I consider myself to be most fortunate to have come into teaching at the beginning of the 1950's and to have been a member of the staff at the opening of Woodgreen School and to have been guided professionally in those formative years by an exceptional Headmaster, Mr. H.W Pooley.

I had come into teaching shortly after the end of world War II and had, in fact transferred into the Royal Army Educational Corps, to teach there for the last year of my army service. The mood that this new generation was the most important part of society and must be given priority in all things was enshrined in the 1944 Education Act. Witney was a small Market Town of approximately 3,000 people and the building of one purpose built educational establishment in the town for all children, over the age of 11, who had not been selected for Grammar School Education signalled change and improvement. The appointment of Horace Pooley as Head, who had taught in Grammar Schools and elementary schools, was far more important than we had realized at the time. His philosophy , that the pupils were not rejects from the academic system but scholars needing different teaching and motivation was very much in line with the atmosphere of the times. The school opened at a furious pace and continued to race toward that goal. I remember that within three days of opening all 400 pupils had been set tests which were marked , homogeneous groups created and the timetable in place to allow maximum progress. Several of us spent long hours marking and grading until well after midnight to make this possible. (All for a salary of about 35.00 a month)

I was to spend just over 16 years in this environment and over that time the town had grown to a population of some 15,000, school numbers had risen to 900, the examination system had been revolutionised, the curriculum totally overhauled and the selection at 11+ abolished creating the comprehensive system for the whole county. They were exciting times and most important of all they were resourced financially in a way that was not possible in my teaching career, before or afterwards.

It is not only my recollection that pupil teacher relationships were quite special in this period. A number of school reunions have been arranged and the conversations all came back to the relationship with staff, in Houses, on the sports field, on school visits, in camp activities, in inclusive drama, in voluntary service clubs and a host of interest groups developed in after school activities. There was, of course, an atmosphere of respect that doesn't seem to be the same anymore both from parents and pupils. There were rebels, as always, and non cooperative parents but the general mood of those years was respectful and a matter of enjoying each others company. Staff & pupils would be seen practicing cricket together in the lunchtimes and voluntary service to the community saw teachers and pupils working side by side.

There was a great shortage of teachers in the early1960's and Mrs. Ena Pooley, the Head's wife, returned to teaching as her old mother had died and her family had grown up. She was an exceptional teacher and colleague and in 1965 I persuaded the Head to let me appoint her as Deputy Head of Lower School. Her behaviour was always impeccable and her abilities exceptional

In the 1950's Oxfordshire was a county of Independent Councillors (at least in terms of elections). The County Education Committee had a Director of Education and that is what he did. The Deputy Director attended all Secondary School Governors meetings and department beads in County Hall were relatively unknown . In the late '60's and early 70's County Boundaries were to change ,Oxford City came into the county, party politics ruled supreme and County Hall became an empire, none of which I regarded as positive progress.

From the opening of the school in 1953 I found myself more and more involved with all aspects of school life. Encouraged by the Head I took further qualifications gaining The Licentiate of the College of Preceptors in 1957 and attending countless courses at Norham Gardens (Department of Educational Studies, Oxford University). Holding an Administrative post at school there was a continuous . learning process under the guidance of our exceptional Headmaster. In my main subject , Religious Studies I was again very fortunate to be "in on" the revolution of curriculum change. I had become a close friend with Harold Loukes, Reader in Education at the Department of Education, Oxford. He was one of the national figures in the Revolution in R.E. teaching and I found myself on the lecture circuit with him and one of his support group when he prepared his second book on the subject, "New Ground in Christian Education". Good Fortune