A progressive school in Hertfordshire is featured - pupils smoke and listen to jazz in the classroom.
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Short Summary
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Description
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Data
- Film ID:
- 173.01
- Media URN:
- 3001
- Group:
- Unissued / unused
- Archive:
- British Pathé
- Issue Date:
- 25/12/1961
- Sound:
- Sound
- HD Format:
- Available on request
Unknown user says
My brother, Francis, went to Burgess School, and it is brilliant to see him in the film, aged 11 years. I asked him what he thought of the school, and he said he loved it there. Francis is dyslexic and went to school at a time when virtually no one understood dyslexia. When Burgess School closed he had to go to an 'ordinary' school and hated it because the teachers treated him like he was stupid. I think Burgess Hill gave him a lot of confidence, and he has gone on to do well in life. I am younger than my brother and only went to Burgess Hill during the holidays, as my father did maintenance work there. I absolutely loved the house and grounds, and really liked the teachers and children that I met. Many of the pupils that went to Burgess Hill are still friends, which says a lot about the whole experience. The smoking aspect might put people off in the film, but no-one then really knew how dangerous it was then (except the tobacco companies, who were keeping stum).