History (Click on the black'n white photos to larger view)

Sandhurst School was opened in 1896 in Hither Green Lane, to provide education for those living on the Corbett Estate, newly built by Archibald Cameron Corbett following the opening of Hither Green Station. 

                       

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The present building was opened on this site on 30th June 1904, with 300 infants on the ground floor, 380 boys on the first floor and 382 girls on the second floor.

             [16 pages full document]

 In those days there were 60 children in each class and all the rooms were heated by open coke or coal fires..

 

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

 At 12.30 pm, on Wednesday 20th January 1943, the School was bombed. According to eye witnesses the pilot waved to the children in the playground as he flew at rooftop height over the school.

Half the building (in the red line on the below photo) collapsed into a heap of rubble killing 38 children and six teachers. More than 60 children and staff were injured.

For two days, people picked through the rubble digging out the casualties.

The Left part of the school was rebuilt in 1950. 

　

  

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　

　
 

[School Recovery  - Newspaper scraps]
In the memorial garden the name of each person, who died when the school was hit by the bomb,  Is inscribed on stone plaques laid down on the ground of the memorial garden..