Thomas Smith, teacher at St.Leonard's school, Streatham

Thomas SMITH

at St.Leonard's School

[Ref. Q.41]

Thomas spent almost his entire teaching career at St.Leonard's school, in Streatham, having started around 1900 and continuing until his retirement at the end of 1938.

Thomas taught a number of subjects at the school, among which were mathematics and woodwork. He made a pipe rack and a hat shelf with a mirror, both of which passed to his son Archie. He also made a marquetry cribbage box which also survives in the possession of the family.

At the coronation of Edward VII in August 1902, there was a childrens fęte at Wood Lodge and the pupils of each school wore a distinctive rosette, that for St.Leonard's being purple and amber. One of the parents gave the boys a cap each of the same colours.

In 1908, the boys had to move to temporary premises in the GPO sorting office in Shrubbery Road whilst the girls school was rebuilt. Conditions were not very good but the boys survived the four months that the work took. On retirement of the headmistress of the girls school in 1924, the headmaster of the boys school took charge of both. Coping with both was difficult until the separate boys and girls schools were reorganised in 1926 into a mixed and infant's school. Until then the larger building in Mitcham Lane had been used for the girls and infants. This was altered during the summer holiday and was used for mixed classes. The single storey building which had been used by the boys became the infant school.

It is understood that Thomas was offered the position of Headmaster at some time.

The First World War caused staffing problems as several of the male teachers joined the armed forces. The children were instructed and practiced what to di in case of air raid. There was a shortage of coal for a short while and all departments worked double session to conserve stocks. The teachers found this quite tiring whilst it lasted. During this period, Tom attended Classes for Teachers organised by the London County Council.

Thomas himself was called into the army in 1915 but was invalided out in 1917. He remained unfit to work for two years but as soon as Thomas returned to teaching at St.Leonard's School, he paid his subscription to the London Teachers' Association. In July 1919 donated to the South London Cricket and Athletic Association, probably because of his love of cricket. Also that year, he resumed his attendance of the Classes for Teachers.

Derek Roberts recalls "I think I entered St.leonard's School in January 1927 and was placed in class 2 under Mrs Norwood, who kept order firmly but kindly. My stay in that class was short. When I moved into class 1 I had Tom Smith for a teacher. He was a good teacher. He clucked disapprovingly when I told him that at Streatham Grammar School I had done no algebra, and he taught me from scratch; he somehow managed to give me individual tuition in a class of 22 and, as a result of his instructions, I grew to love algebra. History and geography lessons consisted of copying from text books; most english lessons consisted of reading from Schools Readers (I think they were called)."

"I suppose that there was some religious education but can remember only one visit by a clergyman; his words have not stayed with me. I remember one visit by Nitty Norah (an apt but terrible name for the school nursing sister who came to look for nits). Once a week the boys in Tom Smith's class were allowed to go to Hitherfield Road School for carpentry lessons. They were held in a building (a shed?) separate from the main school. I cannot remember anything I made there."

Thomas was quite a disciplinarian. It is believed that he used an army baton to meet out punishment. Other teachers used the thin edge of a ruler to rap the children across the knuckles. Thomas is also known to have lifted miscreant boys off their feet by their ear in order to force a point.

The memories of Joyce Wilson include examples of Thomas' behaviour in school. "My worst memory was of the exam we had to take when we were 11 years old. For this we had to go to Eardley Road school and the exam took place in a big room with rows and rows of strange children. I was so put out by being thrust into this strange place that I could not remember anything and failed the exam. For the last year or two Mr Smith was my teacher. He chewed tobacco all the time, sometimes spitting it into the fire or onto our workbooks. He also threw chalk at anyone misbehaving. They usually managed to duck out of the way so some unsuspecting person was hit by the flying chalk."

"I also remember a Christmas play about waxworks. My friend and I were wax models of the Bisto Kids. Our part was to step forward and say "Ah Bisto" when the wax model we represented was activated by a penny in it's slot. There were no school dinners in those days - we all went home at midday."

When the headmaster, Mr Crumbleholme, retired in the 1930's, the position was taken over by Mr Morris until the new headmaster, John Soper was appointed. It is believed that Tom was offered the position of headmaster at that time. Tom retired from teaching at the end of the winter term in 1938 at the age of sixty and was presented with a letter of commendation by the London County Council.

A booklet called St.Leonard's School 1813-1988 was produced to mark 175 years of the school's existence. It contains much detail of school life and includes recollections of Tom by former pupils. Some of the relevant information is included in this biography.

In 2013, a booklet titled A Proud Heritage 1813-2013 was produced to celebrate the 200 years that St.Leonard's school had been in existence and Thomas' grandson, Malcolm Smith, was pleased to be asked to contribute information.

Top of page