Headmaster's Notes 10
(1967)

One of the results of the reorganisation of local government in Greater London was a change in the constitution of governing bodies of schools. A large beard of governors responsible for the six secondary schools of Ruislip-Northwood has been replaced by a number of smaller bodies with responsibility for schools at both primary and secondary level. We therefore share a governing body with St. Mary's Grammar School and the Coteford Junior and Infants Schools. The Governors consist of six persons nominated by the Borough Council-Alderman A. J. Beasley (Chairman), Mr. C. J. Belsham, Mrs. J. Blundell, Mr. D. Cave, Councillor W. D. Charles, Councillor E. A. Daniell and one nominated by the heads of the school - Dr. T. A. Kemp. M.D., F.R.C.P.  Dr. Kemp is a consultant at St. Mary's Hospital, a governor of the Woodard Schools in the Midlands and a former English rugby international and selector. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking members of the former governing body for their interest in the School, and at the same time to say how much we value the support of the new governors.

There is still uncertainty about the future of the School. The Hillingdon reorganisation plan, which was sent to the Department of Education and Science in July 1966, envisaged a six-form entry boys' comprehensive school in the St. Nicholas and St. Mary's buildings and a six-form entry girls comprehensive school in the Northwood Secondary School building, to which extensions costing £107.000 were to be made. Secondary transfer was to be at twelve plus. Harefield Secondary School was to be closed and the pupils transported to Northwood in special coaches. It has recently been announced that the Minister has been unable to approve the plans for the Borough in their present form, and that he has asked the local authority to modify them.

Whatever the future may hold, the current year has been an encouraging one. The trend to continue full-time education beyond the age of 16 and even 18 has not yet reached its limit. Even so, nine out of ten boys now entering the School can expect to enter the sixth form, while well over half can expect to enter Universities or similar institutions. A recent book called the Public Schools: a Factual Survey by Graham Kelton gives very different figures for maintained grammar schools, but the figures I have quoted would place St. Nicholas among the Direct Grant Schools and ahead of many Independent day schools.

We congratulate the following boys who gained open awards for 1967:
A. Douglas - Scholarship in Modern Studies at St. Peter's College, Oxford
D. Dumville - Exhibition in History at Emmanuel College, Cambridge
I. Hooker - Scholarship to the Royal College of Music
H. Waters - Scholarship in Mathematics at Oriel College, Oxford