PUPILS and staff were performing well, despite working in buildings of “squalor and disrepair”.
That was the verdict of a report by a special committee set up by Oxford City Council to examine the City of Oxford High School for Boys in 1931.
The report said: “Classrooms, built for 20 boys were much too small for present numbers. There was no common room for masters, the headmaster’s room had to be used as a general lumber room, arrangements for washing were primitive and lavatory arrangements not much better. There was no proper place for the boys’ hats and coats and nowhere to eat their dinners.
“The interior of the building was unkempt and badly needed redecoration, and only the boys presented a smart appearance.
“There is no doubt the general squalor and disrepair are brought about by a laudable desire for economy.
“Considering the conditions under which the masters and boys work, the success of the school is very creditable.”
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