Kingsfield School, Oxhey, Hertfordshire, England.
1940-1970

Photo by Simon Rennie.

This is the website designed by Robert Laws and Robert Wildmore for people associated with Kingsfield School, which closed in 1970. The school was probably founded in about 1933 but was refounded by Wilfred Sobey in 1940; he ran it until 1970 when he retired and closed it. Two teachers also spanned the whole of this period: H.W. (Juicy) Jacobs, who taught latin, and Nina Harford, who taught music. Wilf Sobey taught maths.

On this website, each image normally carries an acknowledgement of the person who provided it. The exceptions to this are the images from Alan Laws's collection. His file contains all the documents he received from the school during the period 1962-1968 when I (Robert Laws) was a pupil at the school.

The original server for this website disappeared so Jon Brewerton has uploaded it to this new domain

Please contact Robert Laws or Robert Wildmore or Jon Brewerton for more information and to offer images and information for display here. The school is listed on www.friendsreunited.co.uk.

1. Kingsfield before 1940.

Paul Leppard wrote: "From my researches I think Kingsfield School was founded in 1933 or 1934. In 1932 it was known as Freelands School situated in Kingsfield House. Kingsfield House appears on the 25" to the mile ordnance survey maps of 1898 and 1912. Adverts for Kingsfield School appear in Kellys directories of 1935 and 1938. In 1938 the headmaster was the Revd. R. E. Newton."

"Kingsfield House was owned by the King family who had an interest in papermills. It was built about 1880. In 1928 it became Freelands School and the headmaster was L.O.G. Whitfield. Newton took over in 1933 and renamed the school Kingsfield."

Click on the image to see the prospectus from about 1939 (supplied by Phillip and Christopher Hunter). You will also find school photographs from that time (supplied by Bill Mitchelson) filed by year below.

2. HMI inspection reports from 1939, 1944 and 1956.

Click on the image to see the HMI school inspection reports. Kingsfield failed its inspection in 1939. In 1956 the inspectors considered, among other things, that competitaive boxing was introduced too early.

3. Items that are specific to a particular year.

Some items, such as school photographs, play programmes and so on are specific to a particular year and I have gathered them together and filed them by year. Click on the year to see what's in it. (Some years don't have any content so you can't click on them.) The key beside each year tells you roughly what you will find there.

1940 i
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949

1950
1951
1952
1953
1954 ii
1955 Si
1956
1957
1958 ii
1959 S iii

"S" means school photo, "i" means other image, "p" means play programme, "o" means other things.

Note that Microsft's 'Internet Exporer' sometimes reduces the size of images to fit the page. You can have these shown at full size by pressing the 'enlarge' icon.

4. Items of general interest.

Memories of Kingsfield by Mark 'Buster' Carpenter 1949-55

up to 1970 Oddments, such as bills, lunch menus, warnings about outbreaks of measles and so on are filed here.
after 1970 Items associated with the closing of the school in 1970 and items relating to later times are kept here.

5. The OK Society.

The 'Old Kingsfieldians Society' is a loose, informal grouping of people who went to Kingsfield School. The society holds meetings from time to time; so far they have all been held in the bar of the Southern Cross Hotel, Watford: here .

7th December 2001: The first Kingsfield reunion was held at the Southern Cross Hotel, Langley Road, Watford and it was a most enjoyable evening. Paul Leppard, Richard Pope, Robert Wildmore, Robert Laws, John Price, Tony Dron and Nick Horsecroft attended. Many memories were collectively stired and a copious supply of ale and wine consumed over dinner. It was decided to arrange a bi-annual reunion, and "OK Society" ties and other branded goods will no doubt become available in due course.

20th September 2002: The second meeting of the 'OK Society' was be held at the Southern Cross Hotel. In the picture (from left to right) are Richard Goodger, Robert Laws, a Harris, another Harris and Robert Wildmore. Nick Horsecoft was also there but not when the photograph was taken.

9th May 2003: The third meeting of the 'OK Society' was held at the Southern Cross Hotel. The following attended: Bill Carpenter (42-48), Mark 'Buster' Carpenter (49-55), Paul Leppard (51-54), Tony Dron (52-54 and 56-59), John Price (54-59), Robert Wildmore (63-68), Robert Laws (62-68), Steve Thomas (63-67), Nick Horsecroft (65-69).

11th June 2004: The fifth(?) meeting of the 'OK Society' was held near the school site. More details will follow in due course (well, they probably won't actually - Ed 10/2009).