A Brief History of Middlezoy School
Middlezoy Primary School opened for the the first time on Tuesday 2nd February 1875 as Middlezoy Board School. The first headteacher was Mr Charles Hunt. 35 children were enrolled on the first day, but within a month there were 103 children on roll. The average attendance was about 87 children each day. One wonders how there was room for them all. Charles Hunt often complained of how ignorant and badly behaved some of his pupils were and children were often punished for fighting or other bad behaviour. Middlezoy was the first village in the area to have a school and so children would travel from Othery, Westonzoyland and Moorland to attend.
In the first year there was a Scarlet Fever epidemic which caused the school to be closed for a while and in September and October two of the children died of the disease.
In January 1877 there was a bad flood and the roads between Middlezoy and Moorland were covered by 8 feet (2.4 metres) of water. Several families had to leave their houses and of course attendance at school was affected. The floods were the worst for over 100 years and tragically 4 men were drowned in Westonzoyland. However some people took advantage of the disaster because on the 1st February several children were away from school having gone boating with their parents!
Mr Hunt only stayed at Middlezoy School for two years. He was succeeded by Mr James Blackman on 5th March 1877, although Mr A Long from North Curry was in charge for a month between Mr Hunt and Mr Blackman. Children often had to miss school to help with the harvest, potato picking or to drive stock to Bridgwater Market. In January 1879 Othery School opened and so the children from that village left Middlezoy School to attend their new school.
In the early days the Master taught all the children with the help of pupil teachers. These were teenagers who were learning to be teachers whilst improving their own education. Mr Blackman would give them their lessons after the other children had gone home. In 1882 it was recommended that the School Managers appoint a special teacher for the Infants and so Miss Bessie Blackman (Mr Blackman's sister) began her duties at the school.
Sadly on 18th November 1887 Mr Blackman died after a short illness and was succeeded by Mr WH Dunn of Westonzoyland. Mr Dunn stayed at Middlezoy until March 1891 when he left to take charge of North Petherton Boys School. He was succeeded by Alexander Bradley and his wife Edith Bradley. Mr and Mrs Bradley were very popular and there are brass plaques to commemorate them in the lobby area of the school. Mr and Mrs Bradley took charge of the school on 6th April 1891, but the School Board granted him a week to move his furniture, so the children got an extra week's holiday. The first entry in the Log Book by Mr Bradley says, "Number on books 138. Number present 97. The majority of the children did not come till 9.50am, as their parents object to the Religious Instruction."
Mrs Bradley sadly died on 26th January 1922 of pneumonia. She had worked in the school until the day before her death. Mr Bradley resigned on 27th April that year after 31 years at the school.
In the first year there was a Scarlet Fever epidemic which caused the school to be closed for a while and in September and October two of the children died of the disease.
In January 1877 there was a bad flood and the roads between Middlezoy and Moorland were covered by 8 feet (2.4 metres) of water. Several families had to leave their houses and of course attendance at school was affected. The floods were the worst for over 100 years and tragically 4 men were drowned in Westonzoyland. However some people took advantage of the disaster because on the 1st February several children were away from school having gone boating with their parents!
Mr Hunt only stayed at Middlezoy School for two years. He was succeeded by Mr James Blackman on 5th March 1877, although Mr A Long from North Curry was in charge for a month between Mr Hunt and Mr Blackman. Children often had to miss school to help with the harvest, potato picking or to drive stock to Bridgwater Market. In January 1879 Othery School opened and so the children from that village left Middlezoy School to attend their new school.
In the early days the Master taught all the children with the help of pupil teachers. These were teenagers who were learning to be teachers whilst improving their own education. Mr Blackman would give them their lessons after the other children had gone home. In 1882 it was recommended that the School Managers appoint a special teacher for the Infants and so Miss Bessie Blackman (Mr Blackman's sister) began her duties at the school.
Sadly on 18th November 1887 Mr Blackman died after a short illness and was succeeded by Mr WH Dunn of Westonzoyland. Mr Dunn stayed at Middlezoy until March 1891 when he left to take charge of North Petherton Boys School. He was succeeded by Alexander Bradley and his wife Edith Bradley. Mr and Mrs Bradley were very popular and there are brass plaques to commemorate them in the lobby area of the school. Mr and Mrs Bradley took charge of the school on 6th April 1891, but the School Board granted him a week to move his furniture, so the children got an extra week's holiday. The first entry in the Log Book by Mr Bradley says, "Number on books 138. Number present 97. The majority of the children did not come till 9.50am, as their parents object to the Religious Instruction."
Mrs Bradley sadly died on 26th January 1922 of pneumonia. She had worked in the school until the day before her death. Mr Bradley resigned on 27th April that year after 31 years at the school.
Mr Bradley was succeeded by Charlotte Smith who found that the work and conduct of the pupils was "far from satisfactory". She did not have an easy start reporting that "Parents and children alike resent the appointment of a Mistress and intend to make my work difficult." She was also concerned at the high absence rate and at the number of children in the village who did not attend school. Charlotte Smith stayed at the school until 30th July 1924 when she resigned. The school was inspected just before she left. The Inspector's report says:
"Since she took charge of this school two years ago, the Head Mistress, who is shortly leaving has done good work. She has increased the interest and responsiveness of her children and by school concerts and in other ways has done her best to enlist the co-operation of the parents.
Her successor will find an active Infants' Class which is making satisfactory progress under its present teacher, a weak lot of junior children who have suffered because of the many different teachers they have had (six in two years) and a Senior Group which is doing quite well in Composition and Reading. Arithmetic, though improving is not yet quite good enough. Drawing, Singing and Handwork are satisfactory and Needlework has been well taught.
The Head Mistress, having provided the material for the garments, is proposing to take them away when she goes and therefore half way through the year the girls will have to make a fresh start. She has also used her own piano in school. There should be a satisfactory musical instrument in a school of 70 children."
Her successor was Reginald Richardson who started on 1st September 1924. He stayed at the school until 30th April 1953. Attendance was still affected by the weather - the snow of 1929 prevented nearly half the children from attending - and illnesses such as whooping cough and measles. In 1931 Mr Richardson had to move out of the School House and lodge elsewhere in the village for a while because his own children had measles.
Each year in May Empire Day would be celebrated. The Union Jack would be hoisted, the National Anthem and hymns would be sung and the vicar would address the children in the playground. Sometimes the children would get the afternoon off. In the summer of 1925 they had some of their lessons in neighbouring fields because it was too hot in school and there was no shelter from the sun in the playground. From time to time the school nurse would visit to inspect the children and usually had something, like headlice, to report.
Agricultural activities were important in school as well as outside. In November 1928 10 children attended classes in Dairywork every morning for a week. In the following year William Atyeo, one of our pupils, won the County Shield for the Inter-School Milking Competition. Later there was a course on Butter and Cheese making.
There was great excitement in 1931 when the senior children started to take wireless lessons. There was Music on Tuesdays, King's English on Thursdays and Gardening and Rural Science on Fridays. Unfortunately Mr Richardson's radio was not good enough and the lessons had to be discontinued - but the handbooks from the BBC were very good!
In 1935 he was talking to the children about the Battle of Sedgemoor (it was 250th anniversary that year) - the last battle on English soil - and he discovered that none of the children had visited the battlefield. He did not delay, he arranged to take them after school that day.
When he left he said,"After nearly 29 years I would like to express my gratitude to teachers, managers, children and parents for the kindness and consideration that I have received at all times. I sincerely hope that the happy relations between headteacher and children, parents, teachers and managers may continue under the new regime."
The next headteacher was Mrs Winifred Williams who took over on 1st May 1953. Shortly after she took over there was the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the children had an extra holiday. Mrs Williams stayed for over 12 years until July 1965. She, too, was very happy at the school. In the autumn term of 1965 there were three acting headteachers - M.A. Cheek, Kathleen Baker and M. Charles and in January 1966 Evelyn Glover took over as headteacher. Mrs Glover described her five years at the school as very hard work but very enjoyable. She had great respect for the other teachers Mrs Crosier and Mrs Howard.
"Since she took charge of this school two years ago, the Head Mistress, who is shortly leaving has done good work. She has increased the interest and responsiveness of her children and by school concerts and in other ways has done her best to enlist the co-operation of the parents.
Her successor will find an active Infants' Class which is making satisfactory progress under its present teacher, a weak lot of junior children who have suffered because of the many different teachers they have had (six in two years) and a Senior Group which is doing quite well in Composition and Reading. Arithmetic, though improving is not yet quite good enough. Drawing, Singing and Handwork are satisfactory and Needlework has been well taught.
The Head Mistress, having provided the material for the garments, is proposing to take them away when she goes and therefore half way through the year the girls will have to make a fresh start. She has also used her own piano in school. There should be a satisfactory musical instrument in a school of 70 children."
Her successor was Reginald Richardson who started on 1st September 1924. He stayed at the school until 30th April 1953. Attendance was still affected by the weather - the snow of 1929 prevented nearly half the children from attending - and illnesses such as whooping cough and measles. In 1931 Mr Richardson had to move out of the School House and lodge elsewhere in the village for a while because his own children had measles.
Each year in May Empire Day would be celebrated. The Union Jack would be hoisted, the National Anthem and hymns would be sung and the vicar would address the children in the playground. Sometimes the children would get the afternoon off. In the summer of 1925 they had some of their lessons in neighbouring fields because it was too hot in school and there was no shelter from the sun in the playground. From time to time the school nurse would visit to inspect the children and usually had something, like headlice, to report.
Agricultural activities were important in school as well as outside. In November 1928 10 children attended classes in Dairywork every morning for a week. In the following year William Atyeo, one of our pupils, won the County Shield for the Inter-School Milking Competition. Later there was a course on Butter and Cheese making.
There was great excitement in 1931 when the senior children started to take wireless lessons. There was Music on Tuesdays, King's English on Thursdays and Gardening and Rural Science on Fridays. Unfortunately Mr Richardson's radio was not good enough and the lessons had to be discontinued - but the handbooks from the BBC were very good!
In 1935 he was talking to the children about the Battle of Sedgemoor (it was 250th anniversary that year) - the last battle on English soil - and he discovered that none of the children had visited the battlefield. He did not delay, he arranged to take them after school that day.
When he left he said,"After nearly 29 years I would like to express my gratitude to teachers, managers, children and parents for the kindness and consideration that I have received at all times. I sincerely hope that the happy relations between headteacher and children, parents, teachers and managers may continue under the new regime."
The next headteacher was Mrs Winifred Williams who took over on 1st May 1953. Shortly after she took over there was the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the children had an extra holiday. Mrs Williams stayed for over 12 years until July 1965. She, too, was very happy at the school. In the autumn term of 1965 there were three acting headteachers - M.A. Cheek, Kathleen Baker and M. Charles and in January 1966 Evelyn Glover took over as headteacher. Mrs Glover described her five years at the school as very hard work but very enjoyable. She had great respect for the other teachers Mrs Crosier and Mrs Howard.
David Horswill started as headteacher in January 1971. There were 56 children on roll at that time. Mr Horswill was very pleased because the Education Department of the County Council allowed him to buy a new record player. French was introduced in the school at this time. Mr Horswill was appointed to the headship of a school in Cornwall and left at the end of March 1977. Miss M Roman was the acting headteacher until Mr Norman Webley started as headteacher in January 1978. Mr Webley was headteacher until March 1983 when he moved to South Petherton Junior School. In April 1983 John Hamlin, who had been taching at Wiveliscombe Primary School, became headteacher. He stayed at the school for over 21 years and saw many changes in that time. He left in August 2004 and Lindy Lydiate took over as Acting Headteacher.
Of course the school has a lot more history than this. We will be adding to this page as soon as time permits. If you know any interesting stories about the school, its teachers or its pupils please let us know.
Of course the school has a lot more history than this. We will be adding to this page as soon as time permits. If you know any interesting stories about the school, its teachers or its pupils please let us know.