1941

January 10

Attendance poor this week.  East wind.  A stirrup pump and two fire buckets were delivered here for use in emergency.

We have thirteen children evacuated from other areas owing to the war.

February 18

The siren went at 1.30 p.m.  The children were thirty minutes in the air raid shelter.

May 5

I returned to duties today S.A. Abbott.  Admitted another evacuated child today.  This makes 68 on books now. Another batch of children inoculated (against diphtheria).

September 15

The piano was tuned today by W. Parker.

An air raid shelter is being erected in the school yard – a surface one, for the children’s use during the day and the public during the night if necessary.

October 3

We close school today for a week.  This is to enable the older children to help with agriculture in these days of war.

1942

August 4

School was reopened today by the order of the Somerset Committee.

About half the children did not attend, the local collieries are closed for the week, many are away for a holiday.

August 10

By order of the Board of Education – all schools throughout the country are to be opened during the month of August – so that mothers are working on essential war work can be relieved of their children for the period which is usually given as summer holiday.

Only four children attended here as there are no mothers working away from home.

August 11

Only four children attended again – it was decided by the managers that there was no need for this school to be kept open.

1943

June 11

We close school today for the Whitsun holiday – it is also the end of a very successful “Wings for Victory” campaign.  The children brought money for savings certificates and stamps to the value of over £50.  The parents and friends of the school added their totals to the school effort and well over £800 was invested in war stock.

December 17

Taken from a report on Religious Education:

The results show that the two and a half hours per week devoted to religious instruction have been profitably used (report by Walter Bradshaw, Minister Methodist Church).

1944

March 13

It is proposed to give all schoolchildren dinner at school during the war – certain alterations will be necessary to be able to do this.

November 13

School meals commenced today about thirty children are staying to a two course dinner.

This is the first time that school dinners were had at Westfield.

1945

May 8 and 9

These days are called Victory E days.  There are to be holidays for all as the war against Germany is now at an end – she has surrendered unconditionally.  Schools, workshops etc are closed for two days in honour of the occasion.

May 10

School has reopened.  The attendance is poor – the children are all tired.  It is Ascension Day too and some have gone to church and taken the day off.

July 25

I have been taking the whole school now for about six weeks, but feel I can do so no more. I have informed the managers and the school is to be closed tomorrow for the Summer holiday.

September 7

School was reopened today after two days extra holiday for VJ. (the victory over Japan).

Ten children have left for other schools in the neighbourhood. This year this transfer was deferred to September from July to meet the B. Of E. requirements.

The new times of opening & closing School to meet B. of E. requirements of 25 hrs pr. wk. is as follows.

9.30 – 12.15 – morning 1.15 – 3.30 – afternoon

(This was national as all schools changed to September)

December 21

School was closed today for the Xmas holiday. This afternoon was an open day for parents, who turned up in good numbers to see the work of the school and to contribute towards the cost of taking the children to the panto. Singing and games finished the afternoon.

(This is the first record I can find of the school being opened for parents to visit).

The following extracts until March 6 are taken from the log book in their entirety to show the severe weather of 1947.

1947

January 6th

This school was reopened today – only fifteen children attended. The weather was severe, east wind and snowing fast. The registers were not marked. Two more cases of whooping cough reported.

January 10

The attendance is very much reduced owing to whooping cough and the bad weather.

January 28

School had to be closed because of the very severe weather – snow and ice. The Head has been away ill.

February 2

The attendance is only seven children. The weather is very, very cold and the children are not well

February 9

Very few children again at school. The water pipes are frozen and ice covers the locks etc. Therefore no coal can be got at. School is closed for a week.

February 16

The very severe weather still holds the snow and ice. No school possible.

February 24

The weather is still very bad. The school cannot be opened owing to the iced doors, frozen water all over the floors inside the school.

March 3

We reopened school today. The weather has improved & water pipes mended. The attendance has improved.

March 5

This morning the bad road conditions have returned – they are covered with thick ice – no cars, buses etc can get a hold. The children are away again, only twelve this morning. The school kitchen cannot deliver dinners today – so school closed this afternoon.

March 6

Heavy snow has fallen & there are many niches on the road again. Only six children came to school. School closed until Monday.

September 8

School is reopened today. The attendance is good. The weather has been perfect this summer.

November 19

We close school tomorrow. The King has granted an extra day’s holiday to celebrate the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatton.

1948

Dec 17

School party. Presentation to Mrs Abbot, former headmistress in presence of Managers, parents and children. Miss G. Coles visited the school.

The actual date of Mrs Abbot’s retirement is not in the log book but I think from the writing she finished sometime in March 1948.