Oak Bank Open Air School, Gloucester

aka Tuffley Open Air School

 

Tuffley Open Air School, known also as  Gloucester Open Air School, had its official opening ceremony on 29 January 1937, although it had started taking children from September of the year before. It was on Robinswood Hill, in Tuffley and catered for around 100 delicate children. Miss Thomas was the first headteacher.

‘The classrooms at Oak Bank were built away from the house and had one side completely open and the windows all open on the other. As long as it was not raining the children had their rest

period out in the garden under the trees, lying on folding beds’ (Shorey 2005)

In 1957, the school became known as Oak Bank Open Air School largely on account of the oak tree near to the manor house.

The school is still open today, as a community special school, now known as Milestone School having had a period being called Chamwell School.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION?

Some more information about this school can be found in 'The Open-Air Schools of Bristol and Gloucester' by J. Shorey Duckworth 2005, Vol. 123, 133-141 in the Transactions of the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society, excerpts of which can be read here. [external site]

Note: There is another Oak Bank Open Air School, in Kent.