Pinewood's History
Pinewood School was the "brainchild" of the Reverend F F Brackenbury. He founded the school in 1875 at Maiden Erleigh,
in Berkshire. In 1883 it was moved to Farnborough, Hampshire and the school remained there until 1938.
During this time the Headmasters were:
1875-1899 Rev F F Brackenbury
1899-1919 Mr H Bull
1919-1927 Colonel Shirley
1927-1941 Mr C A Ranger
The situation in Europe in 1938 was becoming ominous with war imminent. As a consequence it was decided that Pinewood School should move to a more suitable location.
In the September of 1938, Pinewood moved to Motcombe House, Shaftesbury, Dorset. (This building is now Port Regis Prep School.) However, Motcombe proved to be unsuitable and so the school returned to Farnborough in the Spring Term of 1939.
Farnborough was becoming more and more militarised and a permanent move became a necessity. To that end, Melchet Court near Romsey, West Hampshire was purchased by Mr Ranger and the necessary alterations and additions were made.
The move to Melchet Court was a deliberate move west and to a safer environment. It was to facilitate the move that the School was turned into a Limited Company.
The School started its life at Melchet in the Christmas Term of 1939.
In the summer of 1940, coincident with the collapse of France, many boys left for safer climes. Only a few remained but they were joined by evacuees (including girls) from Gosport.
In July, the army requisitioned the school. So they moved to Devon for the rest of the summer. Melchet was de-requisitioned by September. The returning pupils were joined there by Sandrock Hall, a prep school evacuated from Hastings. Until Melchet was requisitioned yet again; this time by the Government. Another move was required.
After much searching, the school relocated to Postbridge in Dartmoor. The boys were based in two hotels 100 yards from each other and gained a healthy life-style travelling between the two. The East Dart was within a stone's throw. St Gabriel's church in the village was loaned to the school for Sunday 10 am services. (There are two pews inscribed with Pinewood's name to commemorate the school's time there.)
Possibly, all this moving around was bad for Mr Ranger's health because he died whilst the school was in Devon.
He was succeeded by Mr G R Wakeham. Soon after, Melchet was sold, the school name, which had been changed to Melchet, reverted to Pinewood and it was decided to look for a new permanent home of a small, family nature. The School chose St Peter to be their Patron Saint and the 30th June became a holiday. They celebrated by joining "Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all" in paying a visit to Widdecombe-in-the-Moor!
After five years on Dartmoor, a new home for the school was found. It was to be Bourton House (then in Berkshire). (In the 1945 Blue & Grey it is described as being situated at 350 feet above sea level.) In those days there was a railway station on the Bristol-London line at the end of The Avenue and so it was very convenient. The School began its first term there on May 7th 1946. There were 75 children in the School.
(During 76 years Pinewood school had moved from a site in Berkshire (Maiden Erleigh), near the Great Western Railway, to Hampshire (Farnborough), Dorset (Motcombe), Hampshire (Melchet) and Devon (Postbridge). It then returned to Berkshire (Bourton) and a position close to the GWR. Then boundary changes placed it in Oxfordshire and postal areas have it as Wiltshire!)
In 1958 Mr G A Walters became Headmaster until 1978 when he was succeeded by his erstwhile pupil, Mr HGC Boddington. By then the School had grown to 87 boys in number.
Henry Boddington was headmaster until he retired after 19 years in 1997. Jim Croysdale took over as Head for four years and was succeeded in 2001 by Chris Stewart-Clark. Philip Hoyland joined in 2002.
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