A group of ‘old girls’ from The King’s School in Ottery St Mary are hoping to bring together some of the pupils who attended the school during the 1960s.

Jane Preece and her friends started at the school in September 1964, and are holding a reunion event for anyone who was in their year group.

No date has been set for the reunion, but it will probably be in late June or early July. The event will feature a guided tour of the school as it is today, followed by a group meal. Anyone who would like to attend can contact Jane on 01297 552154.

Jane said she had kept in touch with some of her former schoolmates over the years, but has only recently moved back to Devon and met up with them.

She has photographs of various school events from their time there, as well as all the school magazines from 1964 to 1971.

The group have been sharing their memories of The King’s School during the 1964-1971 period, when education was very different to the present day. Here are some of the things they remember about that time:

“The Senior Mistress, Miss Smith, used to get us to kneel on a table and ensure our skirts were no more than four inches from the table to the hem of the skirt. We would roll up the skirt later!"

“Many of us remember the journey from Honiton on the train at 8.15, change at Sidmouth Junction, then on to Ottery, walk up the hill in all weathers, carrying all we needed for the day including PE kit, cookery ingredients etc. When Dr Beeching closed the small lines we went by bus which took us door to door - heavenly! The Sidmouth children had a similar journey." 

“We went into the premises in different gates and used different playgrounds, boys in one, girls in another." 

“Everyone went into assembly together, because the school was small enough to fit us in. Every day there was a reading of some sort, a prayer and a hymn, before notices were given out. The staff sat on the gallery in their teaching gowns, which they wore all day. Some staff used them to wipe the blackboard.  Pupils who had received a detention had to go and collect a slip in front of the whole school."

“In PE we were expected to climb up ropes and jump over 'horses' onto mats that had to be dragged from a storage area. 

“In Games we were sent on cross country runs but most girls walked the course."

“At the end of a lesson (40 minutes) an electric bell was rung to alert some of the school, but the outlying rooms couldn't hear it, so a trusted student ran round with a brass bell to let those classrooms know." 

“At lunchtimes two girls (only girls!) went to the staff room to wash the men's cups. The ladies' staffroom was separate and they washed their own cups. I enjoyed listening to the men's conversations about how different aspects of a subject should be taught. Most of the men smoked, some a pipe, and I would go home smelling of smoke as a result. We also served the staff lunches in a separate section of the canteen."

“The Chemistry lab looked out over a field where the hospital is now. Usually cows were in it and sometimes a bull. On those days we enjoyed a Biology lesson on the reproduction of cattle at the same time as Chemistry!"

“I've spoken to some of the boys who were in our class and one remembers that the school didn't have a rugby pitch in the grounds. They had to walk in their games kit, including boots. to a field where first they had to drive the cows off the pitch and then collect up the dung before they played!”

The reunion event will be a chance to share other memories like these, look at old school photographs and see how The King's School has changed over the last 60 years.