Speech Days 1926-29

1926

Awaiting information.

1927

Awaiting Information.

1928

Awaiting Information

1929

Eighth Annual Speech Day, Wednesday November 13th 1929

A large attendance of parents and pupils at the Hippodrome on Wednesday afternoon, 13th November saw the prizes distributed by Mrs. W.W. Warde-Aldham of Hooton Pagnall Hall. The chief speaker at the ceremony was to have been Mr. C.H. Sampton M.A. Principal of Brasenose College, Oxford, but owing to illness, he was unable to attend, his place taken by Mr. J.H. Hallam, Director of Education for the West Riding, who delivered a fine address. Also present were:
Ald. G. Price, J.P., Chairman of the Governors, presiding, supported by Mrs. Guest, Mrs. Garstang, Mrs. Price, Messrs. J. Potts (vice-chairman), T. Hepworth, A. S. Madeley, (governors), Mr. A. G. Jenkinson, M.A., (Headmaster), Miss M. A. Griffiths, B.A. (senior mistress), Mr. Philip Crossland, M.A. (second master), and Mr. Charles L. Crossley (Clerk to the Governors).

In his introductory speech, Ald. Gabriel Price J.P. remarked that he could see that the large attendance was an indication that interest in the school went beyond its four walls, and this made the Governors feel that their efforts to get the best educational facilities in the district had not been in vain. He thanked the parents for sending their children to the school, often at great sacrifice to themselves, and he urged the pupils to concentrate on their studies, and avail themselves of the opportunities they had for a good start in life. He assured all those present that the Governors would do all they could to improve the school so that it could be regarded as one of the finest in Yorkshire.

The Headmaster's Report

Eight Busy and Fruitful Years
Mr. A.G. Jenkinson said that the progress made at the school in the past eight years was incredible, yet there was still much to be done. The new buildings referred to in the last report had not yet been begun, but would soon be started. To carry on a school of 360 pupils with a building equipped for 250 was a difficult task. There was special need of enlarged workshop accommodation to carry on that branch of the curriculum, and for more playing fields to accommodate outdoor games. A generous grant from the Local Authority meant a new hard tennis court was now being considered. The headmaster paid a cordial tribute to the work of his staff, and to the parents and Governors for their understanding and reasonable acceptance of his policies.

Break with Tradition
The pupils in the third and fourth years were now following their alternative courses, as planned, and the fourth and fifth forms were divided into three branches - arts, science and commercial - all three courses leading to the School Certificate. This system broke away from the traditional rule of no specialisation before school certificate, but in this age one was obliged to break with many traditions, and a course which included English, a foreign language and mathematics could not be regarded as specialised to any considerable extent. On the other hand, there was strong revolt against mass production in education; it was being recognised more and more that the individual matters, the individual girl or boy, the individual teacher, the individual school. Even at the age of 14 or 15 some account must be taken of the tendencies which a girl or boy shows towards one branch or another of
educational training.

The Examinations
The number who had gained matriculation during 1929 was encouraging. Seven out of ten candidates gained Higher School Certificates, sixteen matriculated, and twenty one obtained School Certificates, a total of 37 passes out of 53 candidates. Three whole Forms were now entered for School Certificates, and took the examination in all main subjects. There was no collection of pupils or of subjects, as with some schools, which were therefore perhaps able to show a higher percentage of successes. He doubted if there was any other school of a similar size which submitted three whole forms for school certificate examination, and the proportion of successes under these conditions was, he thought, extremely satisfactory.

A Parker-Rhodes scholarship in mining engineering, tenable at Sheffield University, had been awarded to Arthur Thorpe. This was a new scholarship, awarded for the first time. In the Royal Society of Arts examination, 13 candidates obtained certificates in arithmetic, 15 in book-keeping, and 15 in shorthand. Seventy six pupils left at the end of last year, and 76 were admitted, including 55 County Minor scholars. The decision of the Government to raise the school leaving age, and the consequent demand for a larger number of teachers to be trained, had had its effect in increasing the number of pupils who had left school to go into training colleges or practising schools instead of staying on for another year.

Employment Problems and Colonial Enterprise
There were difficulties in obtaining suitable employment for boys leaving school, and he was trying to bring the school into closer touch with employers. This was easier in the large towns; however, he was appealing to the local Chamber of Trade and to all employers in the district to notify the school of vacancies so that girls and boys with a good standard of education might have an opportunity of applying for openings. "In any case," continued Mr. Jenkinson, "It is difficult to find good openings in this country for all who want them, and for that reason I am encouraging boys (there is a better opportunity for them than for girls) to acquire a spirit of adventure and to go in for colonial enterprise. Last year several talks on the subject were given in the school, and Miss Leatham came on one occasion - her interest in these schemes is well known and her words will still be fresh in the minds of some of you."

School Training
Dealing with the work and character of the pupils, Mr. Jenkinson quoted Mr. Rudyard Kipling as saying that very few men are more than sixteen years old when it comes to the pinch - meaning that the boy is father of the man. School training was merely a rehearsal for the greater things of life. Mr. Kipling laid stress on the value of three things which must be learnt at school, self-control, toleration (that is being able to see the other person's point of view) and a sense of what really matters. He hoped and believed that they were teaching these things at Hemsworth. In this part of school education, prefects had their place. If they were true to their duty they could do more than anyone to keep the right tone in the school and to develop those characteristics of which Mr. Kipling speaks. He recalled many loyal and conscientious prefects who endeavoured to leave the school better than they found it, and he was very glad that through the kindness of Mrs. Warde-Aldham, the head girl and head boy of last year were to receive special prizes in commemoration of their year of office. These prizes were given to Miriam Wass and Walter H. Wright.

Congratulations
Mr. J. H. Hallam congratulated the Governors, headmaster, staff and pupils on the completion of a very successful year of school work, and said no one could doubt that they had a flourishing school with a vigorous and many-sided life which was not unmindful of the world outside. They had lectures, school societies, and performances of various kinds which indicated that the school was very healthy in one important connection - that was, in keeping in touch with the community which it served. This was a time of very important pending developments in education. Many secondary schools were celebrating their 21st. birthday. It was just about 21 years ago that the great growth began of secondary schools in England, in which the West Riding took a very important part. Hemsworth was a younger school, and might be said to be just emerging from the kindergarten stage to the junior department, but from his experience it had made its desires felt in its eight years' existence. They had met with a pretty generous response, and he hoped that the next instalment of their building would see them with complete accommodation.

In the school they had a special provision for boys and girls who were not going on to the university. They had commercial and engineering courses, which was an important point which must be borne in mind if secondary schools were to continue to prosper. When he was in the United States seven years before, he was impressed with what they were doing in that respect. They had had a tremendous growth in the proportion of children attending secondary schools, and they found that as that growth went on they were obliged to provide more than one course to meet the needs and aptitudes of different types of students. Since July they had been trying to persuade the Board of Education that they ought to have workshops for woodwork and metalwork, and he hoped that before very long they would succeed in their request.

How parents can help
A child's success depends not only upon the teachers or the pupils alone, but on the support of the parents, who might help by seeing that homework was done properly, in a quiet room if possible. Parents might help a great deal by never suggesting that things that happened at school were not of much importance. It was a tremendous help to a boy to feel that his parents were interested in what he was doing at school. If the father or mother spent a few minutes helping the boy, it showed there was a partnership going on, and without that partnership between the home and the school they would not get the maximum amount of success. He hoped all the children realised that whether they were paid for or were scholarship holders, the community was at a considerable expense in enabling them to attend that school. They were all receiving what represented a large sum of money in their school life. Even if they paid fees it did not represent half of what their schooling actually cost. Why should it be worthwhile to spend that money on them? Because they might be more useful to the world in general when they had left school. The most important thing of all was to keep themselves physically fit, otherwise the rest of their work would be hampered. He also urged them never to say they understood a thing unless they really did. They should never accept a formula unless they know how it is arrived at, because unless they understood the principle, when they went out into the world later on they would find they were doing very badly paid work for someone who did understand it.

Finally, he pleaded for attention to the small things. There used to be a tradition that things like handwriting did not matter. It was rather a superior kind of thing to write something which other people could not read. That was a grave mistake. Plain writing and neatness in their work were important, for there was more pleasure in knowing that they had done a piece of work really well and thoroughly. "A great deal of what I have said," he continued, "might be summed up in what a famous English headmaster said, 'Honour your work and your work will honour you.'"

In addition to the school certificates, the following prizes were distributed: -
The Prize List
For scholarship - Arthur Thorpe
For Distinction on school certificate - John Mellor, Harry Ellis, Albert Heywood, A. Stanton, Clarice Allen, Doris Wilson, John H. Heppenstall, Mary Silvester.
Form Prizes -
Va; Phyllis Howe. Vb; Elsie Hinchcliffe. Vc; John. H. Heppenstall.
IVa; Sidney Fox IVb; Ethel Midgley. IVc; Mary Jones.
IIIa; J. Taylor. IIIb: Annie Thorpe. IIIc; Sybil Howson. IIId; Leslie Guy
IIa; R. Thorpe. IIb; Joan Jagger. IIc; Marjorie Dean.

Needlework Prizes (given by Mrs. Guest) - Mary Metcalfe and Margaret Paley.
Reading Prizes - Seniors, Maisie Thorne; Juniors, Marjorie Dean.
General Information - Betty Austin, J. Lawrence Frazer, Ernest Hedley Wright.
General Progress - Alice Hinchcliffe (16 places) Estelle Rhodes (11 places).
Star Prizes - H. Goodale, Sybil Howson, Ethel Midgley.
Special Commemorative Prizes for the Head Girl and Head Boy of the school (given by Mrs. Warde-Aldham) - Miriam Wass & Walter H. Wright.

House Challenge Cup - 1st. Talbot. 2nd. Price. 3rd. Holgate. 4th. Guest.

Mrs. Warde-Aldham and Mr. Hallam were thanked, on the motion of Mr. J. Potts, seconded by Mrs. Guest. The Chairman was thanked by Mr. T. Hepworth, and seconded by Mr. A. S. Madeley.

A musical programme was given, arranged by Miss Phyllis E. Wright (teacher of music and singing), who was to have conducted but who, owing to an accident, was unable to be present. Mrs. Wilks (nee Miss Morgan Jones, a former teacher at the school) kindly stepped into the breach.