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Settling In

School Log Books

When I moved into my previous school, I found the school log books of it's first headteacher. It was a requirement of headteachers back in 1973 when a new school opened to record 'significant events in the life of the school'. Mr Blake Stimpson, who is now approaching 100 years old and who I met not long ago, recorded the significant events in his school log books for nearly 30 years; they make an utterly fascinating read. His records, all handwritten, are a piece of history which detail the highs and lows of running a school over the course of more than a quarter of a century. As we settle into life at Graven Hill, I revisited those records this week and as I read them, I was struck by how similar his experiences are to mine. Inspired by Mr Stimpson, his significant achievements and the legacy he left behind, I have started the Graven Hill School Log Books so that, maybe, one day, they inspire the next generation of teachers and headteachers and the Graven Hill community can look back in the years to come at what it was like open a brand new school.