Collingwood School

I was at Collingwood from 1957 to 1958, and Kirby Burt was my form master. Discpline was very strict at this school. Other teachers I can recall were the Head, Mrs Ingram and also Mr Richardson.

I attended Collingwood from 1956 -1959. Whilst it was indeed very strict (I received Mr.Richardson's ruler and have never forgotten that 8x8=64 and the cane from Mrs. Ingham the then Head Mistress). In mitigation, Mr. Richardson's stories of Silas Crabb were quite spellbinding. I remember that Mr Kirby was cross eyed and one was never sure who he was shouting at! Mr. Maynard was the music teacher and was perhaps a little weak at controlling spirited boys. Names of other pupils I can remember are: Roger Bacon, Ian Picking, Phillip Stringer, ..... Tippet, .....Busby,
I failed my 11 plus also but compared to my next school I was more than a year ahead in maths and English. The mistake made at Collingwood was simply they hadn't prepared the boys for they type of questions set in the exam.
I always look very fondly on my time at Collingwood. It certainly didn't leave me scarred in any way and if anything set me up for the real world.
Michael Rush.

As an eight-year-old boy, I had the great misfortune to attend Collingwood School for a couple of terms in 1964. The regime was utterly brutal. Boys were caned on the slightest excuse - glancing out of the classroom window, for example - or humiliated by being ordered to hold a conversation with the cupboard at the front of class. The squeals of pain from kids being physically abused were absolutely harrowing; teachers presumably gained psychological or sexual satisfaction. I learned nothing at Collingwood - except how to feel fear; it was a horrible, sadistic, vicious place. There is no doubt that a regime like that nowadays would result in the school being closed and the staff facing serious charges in court.

I attended between 1960 and 1962 and recall that it was very strict on discipline, but very competitive as well with badges for 1st in form, second, and third so that all the boys knew their place.

Mr Richardson and his wife ruled the school and the former's ruler was used to exact punishment on any boy talking out of place. He called the canes by name and I was subject once to 6 of the best with 'Peter' and ended up with cuts and calluses on the palm of my left hand due to allegedly running along the corridor - happy days!

I recall Mr Maynard was really into Mozart, Mr Kirby was slightly cross-eyed, and Miss Ingram rarely seen. Who was the history teacher? - now there was a curmudgeonly so-and-so.

Well, we survived and the education was pretty good, but I wouldn't want to go back to that cold swimming pool at Carew Manor.

Noone has mentioned the whole school doing physical jerks in unison on the back lawn for open day after weeks of practice. I wish I'd been a spectator instead of a precipitant. Still U tube videos from North Korea give a good approximation I suppose.

Remember Andrew Busby who went on to Dulwich. Lived Demesne Rd I recall. Very academic...

I have fond memories and perhaps at times not so fond memories of my years at Collingwood between 1956-63. Not sure if it is the same now, but back then, the school was effectively split into two - the real young ones at Malden Road and the older ones up at Springfield Road. If memory serves me correctly, those who stayed for lunch at the latter had to walk down to Malden Road for it...cannot recall it being served at Springfield Road...it wasn't when I was there.

Staff - well I can remember Miss Winters who taught at the Malden Road school and who later married John Richardson - he became Head Master while I was there - up at Springfield Road, there was Mr Maynard, the music teacher, Mr Richards who specialised in Geography, and Mr Kirby who I cannot recall a special subject but took us for reading in one or two years. And then there was Mrs Ingham who we arerely saw and Miss Ingham who we rarely saw too.

Discipline was high on the agenda so too was politeness and courtesy...if we used the lollipop man for crossing the main road (Manor Road), we were expected to raise our cap as a thank you gesture. Weekly sports (either football or cricket) took place on a Wednesday afternoon in Beddington Park. I think the highlight of the week if you were in John Richardson's class was a Friday afternoon when he would read out or tell some kind of adventure story. The not so fun times was when you were caught doing something wrong - he would drag you out to the front of the class by getting hold of your earlobe and then it was either the cane, ruler or slipper. Now you wouldn't get wawy with that these days, not without the fear of a lawsuit - but it didn't do us any harm at all.

Then we had the yearly summer coach outings which seemed to be primarily up to to Earls Court, London for the Royal Tournament preceeded by afternoon tea at Barkers. But the best one had to be the day trip to Boulogne....early morning train to catch the boat to Folkestone and then a pretty late return to East Croyson station.

I too had the unfortunate luck to have attended the Collingwood prep school aged 4.5yrs in 1955. All the earlier comments brought the whole dreadful experience flooding back.
During my first week the whole school was assembled to witness some poor kid being caned across the hand up on the stage. Not something any child should witness, let alone go through the humiliation. So I kept my head down trying to be anonymous.
I do remember there being a large rocking horse in a room where, if you were good, you could ride on before lunch. Unfortunately I somehow managed to annoy a teacher and was told to go to the headmasters room for punishment. I didn't, instead, I went to the rocking horse room and rode it until the end of the lesson. I was never found out!
My sentence at Collingwood ended when our family moved to a different county for my Father's new job. My new school was more progressive and friendly. I do remember though, that I was ahead of the other pupils in one way as I could use a fountain pen and that surprised my teacher, as all her students used pencil. Now who uses a fountain pen?

One thing can anyone tell me which road the school was in?

I attended Collingwood from 1972 to 1978 and on the whole do not have fond memories of the place due to the discipline which was OTT in my opinion.
In my time there, you started at the junior school in Malden Road before transferring to the senior school in Springfield Road. I recall Mr Richardson, the headmaster, who was a strict disciplinarian, Mr Maynard, the music teacher who was pretty easy going and later on, an American who who taught music who was also nice. There was also a young teacher with a beard who I think was Mr Farmer? who was very sporty and OK but by far the most intimidating was Mr Kirby who as others have commented was cross eyed and scared the hell out of me.
I recall the tedious coach trip to Cheam Swimming Baths on a Tuesday morning, disgusting bottled milk which was especially revolting in the summer when the milk has been left in the sun and a vivid memory was the school sports day during the famous hot summer of 1976 when a few kids passed out in the heat.