Darell School, Kew, was Richmond
Borough Council’s first primary school, and it is now the only Richmond primary
school still in its historic original pre-1914 building - though in recent years this has
been extended, modernised, and equipped with new facilities.
The laying of the foundation stone
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At the beginning of the
last century
the area around the site of the school was part of the Leyborne Popham estate owned by an
absentee landlord and consisting of orchards and market gardens. Then houses were built
and the population rapidly increased. The existing church schools became overcrowded so in
1904 the council decided to build a new school in Darell Road. The foundation stone was
laid in October 1905, and the school was formally opened in September 1906. The site had
cost £2,047, and the building and equipment cost £11,982. |
It was built in the ‘Queen Anne’
style, of brick with white stone facings. The school was then called Darell Road School,
and it is still called this by older residents. It was intended for 500 pupils, but it
served what was then a relatively poor area with large families, and the new school was
itself soon overcrowded.
| It was organised in three
separate departments – Junior Boys, Junior Girls and Infants - each with its own
headteacher and staff. Classes were large, often over 50, teaching formal, and discipline
strict. The curriculum consisted of the 3 Rs and religion, with relatively short periods
of geography, history, drawing, music, art, handwork, hygiene, singing and games. Girls
also did needlework, and the older girls were taught housework, home nursing and the care
of babies. However, life at Darell Road was not all work. |
The opening of the school
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The school has a long tradition in the
performing arts: in 1907 it presented its first play ‘ A Christmas Carol’, and
in 1908 its first musical ‘Rip Van Winkle’. Before 1914 Darell Road was for most
of its pupils their only formal education. When they left the school at thirteen or
fourteen they went into employment. Only a tiny minority continued into secondary
education.
Much has changed since the early days of
Darell Road. The number of pupils decreased, while staff and teachers increased and
classes became smaller. Boys and girls were no longer kept separate. New methods and new
equipment were introduced.
 The greatest change has been within the last
two decades. As late as the 1950s Darell Road was known as a ‘rough’ school with
poor eleven-plus results, and many parents preferred to send their children a mile down
the Mortlake Road to the school at Kew Green, rather than to Darell Road. Since then there
has been a transformation, what might be called a ‘Darell renaissance’, with
improved intake and facilities and changed teaching.
In 1991 Darell was praised by Her
Majesty’s Inspectors as an example of ‘good teaching practice’ and was
featured in the media. It was also visited by members of the Select Committee of the House
of Commons on the recommendation of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI).
The most recent Ofsted inspection in
January 2007 found that, "the outstanding curriculum enables pupils to
grow into mature responsible pupils ... they are very proud of their
school and have an outstanding appreciation of the wide variety of
cultures represented in society. Pupils outstanding enjoyment of
school is evident in their attitudes to learning and their avid
participation in clubs and outings."
The full report is available in the
Ofsted section of this website.
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