1942: Morag Aitkenhead and Bill MacKinnon: Pupil Records
Beginning of Some Order!
1942 was the first year any kind of formal records were kept of children attending Kilquhanity House School. It was Bill MacKinnon who started the ball rolling, joined shortly after by Morag Aitkenhead. These were not academic records as such but rather ledger-like pages that kept track of financial matters that involved any particular pupil.
Personal pupil record for Raymond Stewart
Whatever their limitations these primitive original records have proved useful in analysing pupil population changes over the earlier years of the school. For example:
Given that the archive records are correct, we can deduct from the above table that 28 children were registered in 1942 - to which can be added John Aitkenhead’s son, Neill Aitkenhead. The records do not indicate the pupils' date of birth.
Interestingly, only 6 of the children come from what could be described as rural homes: Castle Douglas, Borgue – both in Galloway - Troon and Peebles. The others are from industrial towns and cities all of which were considered by the British authorities as targets for German bombing raids during WWII. It is also quite apparent that the length of stay for quite a few of the children was quite short. Some only stayed at Kilquhanity for a few months, fourteen stayed for less than a year.
In other words, it seems likely that many of these children were either evacuees or were placed at Kilquhanity by their parents or carers simply to avoid bombing raids. For a school that had not been in existence for more than a couple of years, the disruption caused by children coming and going continuously, cannot have been conducive to establishing any kind of rhythm or routine or the very idea of a sense of community. But it may have been all important in generating sufficient income to keep the school afloat as indeed it more than did, surviving the war and well beyond it.
Who, When and Where?
During the following decades Morag more or less took over the role of bursar. Her recording system of pupils entering the school and information about the individuals did change over time.
Initially she kept a book in which she recorded name, address, parent’s names, occupations, and fees agreed. Later she changed to a pre-printed set of two forms. One of which contained most of the previous information but not fee details; the second asked for medical information concerning inoculations and a record of both common infections the child had or had not experienced: mumps, measles etc, and any specific health concerns.
The records are incomplete as I am aware of some children who attended for whom I have no record. The following data therefore cannot be considered precise but serves to illustrate some features of the school population over time.
Occupation
I am uncertain as to whether parental occupations of children referred by education and or social services are recorded, as Authority referrals were not recorded on Morag’s records.
The list of occupations spans 57 years, and it is interesting to note that some occupations would now no longer exist, and others have come into existence in the latter years of the 20th century.
The majority of parents would have incurred fees; though John did offer some leeway for some parents in financial difficulties and some other parents traded an offer of time and or specific skills that the school could utilise in lieu of payment.
A few parents were able to access grants or charitable support as their child had particular needs that would meet a charity organisation’s criteria for support.
What can be seen from the list is that parents came from a wide range of occupations and experience; perhaps a range that one would not expect to see from a traditional Public School.
Time Spent at Kilquhanity
It is difficult to make too many exact observations on this data. There was no specific starting date for new pupils such as one would find in the State school with new intakes in August/September or sometimes the beginning of a new school term. Children could start at Kilquhanity at any time in the school year.
In later years, the school adopted the policy of allowing a new child to visit and maybe spend a day in school whilst parents would talk with John Aitkenhead. If all parties were agreeable the child would attend full-time for a short period, maybe two weeks, before an agreement was made to attend full-time.
Some parents chose Kilquhanity with shared belief in the values and practices expressed by the school and committed their child for the whole of their schooling.
Some parents wanted their child to experience primary school at Kilquhanity and then chose to transfer to a state secondary school or ‘academic’ public school in preparation for tertiary education or a ‘career’.Some parents were compromised financially and could only afford to send their child for a limited period.Some family situations changed such that Kilquhanity was not an option or preferred option.
For myself, my parents had transferred home from Cambridge to Glasgow in the mid-1960s when I was 12 years old. After 2 ½ years of schooling at Jordanhill College School it was felt appropriate for me to transfer to Kilquhanity at age 14. Thank goodness!
With a population never exceeding 50 or so children and with the atmosphere of the school such as described elsewhere the accommodating of new children and the departure of old friends was part and parcel of the life of the school. It is perhaps, relevant here, to mention again the importance of celebration at Kilquhanity. The tradition of two parties every term - Valentines, Midsummer, Halloween and three end of term gatherings allowed friendships and community to thrive; old scores to be put-behind and promises of ‘keeping-in-touch’ to be made.
Length of stay in school (Number of months)
Total Number of Children: By Year
The graphs below represent the changing numbers of children attending over the life of the school. At the end of the War many parents removed their children and they returned to ‘safe’ havens. The school population halved between 1945 – 1950. John Aitkenhead was brought up short as he had believed the school to be a success and that the majority of parents supported the School’s values as expressed by him and as shown in the School Brochure.
The 1950s, in terms of school population, were dire and by the end of the decade Aitkenhead had seriously considered closure. Financially the school was, on paper, bankrupt and Aitkenhead instigated a variety of fund-raising actions.
Although the numbers were small, the children enjoyed their education and the life of the school continued as it had done in the previous decade.
For the next thirty years the numbers settled, and the school maintained a healthy population of between 30 – 50 pupils. Events which impacted on this stability include societal changes in the 1960s and early 1970s and John Aitkenhead’s old friend, A. S. Neill.
The 1960s saw the publication of A. S. Neill’s, Summerhill published by Pelican in the UK and to great acclaim in the United States. ‘Progressive Schools’ flourished. Although never financially rich, Kilquhanity was able to sustain itself and had sufficient funds to develop some aspects of the estate – converting farm buildings into classrooms and workshops.
In my opinion, the election of Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in the 1970s was the germ that led to the demise of many of the ‘progressive schools’ in the UK. Societal changes and ‘looking after number one’ became themes that many parents felt obliged to respond.
The 1980s saw John getting older and the new kids and staff belonging to generations that, maybe, held some of the school’s values, but also their needs in 1980, reflected the age they were living in. Personally, I am of the opinion, that the slow demise of Kilquhanity started in the 1980s.
Number of pupils at Kilquhanity by year from 1970 to 1996
John and Morag had made the decision that the Jubilee Celebrations in 1990 would be the time to announce closure. The news of this imminent announcement resulted in a ‘protest’ by many attending the fiftieth events that closure could not/should not happen. John and Morag relented and ‘agreed’ to remain open.
