Oxford school had family feeling (From Oxford Mail)

Oxford school had family feeling

10:00am Monday 8th February 2010 in Memory Lane By John Chipperfield

BOYS and girls who went to St Thomas the Martyr School in Oxford knitted together like one large family.

Former pupil Aileen Mason writes: “Whatever corner of the parish we came from, whether poor or comparatively comfortably placed at home, the school mixed us together, rubbed off a few corners, propped up those in difficulty and sent us on our way much the better for our time there.

“How fortunate we were to have such outstanding and kind teachers, who made allowances for any difficulties in our backgrounds without making us feel different in any way.

“Several generations of local boys and girls passed through its doors – a real centre of parish life.

“Although we were a motley lot, not one, as far as I know, left the school unable to read or write.

“Many of us left with a fund of fond memories tucked into our heads and hearts, which we now like to mull over in our later lives.

“Even long after a pupil left the school, the teachers were seldom at a loss to remember a name and were always interested in his or her progress.

“Consequently, we felt like part of a large family.“ Mrs Mason, of Owlington Close, Oxford, whose maiden name was Bowell, was prompted to write in with her memories of the school after reading how the Braham family had settled in Oxford after being evacuated from London during the Second World War.

Albert Braham was in her class at St Thomas’s School.

She has sent in a picture of the top class in about 1946 and has supplied names as she remembers them. She would welcome corrections.

The school, in Osney Lane, was built in 1904, with room for 400 pupils.

During Mrs Mason’s time there, from 1938 to 1947, it had about 70, divided into four classes.

She recalls: “St Thomas’s was very much a local school, and the great advantage was that the teacher seemed to be aware of each child’s family background, having taught many from the same families.

“They knew the local area well, with all its idiosyncrasies, warts and all.”

More of Mrs Mason’s memories next week.