Les Landes School : The Survivor

The School in 1904

This is a transcript of part of a booklet called “More Life in St Ouen” which was published in January 1988. It seems to be a local Church Magazine, printed and produced by St Ouen’s Church, and provides an interesting snapshot of how the Church was at that time, under the leadership of the Reverend Ray Speck, who was Rector of St Ouen, hence the photo of Spring Harvest at the end of this article about Les Landes School, the only primary school remaining in the Parish. The head teacher Mrs Ann Renouf was appointed in 1986, two years before penning this piece.

Les Landes School : The Survivor
by Ann Renouf

Les Landes School opened in 1904 having been built to cater for the children of the north-west of the parish. One hundred pupils had joined within the first few months of the opening.

Quite why the school should be today's sole survivor of the four schools which existed at that time is not clear but when l look at an early photograph of the school and its pupils on my office wall, it is satisfying to think of the continuity between then and now. This sense of continuity is strengthened by parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who are themselves former pupils.

Our task in educating our one hundred and twenty pupils (who are aged between four and eleven) remains the same although our teaching methods have certainly changed! There is a modern emphasis on teaching to smaller groups and the range of learning and teaching is considerably more varied than in the past. Modern technology also has its place; our three computer systems allow access for all children for use in a number of ways such as creation of simple databases and in wordprocessing.

Naturally not all of the time is spent in the classroom; a typical day will also have children on the playing field for football, netball and athletics or in the hall for PE., gymnastics and movement. In many subjects we also seek to provide first hand experience. younger children are taken out to be taught road safety and older ones are taken to the local stores in order to learn about money and as a basis for classroom "shops" and maths learning. 

Children at Spring Harvest,  1988

All classes make outside visits during the school year and these visits are linked closely with classwork. Our aims are to provide a firm base of understanding for future learning, to create a real sense of belonging to the community and to instil a sense of pride in the beautiful surroundings of the parish.

Most children progress to Les Quennevais School for their secondary education; some go to the Colleges or to other private schools.

The old joke about going to town once a year may no longer apply to the well travelled and, in many ways, sophisticated young St. Ouennais of today, but this is all the more reason for the school to maintain the strong sense of community that exists within the parish.