsleigh Comprehensive.

The reason that I did not stay at school was because of my mother, she did not think that I should,  instead that I should go out to work to keep her and my sisters x 3.  Old School,
girls only leave school, work for a while, meet someone and get pregnant get married.  The fact that I wanted to be a vet did not count.  I had been top stream all my school life until I came home.  40 girls in GCE no room for me.  I sound bitter I know, but I have managed to get on since.  So all things sort themselves out in the end.
marcie.

[LindaJ1959]

I understand, Marcie. My father has a similar story. His parents refused to let him sit the 11+, even though he was certain to pass, because they wanted him to go out and earn money as early as possible. He left school at 14.

Linda

[Redroger]

A question: How can Bournemouth (or for that matter anywhere else) have comprehensive education whilst retaining Grammar Schools? If the top 20% are creamed off then education is selective and comprehensive in name only. Kinson's reputation: We moved here three years ago from Doncaster and bought a bungalow at Wallisdown, we also looked at one on Kinson Road. I was given a lift home from a meeting one night by a colleague, and as we passed it I mentioned that we had looked at the bungalow (on Kinson Road) His response: You got the best location, this is bandit country! I was surprised as my daughter's mother in law had lived in Kinson until around 3 weeks ago, and has just moved to a flat aged 87. She has never reported any problems with Kinson.
Butting in to your answer Marcie, I got GCE passed 11+ at 10years 3 months, and was prize winner in first year at Grammar School , but then went downhill fast. Got 7 GCEs at 15 was expected to get none. I was at the wrong school that was the impression I got. There was one boy there father a shop owner 2 years older than me, father had paid for him to go, worked in the shop and if he was stuffed and mounted behind the counter now noone would notice the difference, only the quiet. Just ordered to attend for food.

[marcie dean]

Another friend of mine sat next to me in third year, her parents wanted her to do GCE's instead of CSE.  Her sister had been in GCE stream and they felt that she should have the same chances.  So they spoke to the school, pushed their daughter into having extra lessons to get her up to standard.
By the time I was about to leave she was sub prefect, enjoying being there.  A few years later, she was married and 3 kids.  Valerie.  Lovely girl, big heart.

marcie

[marcie dean]

Kinson was Kinson only when I was growing up.  East Howe was a nice area and west Howe was a bad area.  By the time I was in early teens Leybourne Avenue had a really bad name for themselves.
The schools I went to in Germany were forces schools.  Of course we went to Germany in the January and I had to get used to a new school and do my 11+ in the May/June of the same year.
The secondary school I went to, was strangely structured. ABC was grammar D-H was secondary and if you did well you could go upwards into the Grammar School. It was (Junior School in distance was for me like going from Dorchester to Bournemouth and took about 40mins, being collected at about 8am.  Senior school was like going to London every day starting at 7.15am and not getting khome until 6.30pm every night.  I loved it.
marjorie

[marcie dean]

Going back to the subject:  the Winton Library or the reference library in kPoole should have old Kellys Directories.  Could always phone them to ask how far back the directories go.  see if they have a 1920/30's version or can tell us when they first came out and whether there was anything else around at the time that could have helped.

marcie

[Redroger]

Leybourne Avenue has settled down really well in my opinion, I know of no problems in the last three years since we have lived in Bournemouth. The school structure does seem strange, to facilitate movement to the Grammar School presumably? I know of a similar though informal arrangement at a secondary modern in Boston some 60 years ago, pupils there had the chance to take the 11+ at 13 and move t Grammar School. There was no move in the opposite direction though.
Travelling to school is a vexed problem, certainly in a large rural county, I know of children from Bottesford area, West of Grantham who travelled daily by train to Skegness as Skegness Grammar School was considered a better school. I wondered whether a 5hour+ round trip daily was really in the children's best interests overall?

[marcie dean]

When I lived in W.Kingston nr. Bere, in the summer I would be wakened by the sun coming in through the two big picture windows at 6a.m  I would get dressed go up to the farm and get the cows in for milking from the field. I would wait until the milk had been washed etc. and take my container back hom next door.  In Germany I would be up around 6a.m breakfasted, washed and dressed ready to catch the bus.  Sometimes the junior school bus would turn up at 7.45, sometimes 8am.
It is strange, but I found no problem with it.  Only ever missed the bus once to go home, never again.  Not sure that it does any damage, but it means that the friendships you make are fleeting, and I think that in the long term it does do damage to the way you look at relationships as a whole.
marcie

[Redroger]

Never had those problems, 10 minute walk to primary school, 20 minute bike ride to Grammar School. My kids had it even better, 10 minute walk to primary, 5 minute walk to Comprehensive, with not even a road to cross! A fifteen minute walk to 6th form did involve crossing the former A1 though, but at that age they were equipped for it.