| Description | Contents is divided into the following sections:
Visits of inspectors, managers, members of the Council, officials and others
Reports of His Majesty's and the Council's Inspectors
Absences of permanent staff
Changes in staff
Temporary teachers
Deviation from time table
Teaching by head teacher
Assistant in charge
Closures of school
Variations in attendance
Circulars received
Dates on which accuracy of registers has been tested
Fire drills
School events
Miscellaneous
Accident book, 1951-1955, loosely inserted |
| AdminHistory | The maintenance of a school logbook as a regular record of the school's activities was necessitated by the Revised Code of Regulations 1862. Schools were expected to account for staffing; timetables; discipline; building problems; non-attendance and reasons for non-attendance. Schools would record non-attendance attributable to evacuation.
St Mary and St Michael's Roman Catholic School began as an elementary school in the 1850s in Johnson Street. Children aged 5-14 were taught in one building. St Mary's and St Michael's schools, under the auspices of the parent church, actively engaged in fundraising. Two annual balls were held on school premises. Proceeds would go to 'the poor schools of this mission, which carried on excellent work among the Roman Catholic pupils'.* An annual school excursion was organised - one year to Hampstead Heath. Nearly 400 children left Stepney for a day of outdoor activities. were accompanied by the Band of The Whitechapel Shoe Black Society.
The school which became St Mary and St Michael's was officially opened in 1933 at the Lucas Street premises (now Lukin Street). In WW2, part of the site was used as a rest centre. In March 1945, the building sustained considerable damage, due to a V2 rocket. For some years the school was housed in other available school buildings.
The junior school moved to the current site, to be joined by the infants' school in Johnson Street in 1955. The schools continued to function separately, but with close links, until 1999. In September 1999, infant and junior schools amalgamated and formally became St Mary and St Michael's RC Primary School.
Nursery classes were opened in 1950 and housed in Nissan huts in Thirza Street. This marked an important step among under 5s, at a time when provision for nursery education was limited. In 1963 a nursery building opened on the school site thereby replacing the temporary buildings in Thirza Street.
Sources of information:
st-marymichael.towerhamlets.sch.uk/ourschool/history
parish.redow.org.uk
*P.5 in East London Observer, Saturday 18th February, 1872 |
| CustodialHistory | According to Jean Maynard, this volume was rescued from a skip by the donor(s |