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A Brief
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The first Church
School in the Parish was adjacent to St. Bridget's Church in the area now known
as The Plantation.
Headmaster Mr. E. Hayden, having been brought from Ireland in 1863 by the
Dunraven family, subsequently moved the school into temporary accommodation at
Pitcot until a new school was completed in the centre of the village, on Ewenny
Road.
This new school was
built
at the behest of Countess Caroline
by Dunraven Estate workmen who
used local stone, including Sutton Stone, and was occupied in March,
1865. A cottage was also provided
for the Headmaster. Pupils
proficient with pen and ink were given special lessons in copperplate writing.
The younger pupils used slates and slate pencils.
In 1874 it was noted that the school “received a supply of inkwells and
had them inserted into desks. A
decided change for the better over the moveable inkbottles previously used”.
A school log was kept which charted the many changes that occurred over
the years.
Extracts from
School Log:
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1863 |
May “Scarlet fever broke out in the school in consequence of which the
school was obliged to close until the 3rd of July, even then it
was raging fearfully in the village. |
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1888 |
July
3rd “There
was a violent storm during the night, with the result that many children
were absent searching the beach for wreckage.” |
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1903 |
March
19th “The
school closed because of diphtheria.”
The school did not re-open until May 4th. |
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1911 |
July
19th “The
boys’ garden plots and the girls’ flower gardens garden look very
well. The boys and girls
intend competing in the Dunraven Flower and Vegetable Show which is to be
held in Dunraven Park on August 7th.” |
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1946 |
October
7th “The
electricity meter has now been fitted, so the school is now completely
equipped with electric light.” |
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1950 |
September
4th “All
children of age group eleven plus transferred from today to Pencoed
Secondary School.” |
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1963 |
November
12th “The
Parent Teachers’ Association was formed.” |
By 1960, pupils
transferred to one of the three senior schools in Bridgend. In
the 1970s, Bridgend Girls Grammar School, Bridgend Boys Grammar School and Heol
Gam Secondary Modern School were “closed” and Brynteg Comprehensive School
was formed, occupying the adjacent sites of the latter two schools.
Bell Tower
Building of the
present primary school in St. Brides Major began in 1969 and the new term in the
new school started on 6th January, 1970.
The official opening by Colonel M. H. Maxwell, with a dedication by the
Archbishop of Wales, was held on 10th October, 1970.
Until Government re-organisation
of local authority boundaries in the 1990s, children in the Parish could attend
St. Brides Major Church in Wales Primary School or Oldcastle Primary School,
Bridgend, before transferring to Brynteg. After
a transitional period whereby children already at Oldcastle or Brynteg could
continue to attend and their younger siblings also transfer, the only nominated
primary school now is St. Brides Major and pupils transfer to Cowbridge School.
However, many schools throughout the district admit children from outside
their catchment area and run buses to enable them to attend these
establishments.
An open day in the school was held on Monday, 25th March, 2002 for the planting of a Senses Garden. The School's Gardening Club developed and maintained themed gardens and sections within the grounds during weekly after-school meetings which by 2009 had included: Butterfly; Craft Willow Bed; Easter; Faith; Flower Diary; Jewish; Maze; Mediterranean; Nature Reserve; Organic Fruit and Vegetable; Patchwork; Sensory; Warm Welcome; Wild Flower Meadow; Woodland; Woven Willow Playground.
On the closure of Horeb Chapel in 2003, the Bible used by the Minister was given to the school; the inscription reads: Presented to Horeb Chapel in affectionate memory of Edith Rose Sharratt by St. Brides Major Social Services Club, 1975. In 2005 a sundial was purchased by the family of May Hollanby; she had been a member of Thursday Club for some time and a donation was made by the group and given to the collection in her memory.
Several items such as candlesticks were made and donated to the School by Ewenny Pottery.
Left photo: Worship Table at St. Brides Major School
Right photo: St. Brides Major School Playground, Heol yr Ysgol site, in
2005
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