Chapter 10 Education   Inside Ludham Schoolroom

Prior to 1874 there had been a school in what is now part of the church rooms. It was completed in March 1842, at a cost of £155, of which £110 was raised locally. The present school, originally consisting of four rooms and costing about £2,500 was built in 1873 and received its first pupils on January 5th 1874. There is no better place to start a chapter like this than with the thoughts and comments of someone who was actually there, in the early years of the century. Having said that, one must inevitably turn to Mike Fuller.

School Memories of Mike Fuller, relating to his early years in Ludham, all taken from his booklet
“Memories Through The Years”

I don't remember much about the first month we were in Ludham, at Whitegates, but I know we walked to school to be there at nine and lined up to go in the boys side, until twelve o'clock then we went home to dinner and back again at 1.30 until 3.45 when school finished for the day. If you were not there when the bell went it was a black mark for you. Then we moved up to High Mill Cottage and that was our home for the next 26 years until Dad retired. So, then it was to school down the hill and across Latchmore to the opening in the street and to school for the same times as before, on the way home at night we would go by Mill Lane to the high and low field, and in the spring or summer it would be bird nesting on the way home too. I remember having a top and whip and doing that on the way to school some days.

Mike Fuller

The first class I was in was Mrs. Mattocks' which we stayed in for the first two years, with our bottle of milk and straw every day winter or summer. In winter it was sometimes frozen up so it would be stood by the fire to thaw out before playtime and when it was very cold we would sit round the fire for lessons to keep warm. No missing school for ice or snow in them days. Then after we were seven years old we moved to Mrs. Richardson's class which was about the same only we learnt more, I was picked for the choir until one day Mrs. Richardson called me out to sing solo then I got wrong because I couldn't sing a note in time. I had been miming all the time before.

Mr Kitchener takes the School on an outing in the How Hill Cart

The next move was into the top class under Mr. Kitchener, the Head Master. We done all sorts of things as the war had started by then, one of the first things was the older boys dug some trenches for us to get into if we were bombed. Next around the outside of the playing field there were patches of gardens dug for all the older boys who liked gardening to grow vegetables. I had one, the last one nearest Catfield Road (where the swings are now). Sometimes we did think that the army boys came over the hedge and pinch our vegetables, but I thought that was a bit much.

Then trouble started. First I somehow had some peanuts one morning and gave some to another boy, we ate them while lining up for school and threw the shells over the wall onto the path. Somebody complained later, and I didn't own up at first so all the children got kept in at playtime, silly me. Later I did own up and was taken in front of the class and given a hiding just before dinner time. Went home for dinner and told mum and dad and got wrong again because I had told a lie. When I got back to school I was given 300 lines to finish after school. I did the afternoon lessons and sat down to write my three hundred lines, I had three pencils and the paper, I started and was getting on well, but I got caught and clipped round the ear and all the pencils but one were taken away so there is a moral to this story somewhere - never tell lies. Later I was told to go and dig the Headmaster's garden as I was told that I knew about gardening, and had done some before.

The winter of 1940 - 41 was very cold, we had a lot of snow and the school water supply all froze up. We all sat around the great big fires to keep warm and even made cocoa from snow melted in buckets on the fire, those were the days. Next thing I remember was in the early summer of 1941. A German plane decided he would machine gun Ludham Street, we were playing in the playground just after dinner time had started and there was a terrible rattling noise. We ran for the door and the last three of us got jammed in the doorway. I was sort of trying to get in although facing outwards and saw three bits of the brick wall suddenly flying into pieces and the noise was very loud indeed. This was on a very misty day so we never saw the plane, we only heard the noise.

This was the year for my ll plus exams but I’m afraid I didn't pass so it was off to Stalham Secondary Modem School in the September for a whole new experience. We would go by Neave's bus most days, but if it broke down it was a lorry with a cover and seats all around the sides and up the middle; what an experience. I think the first two or three months were settling in time with assembly every morning at 9 o'clock then into your class. After an hour it would be all change again, and so on during the day and home at 3.45 by bus again.

I wasn’t at Stalham for long as I finished in the March when I was 14 and left at Easter to start work. I went with mother to Herbert Woods of Potter Heigham and got a job as a trainee boat builder and started the Tuesday after easter at £1/0s/6d a week for 48 hours. That is about the end of my school days as I remember them. I managed to play football for Stalham School, and always had a place in the christmas plays.

“What I liked about my school years was that we learned to be reasonable people and respected our elders”.


Constance Margaret Reeve on Education,
Born 27th January 1930 at Church View, Norwich Road, Ludham

I enjoyed my one year at the local school, conveniently sited in School Road, which I reached via our garden path. The head teacher was Mr. Kitchener. Other teachers were his wife and Mrs. Mattocks. A highlight of school was an outing to How Hill. On that occasion we were conveyed on a hay wagon. I recall the daily delivery of bottled milk for each child. The classroom was heated by a large open, guarded fire and the milk was thawed out as necessary. I learned to read and recognise fractions in the first year. I still recall the smell of plasticine. There were a number of dolls and I recall a caterpillar track toy. I was perplexed by the singing in the adjoining classroom of a "foreign language" - the tonic-sol-fa! 

We staged Babes in the Wood at the village hall. I was a fairy in a white paper dress decorated with tinsell made by Mrs. Mattocks. The dark haired little girls wore pink! We had wands made by Uncle Tedda in his carpenter's shop. A huge tin of sweets kept us quiet while waiting to make our debut. Education was to a good standard. I was able to integrate well when I later attended school in Norwich. My cousin Helen (Nell) Skillern who lived in School Road was awarded a scholarship to North Walsham High School.

Beulah Gowing on Education

I started school at six - I was late going to school because I was under sized and I was found to have tuberculosis so from the age of six to the age of fifteen, I missed all those school years and I was taught privately when I could go down to Cold Harbour Farm, down the bottom of Staithe Road, by a lady - she didn't fear infection but I wasn't allowed to mix with children at that time. There were several children with TB at that time but I was so under-sized - I think I weighed three stone when I was nine years old so that shows how puny I was. I learned the basics; the three R's, the piano and violin and to draw and a few other essentials or perhaps, non-essentials.  It's stood me in good stead, I think. Her window, unfortunately, faced St. Benet's Abbey so I used to go into a trance thinking of the monks and their chants and the ruler used to come down hard on my hand to wake me up. There were two or three more with tuberculosis and one or two went to sanatoriums but I did not, because I was undersized and they thought I might pick up a different strain of the disease. So I was allowed to run wild. Fresh air and cold was about the only thing they gave you  There were no antibiotics or anything like that.

Helen Watson on Education

I came to Ludham with my family in 1926 at the age of 3, from South Wales where my father was a miner. I started school in September 1927. There were 4 class rooms catering for children from the age of 4 1/2 to 14 years old. Infant teacher Miss Cushion. who later became Mrs. Mattocks, Mrs. Richardson had the next age group, then Mrs. Kitchener, and the headmaster Mr. Kitchener took the older children. Each teacher taught all subjects, concentrating on reading, writing and arithmetic. The girls did a small amount of knitting and needlework in Mrs. Kitchener's class, while the boys played football and we occasionally played Rounders. Once a year a peripatetic cookery teacher came with all her equipment set up in the Chapel school room and a few girls in the older group were chosen to have 2 weeks of cookery lessons. I can still hear her saying in a strong Scottish accent "steaming is cooking by the vapour produced from a boiling liquid".

All the teachers were strict disciplinarians and we were punished for any wrongdoing or inattention. I had my knuckles rapped many times with the edge of a ruler for giggling in Mrs. Richardson's class. I vividly remember seeing 2 boys caned before the whole school for smoking in the bushes over the school wall.

The school was heated by open coal fires. Toilets were outside across the school yard, three for boys and three for girls, separated by a brick wall. Underneath was all open and was very smelly. Every so often it was cleaned out via a trap door in the back of the building- where nettles grew profusely. One day after it had been cleaned out one of the boys crept into the trap door with a nettle under the girls toilets and unfortunately stung one of the teachers on the bottom, thinking it was one of the bigger girls! !

Every year Mr. and Mrs. Boardman sent two horses and carts to take us to How Hill for a sports afternoon, including egg and spoon, 3-legged and sack races. At the end of the afternoon we lined up in front of the terrace for the presentation of prizes to the winners and the distribution of bags of sweets and oranges to the rest of us. We also had a week's holiday at Whitsun to go fruit picking at How Hill, mainly blackcurrants and raspberries so that we could earn a few pennies.

Every year certain 10 and 11 year olds were selected to take a County scholarship examination. The County awarded scholarships and paid all expenses for one or two children to go to a private fee-paying High School. I took the exam at 10 years old and just failed, but was chosen again the next year and was successful. The exam was in two parts - a written test paper at your own school and an oral exam at the High School. I was the only one to go from Ludham that year and went to North Walsham High School for Girls from 1934-1939 when war broke out. The days were long, cycling to Potter Heigham Station to catch the 8.20am train, returning back at Potter Heigham at 5.20pm., cycling home, tea and then homework for 3 subjects every night. Norfolk County Council paid my parents £3 a year cycle allowance, £10 a year uniform allowance (very strict uniform - navy and emerald green) and the British Legion paid for my school dinners. My parents had a very hard struggle to pay for any extras and to keep me there until I was 16.

My brother left school at 14 and went to a firm at Catfield to learn carpentry. He was always jealous of the opportunity I had. I became estranged from most of my village friends as I had little spare time, and with living so far from the High School with no transport, I was unable to take part in out of school activities and Saturday sports - my season ticket on the railway could not be used on Saturdays.


Yvonne Boldy on Education

Mrs Mattocks taught the reception class, Mrs Parkinson was for the next age group, Mr Kirby for the next group and Mr Bird (the headmaster) for the ten and eleven year olds, your last class before you went off to Stalham Secondary Modern. I passed the 11+ but I didn’t want to go to Wymondham College, I wanted to go with my friends to Stalham and in the end they relented and let me go to Stalham. Mr. Bird lived in the school house with his wife. I was a prefect at the school and along with the other prefects, we were allowed to go into his sitting room in his house at lunchtime and watch the television. He was one of the first people in the village to have a television. Once we ate some sweets there and we had nowhere to put the sweet papers so we hid them under the cushions of the settee. We were worried that Mrs. Bird would find them and it was about a fortnight later that Mr. Bird called us together and said that no one would be allowed to use the sitting room in future as Mrs. Bird had found them and that was the end of that.

Tommy Thrower on Education

I went to school at Ludham village school, I followed my brother. He was four years older than myself but he was very, very clever, it was a very hard act to follow. They always used to pick on me and think I was as bright as he was. I remember going to school - horrible that was! The clock never used to move and I got wrong for all sorts of things. I couldn't tell the time, my brother could, you see, and I was made to go into the top class and ask him what the time was. I always remember that! I was sent to school, believe it or not, and I didn't know my name! Everybody called me Tom or Tommy or whatever. I did a year at school and I know when you moved up a class after the first year, and we had a test and I was given a bit of paper and we were told to put our name on the piece of paper and the date and what class we were in - well I just put Tommy Thrower and the teacher came and slapped it back down on the desk and said, 'I told you to put your full name on.'  I couldn't understand - I sat there and thought whatever have I done wrong?  So I just did it again. I thought I'd spelt it wrong, you know, and I just did it again and she really tore me a strip off because I hadn't put my full name on this exam paper. I couldn't put it on because I didn't know what it was! I didn't go on to Grammar School because I failed the 11 plus which was no great surprise to anybody but I did walk indoors and told my mother I'd passed.  She believed me - for about ten minutes! My father then sent me to a private school at Scratby - he thought it would do me good. I went there when I was eleven and I was there until I was sixteen and I should have gone on until I was eighteen but I didn't want to. I'd had enough, by then.

March 1974 - The Centenary Of The School At Ludham

In March 1974 the school celebrated its centenary. The following report says much about the school, the staff, and the pupils as at that date.

W E Forster

The 131 present-day pupils of Ludham School will be sharing their classrooms next week with the memory of thousands of children educated there during the past 100 years, as a series of centenary celebrations begin. Ludham School, like many other schools still in use today, owes its existence to W.E. Forster's Elementary Education Act of 1870. Local authorities were required to make returns of the number of children in their area and existing educational provision. This was done by comparing the results of a census of existing school places with the number of children of school age recorded in the census. If there was a shortfall, a school board for the district would be created. These boards were to provide elementary education for children aged 5–13 (inclusive).

Although there had been a school in the village prior to 1874 it had catered for only a minority. The new school offered education to most of the children aged between 3 and 14. The first pupils were divided into four standards, the highest consisting of those who could "read fairly", but whose other knowledge was very poor. Standard II was for those whose education was "defective", Standard I was for the "very defective", and there was a fourth standard for those who did not even merit this classification.

Attendances: The school log book compiled during the early years of the school shows that attendances fluctuated markedly according to the weather and the agricultural calendar. There were 45 children present when the school opened on January 5th, 62 the next day and 85 the following week. In March there was a heavy fall of snow and many of the little ones were absent. In June there was a "thin attendance" because many of the boys were in the hayfields, and in October attendance was "very much reduced on account of an abundance of acorns".

In the early years the children had to pay for their education - one old penny per week if their father was a laborer, 2d. if he was a journeyman and 3d. if he was a tradesman. Classes were often larger than they are today. The largest school population referred to in the log book is 155, and the usual staffing was one certificated teacher, two pupil teachers - who could be as young as 14 - and a monitor.

Punishment: The comparative youth of these pupil teachers led to the unusual entry in the log for February 3rd 1874 - "sent the pupil teacher out of the room for being inattentive to her class." In the early days corporal punishment was frequently used. In one instance the headmaster records that he had to use "the stick" three times a day for several days because boys had been shouting at him as if he was "one of themselves."

Mrs.Gwen Mattocks, whose father Mr. G. Hayhurst was headmaster from 1896 to 1924 , recalls that the situation improved in her father's time, when the stick was rarely used. Mrs. Mattocks was born in the schoolhouse and first attended classes at the age of three. At 14 she became a pupil teacher and three years later, in 1921, was appointed an uncertificated infants teacher. After a year she went to a training college in Norwich and then spent the rest of her career teaching in Norwich and Catfield. "Everything was learnt parrot fashion", she recalls. "It was repetition, repetition, all the time. I think we enjoyed our childhood but it was not as easy as it is now".

Mr Bird at Sports day 1950s

Mr. Arthur Bird, who retired two years ago after 28 years as head teacher, describes conditions as "primitive" when he took over in 1944. There were no facilities for disposing of rubbish and the lavatories were the trench type, with boys on one side and girls on the other. School meals are also a recent innovation. Before the war children used to take in chestnuts and potatoes and roast them on the classroom fire.


Open To The Public: The first major extension to the school did not come until 1953 when the new infant block was opened by the Chief Education Officer, Dr. Lincoln Ralphs. Sir Lincoln Ralphs will be returning to the school on Thursday, ten days before he retires. In the evening he will be the guest speaker at a thanksgiving service in St. Catherine's Church, Ludham. On Friday the school will be open to the public with displays of recent work, an afternoon concert by the school's singers and musicians and a six-a-side football competition. In the evening there will be a program of tape-recorded interviews with former staff and pupils, and films and slides of past events.

LUDHAM SCHOOL IN 1965 - Extracts From A Report Produced By The Ludham WI

Ludham School consists of the original building housing three classrooms, kitchen, etc; two additional infant classrooms built some years ago, and a Staff Room built in 1964. The toilets for both staff and children are across the playground, but washing facilities for the children, with hot and cold water, are incorporated in the main building. There is a large playing field at the rear of the school, and in the playground itself is a climbing frame - this the children never seem to tire of, and it is interesting to see how new children rapidly become adept at climbing to the top, turning somersaults, etc. This frame, and subsequent additions, was purchased chiefly from the proceeds of the sale of old woollen garments, voluntary gifts etc. At the front of the school there are small garden plots which the children cultivate.

The school staff

Ludham School is fortunate in having had a fairly settled staff. This consists of the headmaster, Mr. A.T. Bird, and four full-time staff. Two of these are permanent, and at the moment we have two supply teachers, one to fill a vacancy, and the other to take the additional class, the school being divided into five classes this Spring for the first time for some years. There are 128 children; of these 33 travel from Catfield, 6 from Potter Heigham and 1 from Horning; the remaining 88 come from Ludham.

In addition to the full-time staff, the County Music Organiser attends the school each week to train the children in the Carl Orff method. This is somewhat on the lines of percussion music. The children are encouraged to write their own words and music, and this has been highly successful, resulting in them giving several concerts, both in Ludham and Norwich, one of which was at the Norfolk Education Committee's stand at the Royal Norfolk Show. Needless to say, the children are very proud of their achievements in this field, and there have been several articles and photographs in the Eastern Daily Press. A former teacher attends three times each week to assist with the teaching of needlework, etc.

The large, if somewhat inconvenient, kitchen is housed in the main building. There is up-to-date equipment and the school cook, with two part-time helpers, serves an average of 100 meals each day, for which the children pay 1/-. Milk in 1/3rd. pint bottles is supplied to the children each day free of charge. The office, which was originally a store cupboard belonging to the kitchen, is very small, and here the clerical assistant attends for three sessions of three hours each week. The telephone is now in the office, having been removed from the end porch. The school is under the care of a welfare officer, whose duties consist of looking into cases of absenteeism, hardship and welfare generally.

Local interest is ensured by the school managers. These consist of the chairman and five managers, including the school correspondent. The help of managers and their husbands or wives is freely given at such events as sport, jumble sales, Christmas parties etc. The staff room is a much-appreciated addition and here, when they are not on duty, the staff can gather over a cup of tea or coffee at the various breaks; there is a good view of the playground from the large window.

A television set has been purchased, a large proportion of the cost being provided from the school funds, and the children benefit very greatly from the interesting lessons, events etc. shown on the screen. There is also a tape recorder, again purchased largely from school funds, and this has proved a great asset. The school Fund consists of money raised by the school from jumble sales, collections at concerts and school sports, profit on Tuck shop, etc. and this has proved invaluable in assisting with the purchase of equipment which would otherwise have been unobtainable. Film shows are given by both the County Film Projectionist and the headmaster, and these are very much enjoyed. Various other organisations such as the R.S.P.C.A., Brooke Bonds, etc., also provide film shows. BBC sound radio lessons are incorporated in the curriculum and cover a wide variety of subjects.

Each year a sports day is held and the children thoroughly enjoy taking part. Each child is able to compete in at least three events, and this ensures that even the smallest child can take a real interest in the results. Cups are awarded, together with a shield, and a picture for the little ones.

In their last year, the children sit for a selection test to decide which type of secondary education they are best suited for. The schools to which they eventually go are among the following:- Hoveton Secondary Modern, North Walsham High (Girls), Paston, North Walsham (Boys), Stalham Secondary Modern, Yarmouth Grammar (Boys), Yarmouth High (Girls), Yarmouth Technical High.

At Christmas, usually on the last day of term, there is the Christmas party, and a wonderful event it is. It commences with a very attractive tea prepared by the canteen staff, and served in a gaily decorated hall by staff and helpers, and is followed by entertainment consisting of games, films and dancing. Father Christmas comes along towards the end of the party, and the little ones are each given a present, the older children electing to go to the pantomime in the New Year. This entails a journey by coach to the local amateur show at Yarmouth. This year, in particular, Ludham children were the sort of audience amateurs dream about - they needed no warming up, and were rewarded by more than their fair share of the bags of sweets thrown from the stage.

Every other year the senior children are taken on a trip to London. This incorporates a visit to the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square where the pigeons are fed, Madame Tussaud's and Regents Park Zoo. In recent years a coach has been hired for this journey and it is most interesting to see the various reactions to such things as escalators - even the most nervous child is quite proficient at hopping on and off by the end of the day! Highlight for quite a few of them is the visit to Woolworths, where presents for all at home are bought - and what a varied collection it is! The children are encouraged to pay some of their own bus fares, and order their own meal. It is hard work - no-one would deny that - but well worth the effort. These outings are paid for by the children, and they are encouraged to save for some weeks beforehand.

Every year a team of boys and girls attend a contributory schools folk dance party at Stalham Secondary Modern School, commencing with tea at 4.30p.m. The children enjoy this outing very much indeed. In the Spring, there is a contributory schools Music Festival held at Stalham S.M. School. Five or six songs are chosen to be sung communally by all schools, and then each school contributes one or two individual items. This takes all day, the morning being taken up by rehearsals, and the concert being given in the afternoon.

Each year a medical officer attends the school to examine various age groups - the intakes, and the children who will be leaving at mid-summer, together with any children having defects. Parents are invited to attend, and most of them do so. Dental inspection is also carried out, and there are facilities at Hoveton School for any treatment necessary. The children are transported to and from Hoveton, and are quite happy to go off in the minibus!

Each year an approved photographer attends the school for the purpose of taking individual photographs of the children. These are most successful, and many are ordered for Christmas presents, etc. It is amazing how the photographer is able to get the co-operation of each child, and the result is invariably an attractive picture. Each year a photograph is taken of the school prefects, and these are kept on the notice board.

Parents are encouraged to see the headmaster if they have any problems regarding their child, and such interviews usually take place immediately after prayers in the morning.

A Selection Of School Photo’s

The Class of ’87

Pupils and Teacher

Whole of School

"This was an opera called The Press Gang.  We performed this at the Village Hall, the Town Hall in Hunstanton and at a school near Holt."
Karen Lynch (nee Harrison)

Ludham Athletic Challenge

Prefects

An Aerial View of Ludham School Towards The End of The Century

A Small Selection Of Entries From The School Log

March 26th 1900
Second term Exam which had been postponed through an epidemic of measles commenced. The attendance wretched and there is every appearance of an out break of whooping cough. In fact several cases have been reported. Children in every part of the school are barking.

April 2nd 1900
Attendance 94 out of 118. 28.5.1900. Suspended ordinary school course of work in order to begin the Third Term Examination. The said examination is for the purpose of finding out whether the children are fit for promotion. Monday morning Writing & Spelling, afternoon Drawing & Sewing, Tuesday morning Arithmetic & Reading, afternoon Composition & Recitation.

June lst 1900
Holiday to commemorate the capture of Pretoria.

Jan 11th 1910
Copy of Report by H.M.Inspector. A.M.Moore Esq. After visit 15th December 1909.
Staff: For a school of this size the staff is insufficient. The Head Master is teaching 51 children in the main-room: his wife (certificated) takes the rest of the older children, numbering 50, in one classroom and in the other an uncertificated teacher manages the 46 infants.
Examinations: The periodical examinations are of too formal a character and hardly enough discrimination is exercised in estimating the attainments of the children. The head Master should reconsider the aims he has in view in holding such examinations as he considers necessary.

Nov 8th 1920
This is a decidedly good school. The discipline and tone are excellent: the scholars take a keen interest in their school life, and give evidence of having received a good general training, and much sound work has been done in most of the other subjects. Geography and History however might with advantage receive more liberal treatment and the oldest children should be afforded more frequent opportunities of studying these subjects independently. The girls receive instruction in Cookery, and it is hoped it will
soon be possible to provide some form of practical instruction for the older boys.

April 28th 1930
School re-opened. Cookery classes commence. Classroom is being used again this year, causing Stds.III IV V VI & VII to be thrown together in one room. This arrangement causing much inconvenience, besides hampering teachers in their classes.

June 10th 1930
Measles very prevalent. Only 24 present out of 104 on roll. S.M.O. (Dr.T.Ruddock West) issued Closure certificate (renewal) Covering period 10th June to 13th June, inclusive.

June 16th 1930
Re-opened school after closure for Measles. Present 26 out of 104 on roll.

Sept 23rd 1940
Several members of the N.Education Committee visited school to inspect precautions taken against Enemy bombing raids. II Instructions were given to Head Teacher to cover all glass with muslin; & to make any other arrangement necessary for the children's safety.

June 10th 1941
Respirator inspection throughout the school. Few adjustments. One for repairs by local A.R.P. wardens.

July 10th & 11th 1941
Dr.Kempson-Brown visited (under instructions from M.O.H.) to carry out immunisation treatment (Diphtheria.) 11th. Respirator Inspection. The following children were found defective & report made to Senior Warden:- Sidney Bracher (evac) Wm. Mugford (evac) Wm. Temple Kathleen Drakeford.

Nov 25th 1941
A representative from the County Architects' Office visited this afternoon. He discussed with the Head Teacher the question of air-raid shelters for School children. The increased activity of military nearby, & the nearness of the Airfield, makes the necessity for protection more urgent.

Oct 5th 1942
No school milk delivered by M.M.B.

Oct 6th 1942
Still no milk.
Head T. notified County Education Office per Mr. Limmer (Architect) that the Military unit billeted in Ludham were encroaching on the school playing field. The Head T. interviewed the Adjutant & Q.M. of the Battn. & protested against the encroachment, maintaining that the whole of the P.field was not requisitioned by the "Military".

June 8th 1951
School closed for the day, in order that 27 top class children could go to London for the day. All the staff accompanied the party.

June 13th 1963
Mr. C. Thrower. Chairman of the Managers, presented certificates and badges to 24 children who had passed the Cycling Proficiency Test. Supt. Canham, North Walsham Divn. who tested the children, was present, and presented a perpetual silver cup and a gift to Elaine Snelling, who in his opinion, submitted the best essay about the test. P.C.Harris, who trained the children, presented a fountain pen to Sarah Choules, who had executed the best poster concerning road safety. Prizes obtained in the Brooke
Bond Handwritiing and Painting Competition were alsoo presented. There was quite a number of parents present.

July 15th 1966
The school closed in the afternoon. Children and staff attending District Sports.
NEWSPAPER CUTTING. WIN FOR LUDHAM AT STALHAM AREA SPORTS.
Ludham County Primary School. with 96 points, were the winners of the trophy for schools with over 100 pupils at the Ant and Thurne area schools sports at Stalham Secondary Modern School.
Wroxham 85 points were second and Stalham primary (43) third. Hickling won the trophy for schools with between 40 and 70 pupils (56 points) and Sutton were second (25).
The trophy for the smaller schools was won by East Ruston with 24 points and second was Smallburgh with 16. The awards were presented by Mrs. W. S. Rollings, wife of the head master of Stalham Secondary School.
   
October 22nd 1970
Two boys collided while running in the playground at 8.40am. One (Trevor Gladden) had his two front teeth knocked out. Mr. Bird took both boys to the Dr's Surgery where they were seen by Dr. Jarvis. Recommended that Trevor should see dentist tomorrow.
Other boy (Paul Lambert) sustained a slight cut on his head & was given an injection by Dr. Both. Boys subsequently taken home for remainder of day. Also Paul Gladden (brother) as he was rather upset. Peter Blake (Class 4) fainted, and was also
attended by Doctor, subsequently taken home.