The History of Lochinver House School

Willoughby Salter (1st Headmaster).

The lease of the premises in London Road, St Albans, in which Mr Bayley had been running Aylesford House School for fourteen years, expired in 1947. He decided to move his school to Sandridgebury. This move to the other side of St Albans would have made a difficult journey for day-boys living in Enfield or Potters Bar, so Mr Bayley felt that there was a need for a second school.

As a speculation he bought the house in Potters Bar, complete with the name Lochinver on its broken gate-posts. The house itself (which would have been pulled down but for the war) was being used by a pharmaceutical firm as a warehouse for Nivea Cream and other products. It was in a bad state of repair, having suffered from both natural decay and bomb damage.

When I returned to England in May 1947 after a season in the Antarctic, I went to see Mr Bayley, as our elder son was at Aylesford House. I told him that my plans for the future were unsettled, but that I had the offer of a teaching post in Cheshire; and he in turn asked me whether I would consider running the Potters Bar school for him. It seemed an interesting challenge, and at least it offered a roof for my family. Mr first job was to camp in the building; and as it was gradually cleared I tackled repairs with a great deal of night work and the aid of whatever casual labour I could find at the flat rate of half-a-crown an hour. Materials were hard to get in the period of post-war shortage; but at least I had some good naval packing cases, and these provided wood for floors, window-frames etc.

We decided that the school must open in September and chose the last day of the month, which was just as well, for it was not until 26th September that I obtained a permit for "essential repairs" including making-good-war-damage. The first professional work began the day the permit arrived, and by the evening of Saturday 27th, the first room was decorated and a kitchen, (which has since become a cloakroom), was in working order. Thus we were able to invite the parents of our prospective pupils on Sunday 28th, and even to give them tea while I outlined our plans. Surprisingly everyone invited turned up and all agreed that their sons would begin with us two days later. There were six boys from Aylesford House, and thirty other boys. One more boy joined us during the first term. We accepted more boys each term, and lost a few because they left the district; but the following September we opened with 96 boys.

The school colours, pink and grey, were the same as Aylesford House, so that the six boys from that school could continue to wear the same uniform, and new boys could be supplied from existing stocks modified only by the appropriate change of badges on caps and blazers. It may be of interest to recall that at one stage when pink dye was found to be unsatisfactory, a proposal for change was put to parents at a meeting, but not one of them favoured any alternative. For teaching staff at the opening we had Mrs Scott (now retired at Rustington) and Mr Patrick Clarke. Another Master, Mr Gear, joined us a week later. By 9.00am on 30th September 1947 the 36 boys had arrived but Mr Clarke could not be found until, just in time for our first assembly, he emerged down a drain-pipe from the window of an upstairs lavatory in which the door-lock had jammed.

We divided our first pupils into four groups and got down to the job of teaching with the aid of some pencils, exercise books, a few second-hand text books, some chalk and home-made blackboards. We had the use of a football field at Little Heath, and in the summer could play cricket at Northaw; and later when Mountgrace School was being built were allowed to make a pitch on part of the land designated for their playing fields. It was three years before we were able to buy the land around the school and got down to the job of levelling fields with a bulldozer. Meanwhile we had dismantled a number of derelict greenhouses near the school building, making good use of the bricks and any glass which was still intact and selling the heating pipes. With the mortar rubble we had made a small playground.

During our first few years Mr Bayley came over to the school every Thursday afternoon. He ran the Cubs and Scouts and then joined me to work out plans for the future. It was all great fun, which more than compensated for the hard work involved; but without the wise counsel and encouragement from Mr Bayley we might well have given up the struggle. School-hours were not difficult, but I had no Secretary and every night involved manual labour. For example, the only form of heating we could get was ex-army cokestoves. These I built in, one each night, so that by the time they were needed (after what was fortunately a long warm summer) we had no difficulty except that of carrying coke to feed them. The good summer was a benefactor in another way: we had no rain until the roof had (very nearly) been repaired.

Probably the most critical time in the school's history was around about 1950, when even the optimistic Mr Bayley nearly gave up the struggle; but we determined on a final effort and during the next two years my wife and I were joined by Mr & Mrs Greet. During that period we got the school inspected and recognised by the Ministry. Also, we succeeded in running the school on its fees; in fact, by Easter 1953 we had made a profit of £7. When our accountant produced this figure I promptly spent the money on two umpire's coats in time for the cricket match which was taking place that day. At the end of that school year I formally took over the school. Between 1955 and 1957 I made plans to pass it over to a Trust when the time came for me to retire. Although plans didn't work out quite in the way we had intended, we were able to leave the school as a running concern, and as a Trust, when we retired in 1961.

Since 1961 a great deal of development has taken place. Under the headships of Michael Timpson (7 years), William Herbert (2), Richard Armitage (19), Patrick Atkinson (11) Jeremy Gear (9) and now, Ben Walker, Head Boy at Lochinver House in 1979,  the Sports Hall (1980), the Salter Block (1988, which has developed into the Pre-Prep Department), the Dining Hall and Theatre complex (1998) which was developed from what was the Gymnasium (1970) and a Music Centre (1985, and upgraded in 2011) have been built. An ecology area was added in 2006. Many other areas of the school have been reconstructed to keep the school moving forward and an Astroturf surface was added in 2009.

Such luminaries as Sir David Willcocks, Lord Puttnam, John McCarthy (an old boy),  Norris McWhirter and Paul Davis (parents)  have been prevailed upon to open or lay foundation stones for the new constructions.

The playing fields at the bottom of Green Meadow were purchased in the early 1980s, giving us extensive facilities for all the major sports and the pitches, which have been in the care of groundsman Mick Steward since 1985 are as good as any Prep School in the county. All-weather facilities for long and high jumps were built by the PE and ground staff in 1985, updated and relaid in 2006 and re-opened by Commonwealth Silver High Jump medallist Martyn Bernard.

A major change to the structure of the school came in 1989 following the construction of the Salter Block, enabling the Senior boys to move to a House vertical tutor group system for boys in Years 6-8 (highly unusual but very successful) and almost all departments to have their own subject rooms. Pupils were admitted in Reception from 1992 in order to respond to a need in the local community as parents were finding themselves with a year's gap between Nursery and kindergarten provision. Modern technology really hit home with the advent of computers. The School purchased its first computer in the early 1980s. The old ‘Pet Commodores' had to be individually programmed and were housed in what was barely more than a cupboard! We now have around 120 computers and 40 interactive white boards which enable teachers to have immediate access to websites enhancing their teaching and enabling the boys to become actively, technologically involved in the lessons, making learning an even greater shared experience. The whole school is connected by an intranet and ICT is now central to the way in which the school operates.

Design Technology was introduced in 1980. Initially Craft, Design and Technology, the boys were taught how to make models using the sort of materials Blue Peter had been using for years. With the advent of modern technology however, things shifted appreciably and much of what the boys now make is done through computer aided design and the milling machine that the Department purchased in 2002.

With three orchestras, two choirs, a swing band and variety of other music groups, up to four sports teams in different age groups in all the major sports, to say nothing of extensive drama productions and numerous activities, the opportunities are there for boys to be involved in whichever particular extra-curricular activity appeals to them.

More individual sports and games such as badminton, cross-country, athletics, skiing and chess have meant a great number of boys achieving significantly in their chosen areas. National titles have been won by boys in athletics, badminton, tennis, skiing and water-skiing and boys have competed internationally in badminton, skiing and water-skiing while still pupils at Lochinver . The growth of outdoor pursuits, residential trips to France, 8 years of Soccer Trips to Germany in the 1990s, Rugby tours to South Africa since 2008 and the biennial skiing trip allow skills to be developed far beyond the boundaries of the School.

In moving on to their next schools the boys yearly achieve Academic, All-Rounder, Music, Art, Drama and subject-based Scholarships.

Although essentially an Anglican school, Lochinver is now very much a multi-cultural establishment, where pupils of all religious persuasions and nationalities are welcomed and each child contributes to the strong sense of community that exists in the School.

The Headboys' Charities lead the fundraising for those less fortunate, involving all boys from Year 3 upwards in the decision-making process. 2011 reached a landmark of reaching £250,000 in their fundraising efforts since 1997. 

This year Lochinver House School celebrates its 65th Anniversary with a Sapphire Ball organised by the Parent Teachers' Association. In serving our school community the PTA provides the opportunity for parents, boys and staff to get together on an informal basis, not merely raising funds but having fun together. Lifelong friendships are made between families in this way.

Much has been achieved over sixty five years and we can look forward with much optimism to the future.