1970s

toc =The 1970s=

**__Mrs Mills remembers her time at Yeovil Girls' High School (1969-1974):__** "It makes me feel really old to be included in a history topic, so please think of it as modern or living history!

I found out I would be going to the High School when all of Year 6, as it is now called, were given brown envelopes with address windows in them. It didn’t take us long to work out that there were more pink forms than green ones. Those with green had obviously passed the eleven plus. Surprisingly I had a green one! This had quite a dramatic effect on my life. I didn’t live in a well off part of town and all of my best friends had pink forms. Suddenly I had become a snob and several didn’t speak to me after I started at the High School.

We didn’t have any induction program, although I think we had one evening meeting where we were told what we had to buy. Uniform was very expensive and could only be bought in one shop in Yeovil. My parents had to find the same amount of money as it cost for a skiing holiday just for uniform. Not an easy task, so everything was bought to last."


 * __Mrs Bowden (Science Technician) recalls her school days at the Girls' High School (1964-66) __**

I moved from a large school in Watford with about 1,000 students to the Girls' High School in 1964. I remember the school only had about 300 students and seemed very small and was a real culture shock. Our class sizes were about 30.This was much smaller than my primary school where we had about 40 in our class. We all used to sit behind wooden desks that used to lift up. We often had to sit in class in alphabetical order. We also seemed to have to line up for everything, often in silence.

We used to have to wear a pleated skirt which had to be a set length. The tie had to be tied correctly. We were expected to look and behave like ‘young ladies’. Girls that did not wear their uniforms might find themselves outside of the Head's office. We had a very strict but very good head teacher. I remember on a school trip to Lulworth Cove I ripped my skirt and had to spend the whole day in a plastic mac.

For my options I did all three sciences (Chemistry, Physics and Biology), history, geography, French and Latin. We all had to study Mathematics, English language and literature. There used to be a sixth form here; I left, but I could have stayed at the school after year 11 if I had wished.

**__ 1974 ‘Westfield School’ opened __** Some people started to think that getting children to sit an exam at 11 and sending them to different schools based on whether they passed or failed was wrong. ** ‘Westfield School’ opened in 1974 **, having been created from the former grammar schools and a secondary modern school.

=Events= July 1974 - Westfield Comprehensive School opened using buildings formerly Yeovil Girls' High School and Westfield Infants' School

July 1975 - The school donates £928 to various charities, such as Save The Children, the Red Cross, the Magpie Charity, and organisations which helped blind children.

December 1975 - Seventy-five local elderly residents are treated to an afternoon of 'entertainment and jollity' by some 14-year-old pupils. There were refreshments, a trampoline display and jazz, choir and recorder music. The Yeovil mayor, Mrs Heath, and some of the school's governers were guests of honour.

1976 - Westfield hosted its first 'open night' in this year, with parents learning of various school activities and extra-curriculars. The woodwind and string sections of the school's orchestra performed.

1976 - A new series - 'The Emigrants' - was shot in the school, wiht both a classroom and the grounds being used for filming. The headmaster, Mr Burbridge, suggested a Westfield pupil (who was also a member of the Yeovil Youth Theatre) to play the part of the vicar's son.

=Developments / Buildings=

In March 1975 three boys, under the supervision of D&T Teacher Mr Hale, built an extension to the front of the D&T workshop. The newspaper clip below, from the time, shows the details.

=Shows=


 * Nov 1976 - First ever Production Staged - "1066 and All That"**

This play took over £250; rather a large amount, even in the seventies. This money was earned over four performances. The school's production was reported in the local newspaper, though the review was less than glowing. Its headline was 'Show opens to near-empty hall' - one F. G. Brandwood later wrote to this newspaper, complaining that the article was biased and poorly-reported. This letter was published in the newspaper, although the apology is nowhere to be found!


 * Nov 1977 - "Lady Precious Stream"**

The producer of the performance was Mrs Margaret Hawkins, and although the lack of scenery, it was compensated by the bright and varied costumes. The play ran for 4 nights, and included 4 acts, and the newspapers seemed to like it much more than the previous year's play.


 * May 1978 - "Happiest Days of Your Life"**

This performance was put on entirely by the staff at Westfield community school, and was said to be outstanding. The teachers were all dressed up in ridiculous costumes and the humerous plot more than fitted the actors themselves. A brilliant evening enjoyed by all, and a one many people may never forget.


 * Jun 1978 - "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat"**

This play was performed only for 2 nights in the upper school hall after many set backs, but was a spectacular and enjoyable performance. The whole cast was on stage for the entire hour that it was performed, with each soloist merely stepping forward when it came to their turn. The audience was quite large for the first night, which inspired the children to do their best and enjoy themselves thanks to the roars of laughter and thunderous applause, and the last number of the show being encored!!!


 * Feb 1979 - "Caucasian Chalk Circle"**

This play was performed for 4 nights, included one little boy from Parcroft Junior School and one of the main charactors was standing in for someone else at only one week's notice. The play was called off twice due to bad weather, but the students, with their Westfield fighting spirit, ploughed on through it to finally give a performance, hence the newspaper headline "S-now way to stop this production." The artical also included "The result was a relaxed word-perfect competently polished performance" which the actors were very relieved to hear.


 * Nov 1979 - "The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew"**

The performance was said to be spectacular with newspapers saying there was "A tremendous amount of effort that had obviously gone into performing some very elaborate special effects - all of which were most impressive - and into making the colourful array of costumes." The play was performed for 3 nights but, although it is best to keep scenery to an absolute minimum, it is thought that the play could have done with a little more.


 * Summary - A fantastic decade for Westfield's performances, which set a very high standard for those to come.**

=Sports=

=Results=

September 1978 - Headteacher, Mr Burbridge, says it has been an 'Exceptional Year for Westfield'.