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Meet the TeesdalesIn between lunch dates and trips to the seaside in their caravan, Harjit Gammon is told the story of Copthill School by the "fancy-free" Mrs Teesdale senior and her husband John
In every sense a family affair, every family member appears, in some way, to be involved in the Copthill venture. Jonathan's wife Anne, teaching in the Lower School; Nicholas, the youngest son, a Chartered surveyor, in the school's on-going expansion plans and, running cross country with the pupils; and, Simon, the middle of the three Teesdale sons, as the school's bursar. And, continuing the founding principle of the school, to provide an (early) education for the young Teesdale boys (Jonathan was dispatched to Winchester House School, Brackley at age 5 and Uppingham thereafter, the other two to Kirkstone House, Winchester House and then Uppingham), the school is currently educating seven of the Teesdales' grandchildren. Mrs Teesdale herself is apparently to be found variously teaching (as required), keeping an eye on the accounts, taking parents round the school, interviewing staff and, Year 6 pupils, to give them practice in speaking to adults. John Teesdale, farmer turned entrepreneur, sold 150 cows to pay for the school's first building, but is now content to cut the grass on the school's 350-acre site with his tractor. A Secondary trained teacher (Bedford College of Physical Education), Mrs Teesdale recounted the school's beginning in 1969. Having made the decision to educate Jonathan (the school's first pupil and current Headmaster) herself, she was soon inundated with requests from family and friends for their children to be allowed to come to the "school" around the farmhouse table (where apparently Jonathan was that very morning, with a wet towel wrapped around his head, working on the forthcoming year's timetables'. They recently swopped homes). Her mother , Granny Kirkham, a Froebel trained teacher, was therefore recruited to help, starting what has become a very successful enterprise, from, as Mrs Teesdale put it ,'as stupid a start as that really'. Along the way there has, of course, been a lot of hard work and a lot of worry. The farmhouse with its two drives (in and out), recalls John Teesdale, lent itself well to the budding 3 shillings a morning, 'kitchen classroom' school, with concerts in the garden, a piano in the laurel bushes and two donkeys every Christmas (a tradition that still survives). In 1970 came the move to the 'New Hut' Classrooms, an 'Arcon' pre-fab that had been a temporary World War 2 house! With a growing roll, John, who has lived in Uffington for over 70 years, began to seek planning permission for purpose built school buildings on the farm, after a couple of unsatisfactory experimental forays, first to the King's Mill Centre in Bath Row, Stamford and then a period renting Tallington School in the mid 1980s, led to a move back to Copthill Farm in 1984. The registration in 1987 with The Department of Education for the first Reception class was followed in December of the following year by planning permission for a purpose built school being granted. A close call recalls John; though luckily for the Teesdales, the farm's last field had access from a side road, which meant it was approved. In June 1990 Copthill Nursery & Preparatory School opened on the present site, and the rest as they say is history. A thriving school, Copthill now has 300 pupils, age 2-11 years and, an enviable country/agricultural aspect. A recent expression of this location is "˜The Forest School"- a tipi experience for up to 12 pupils at a time, making charcoal, tracking through hedges, constructing a raft to get across the river and, of course, cooking on a campfire. The potential stuff of school day memories. Copthill School, Barnack Road, Uffington, Stamford, Lincs. PE9 3AD Tel: 01780 757506 www.copthill.com |
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