Introduction to Pupil & Teacher Lists

In this section we have attempted to list all of the pupils and teachers who were at Carlton le Willows Grammar School between September 1953 and July 1973 (after which the establishment became a comprehensive school). In the ‘Class Year’ pages in this section, there are twenty one lists of pupils, one for each of the years from 1953 to 1972 (including subsidiary lists for each of the two years that transferred to Bramcote Technical School in 1956), plus an extra ‘Unknown’ list where we have not been able to ascertain exactly when the pupils attended. So far we have 2072 names of pupils; we believe the total was around 2300.

Most pupils joined the school in the first form at the age of eleven, and continued through to the fifth form, taking GCE ‘O’ levels at sixteen. Then around a third of each year group continued through to the upper-sixth form to take GCE ‘A’ levels at eighteen.

Some pupils would join the school part way through their senior-school years. In the ‘Class Year’ tables in this section (‘Year’ on the button), these pupils are listed with their contemporaries, as if they had started in the first form. (For example, someone who started in the third form in 1965-1966 is listed in the 1963 class year.)

Occasionally pupils would take GCE ‘O’ levels in the fourth form and, if sufficiently successful, would advance directly into the lower sixth form the following year. These too are listed with their contemporaries, therefore are ‘out of phase’ for their later years. Occasionally also, some pupils completed an extra year; usually this was in order to gain extra ‘A’ levels, or improved grades, for ‘Oxbridge’ degree courses.

We understand that the School’s official register is not available. Instead, most of the names have been compiled from lists already published in School Magazines and Speech Day programmes, generally the GCE ‘O’ level and GCE ‘A’ level results, but also form prizes, sports results, and contributions to the magazines. (The major exam results were also published in local newspapers, so much of this information has long been in the public domain.) The lists have been augmented from various other sources, including former pupils with good memories!

However, the drawback of this method is that we might have missed the names of some pupils who left prior to taking the major exams. Moreover, the last School Magazine from the Grammar School era is the 1973 edition, so the last ‘A’ level results are for July 1972, and the last ‘O’ level results for November 1972. Unusually, therefore, the lists are progressively less complete for the later years (whereas one might expect less information the further back one searches).

The lists of teachers and language assistants (which will be added to the site shortly) have been compiled similarly, generally from reports in the School Magazines and – once again – some good memories.

We would appreciate your assistance with correcting and adding to these lists, so that the records can be as complete as possible.

If you yourself appear in the list and the details are wrong, or if for any reason you would prefer your name to be removed, please let us know. Email webmaster@carltonlewillowsgs.org.uk .

You can help us:

1. By checking the names that are listed. In particular, for many of the boys we have only initials; what were their first names? Also, in some instances, we have indicated our uncertainty about a particular name; can you clarify it?

2. Can you help us to empty the ‘unknown class year’ list, but putting people into the correct class years?

3. Can you tell us when teachers joined the school, what they taught, when they left, and where they went next? Some we know well; for others we have little information.

Remember, we are trying to complete a twenty-year record with, at best, only seven years of personal memories apiece.

We would also welcome information about what has happened to anyone who was at the School, pupils and teachers. Obviously, we know several hundred people through the Carlton le Willows Grammar School Society, but what of the others? We suspect that most former pupils have remained in contact with at least one or two others.

Sadly, of course, we are aware that several former pupils and teachers have died. Without seeming to be unduly morbid, we have recorded these names, if only that it might avoid the embarrassment, and even distress, of trying to trace someone who is no longer with us. This ‘In Memoriam’ table will also be added to the site shortly.

Early drafts of these lists were circulated to members of Carlton Le Willows Grammar School Society during autumn 2006 and particular thanks are due to all those who responded with extra information, which added to, corrected or confirmed the names we had gathered to date. The first public presentation of these lists was at the Reunion on 2 June 2007, and further thanks are due to the various people there who contributed almost sixty extra pieces of information, including a dozen extra names.

The information is presented both in ‘Year’ (i.e. ‘Class Year) tables as described above, with an ‘Unknown’ page for pupils whose dates we don’t know; and alphabetically by name: remember the surnames in the table are those by which the pupils were known while at school, wherever possible. (‘Year Unknown’ pupils are not included in the alphabetical tables.) Click on either the ‘Pupils by Year’ or the ‘Pupils by Name’ button above and then select the table you want to view from the ‘Year’ or letter buttons which will appear.

Research:

Andrew Gardner

www.carltonlewillowsgs.org.uk