Girls of a dress-making class

at Torrington Secondary Modern School Open Day wearing dresses made by themselves.

Left to right: Standing – Margaret Ching, Jennifer Short, Gwynneth Ford, Sheila Snell, Valerie Adams, and Sarah Crocker. Sitting – Vera Docking, Margaret Cox

Speaking at Torrington Secondary Modern School’s Open Day last week, which was attended by parents of pupils from the town and a wide area around, the headmaster (Mr. A. Hinchley) said through the changing times this school is trying to maintain the three foundations on which our education rests: character training, the cultivation of talents and social training. Speaking on character training, Mr. Hinchley said many elder masters remembered their pupils more by the effects of their influence as teachers upon them than by their intellectual gifts. The core of the school curriculum was still the three R’s, and he detected a need for the placing of greater emphasis on speech. “I would like to see the children of Devonshire bi-lingual,” he said, “so that they could speak good Queen’s English and still retain their Devonshire dialect.” Speaking on social training, he said that in these days of greater freedom it was important that good habits be taught, especially tidiness, respect for property encouraged, and good behaviour in groups.

After the headmaster had spoken parents and friends wandered around the classrooms where examples of children’s work were neatly arrayed. Later, in the grass quadrangles, they were served with refreshments by their sons and daughters.

The exhibition of school work included science, art, woodwork, dress-making, cookery and other subjects, and there was a physical training display.

Pupils at the school are boys and girls between the ages of 11 to 15.

Gazette article dated 23 June 1954