CHAPTER 9.

THE SCHOOL DURING C. L. RYLEY'S HEADSHIP
(1907--1927).

The new Headmaster came from Bedford Modern School,
where he had been a housemaster.   Educated at St. Olave's
Grammar School, London, he had gone from there to Jesus College,
Oxford, as a classical Scholar. After taking his degree in 1896,
he had taught at Bedford Modern School, a public school of over
450 boys. He served there for eleven years, and was then appoin-
ted to Kibworth; and for the first time in its long history, Kibworth
Beauchamp Grammar School had a lay Headmaster.

There is no denying that, from the very start, Ryley found it
difficult to bridge the gap between the small rural school at
Kibworth and the famous public school from which he had come.
He himself wrote to a friend in 1912, " It did not take me a week
to realise the hideous mistake I made in coming from a school
like Bedford to one of this type ". Despite his disappointment,
however, Ryley at first strove hard to improve the standard of
attainment in the School; and, under him, the School began to
increase in numbers. When he took up his appointment in 1907,
there were 40 children in attendance; by 1914 it had increased to
60; in 1918, to 75; and in 1920, to 80. This was the greatest
number of children in the School during Ryley's headship. After
that, the numbers began to decline seriously, and when Ryley left
in 1927 they had dropped to 37. Ryley was a man of forthright
speech, and his letters well indicate this aspect of his character.
Of one child he wrote, " Her work here was never satisfactory,
not improbably from conceit due to spoiling at home ". Of another,
" We intend to see that she works, and, if she does not, the remedy
will be quick and effectual".  In his reports to the Governors
Ryley always expressed himself most forcefully. He stated, for
example, that the children at Kibworth were happy, but added,
" The happiness of the children is not due to any disregard of the
essential discipline and instruction". Occasionally, parents came
in for criticism: " This parent is rather fussy (he gives me more
correspondence and interviews than all the rest put together) and
has a high sense of his own importance ". The Education Office,
too, received some caustic remarks from him: " It would seem
that the Office neither can manage the School itself nor will leave
me to do it in my own way—in a word I am thoroughly sick of the
methods adopted in connection with the School and I fail to see
the necessity for a Head at all". Sometimes, a streak of humour
is to be found in his letters. He wrote to the Director, asking the
latter to publish an advertisement for a post, and added: " I
suppose the agency will send me troops of wild Welsh girls fresh
from their native hills ". Of the Board of Education he wrote:
" It is hard to take the Board seriously, except as a serious
nuisance ".

Reading through Ryley's correspondence, one feels that he
showed little sympathy towards the children under his care. He
was inclined to scold rather than to encourage. In 1912 he wrote,
" The Senior pupils are not much to boast about and though they
are distinctly dull, I believe they do their best".   Later on he
wrote, "Form 5 is very lethargic and sleepy with a general lack
of go ". Moreover, Ryley felt little sympathy towards Kibworth
itself. He suggested to the Director, for example, that a teacher
from outside should examine the Free Place candidates, for
" Knowing the village as I do, I have little doubt that tongues will
wag vigorously if anyone from the locality is chosen ". On another
occasion he asked the Director to distribute the prizes, adding, " I
do want someone from outside the charmed circle of Kibworth,
for, as it is, we are in danger of forgetting there is an outside
world at all".  His opinion about the neighbourhood's lack of
interest in education was summed up in a sentence, which is to be
found in a letter written late in his career: " The district does not
seem to be one that values educational advantages".

Soon after Ryley's arrival at Kibworth, the Scheme of 1909
was drawn up, which completed the transfer of power from the
old Governors to the Leicestershire County Council.  In future,
the Council was to appoint the Governors, to whom it delegated
its control over the School.  All property and funds, moreover,
belonging to the School were to be handed over to the County
Council. Continuity with the past, however, was to be provided
by appointing two former Governors on to the new governing
body—the Rev. Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Dickenson.

The Scheme had been in operation barely a year, when the
Board sent down two of its Inspectors to make a general inspection
of the School.  Their report, was, as one might expect, very
critical. The two main charges levelled at the School were the
low leaving age and the scholastic backwardness of the children.
They felt, therefore, that the ordinary Grammar School curriculum
was unsuitable, and that there was little prospect of the School
" establishing itself as a necessary part of the provision of
secondary education in the district". In their opinion, the children
in the School who could profit by a proper secondary education
were few.  Despite this strong criticism, however, the Board
decided to grant the School recognition for a further four years.

The Board of Education clearly thought that there was no
future in store for Kibworth Grammar School, for in the very next
year it proposed to the Leicestershire County Council that the
School should be closed and that the children should be transferred
to Market Harborough Grammar School. The first intimation of
the proposed closure of the School was given on October 20th,
1911, when the Leicestershire Education Committee recommended
that the School should be closed as soon as possible.  This
naturally brought forth an immediate response from the Governors
who, on November 8th, met the then Director of Education, Mr.
Brockington, to consider the matter. After a lengthy discussion,
the Governors passed a resolution asking the Leicestershire County
Council not to proceed with their intention of closing the School;
Following this resolution the Director wrote to the Board suggesting
that Kibworth Grammar School might be given a little longer lease
of life. He pointed out that numbers had slightly increased since
1909--from 38 to 43; that the Board had recently granted a further
recognition for four years; that the present Headmaster was doing
good work with unpromising material; and that an amalgamation
of Kibworth and Market Harborough Grammar Schools was, at
that moment, impolitic. In conclusion the Director wrote, " I am
anxious that the School should have the advantage of the years
of grace accorded by the Board of Education". Influenced by
the Director's appeal, the Secretary to the Board replied. " I do not
wish to extinguish Kibworth Grammar School, but no doubt it will
have to be incorporated in a larger scheme for Market Har-
borough ". Therefore, when the Education Committee met again,
the resolution to close Kibworth was rescinded; and no further
effort to close the School was made until 1949.

In 1910, then, the Board gave the School a further period of
recognition, and Ryley made a determined effort to justify the
Board's decision. Thus, in July, 1912, he was able to report to
the Governors, " The School as a whole is in a more hopeful and
satisfactory state than at any time in the last five years ". Numbers
now began to increase, partly through lowering the fees from six
guineas to four pounds per annum.  Thus, in 1913, the Director
was able to report to the Board that numbers had increased and
that better conditions were prevailing. In that year an attempt
was made to extend the school life of each child by insisting that
the parents of all children admitted into the School should sign an
undertaking, worded as follows: " I undertake that the pupil shall
remain in regular attendance at a secondary school as a pupil for
at least three years after reaching the age of twelve unless, in the
meantime, the Governors consent in writing to his leaving at an
earlier age. If he leaves without consent, a fine of five pounds
will be levied " The School had, indeed made such progress that
in 1914, the Governors asked the Board to increase their grant
from £126 to £250 p.a. Accordingly, two Inspectors visited the
School, and this time they were so satisfied with the School that
the Board agreed to the increased grant.  In 1914, also, four
children passed the Oxford Local Examination, and the Head was
able to report: " There is a distinct improvement in the spirit of
the School. The general conduct of the School continues to be
excellent".

The staff in 1914 consisted of the Head, two other permanent
teachers, Mr. Weaver-Jones and Miss Scruton, and two visiting
teachers, Mr. Copelin and Mr. Barfield. Ryley himself took the
English and History throughout the School, Weaver-Jones the
Science and Geography, and Miss Scruton the French. All three
teachers shared the Maths., Mr. Copelin took Woodwork, and Mr.
Barfield Art. There was no Domestic Science for the girls till
1920. Latin had almost disappeared from the curriculum; it was
taken only by four boys, and then after school hours. Shorthand
was also taken after School.  Weaver-Jones took the boys for
Physical Training and Miss Scruton the girls. The whole School
was taken once a week for Singing.

The first World War did not interfere with the increase in
numbers, nor with the steady progress of the School.  In 1916
Ryley commented: " I fear that the war will do us a good deal
of damage in the way of numbers, and I only wonder that they
have kept up as they have".  The war, however, made things
more difficult at times. There was, for example, great difficulty
in getting chemical apparatus; the Midland Railway refused to
accept goods for transit owing to the congested state of the rail-
ways caused by troop movements; it was impossible to get books
replaced. Towards the end of the war Ryley thought that it was
having a marked effect on the work and conduct of the children.
In his opinion the school year 1918--1919 had a very bad character.

In February, 1920, there were eighty children in the School,
but seven years later only 37 children were on the school register.
Responsibility for the decline in numbers must be placed chiefly
on Ryley himself. After 1920, he became more and more aloof
from the people of the neighbourhood, with the result that the
School became almost boycotted by the community. Ryley lost
confidence in the children, and the neighbourhood lost confidence
in him.  In 1926, the Director wrote: "Unless there is some
change very soon Kibworth Grammar School will die out". In
October of that year, a sub-committee of the Education Committee,
including Sir Robert Martin, met the Governors at a special
meeting to discuss the whole situation. The general opinion was
unanimous: The School would not improve until a new Head was
appointed. Accordingly, Ryley was interviewed and informed of
the decision of the special meeting that, if he did not resign, his
engagement would be terminated.  So, a few days later, Ryley
formally resigned.

There were, indeed, other factors which helped to account for
the decline in the numbers attending Kibworth in the years
following the war. Unemployment was widespread in Kibworth
and Fleckney owing to the unsettled state of the hosiery industry.
Many parents could not afford to pay fees, nor to keep their
children at school after they had reached the age of fourteen. The
Leicestershire Education Committee made matters worse for the
School when they twice increased fees within the space of two
years; in 1920 from £4 4s. Od. to £6 13s. 4d., and in 1922 to £10.
Moreover, the Governors insisted on fining those parents who
broke their undertakings. One reason for increased fees was the
rise in salaries of the teaching profession as a result of the first
Bumham Award.

In the period of 1920--27, several important decisions affecting
the School's future were made.   In the first place, Goodman
Exhibitions, hitherto awarded, to boys only, were in 1922 made
available for girls as well.   A previous attempt had been made
during the war to alter the existing arrangements so that girls could
benefit from these leaving scholarships, but the Board refused to
amend the scheme in war-time.   In 1921, however, there were
more girls attending the School than boys, so the Governors again
approached the Board, which agreed to the Governors' request.
The first two girls to be awarded Goodman Scholarships were E.
Nourish and E. Hulland.

The decision to introduce a school crest was taken during the
later part of Ryley's Headship.  With the approval of the
Governors, the Director approached Earl Beauchamp for per-
mission to use his arms as the school badge, and the request was
granted. The Head then asked Mr. Burrows, the Art Master, to
design a shield bearing upon it the Beauchamp arms---two lions
passant.

It was on December 17th, 1926, that Ryley resigned, but he
carried on for two more terms, until Midsummer 1927. When the
Governors advertised for a new Head, 191 candidates sought the
vacancy.   Finally, a short list of ten was drawn up, and these
gentlemen were interviewed by the Governors.   After much
discussion, on the proposition of Mr. Robert Rowley, seconded by
Mr. Mattock, it was unanimously decided to offer the post to Mr.
Elliot, of Ashby Grammar School, who forthwith accepted it.