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11 Plus certificate 1944

I was just one of many children who passed the 11 plus exam at Stanford Road School. I recently found my certificate and wondered if it might be of interest to anyone to see what the 11 plus certificate looked like. Does anyone remember whether there was a presentation ceremony?

I lived in Scarborough Road, Preston if anyone remembers me.

11 Plus certificate
From the private collection of David Blackford

Comments about this page

  • I don’t recall anybody getting an 11+ Cert at my school in Notting Hill, London, but that was in 1956. Perhaps they had run out of paper by then!

    By Stefan Bremner-Morris (30/04/2009)
  • Too early for me but I was at Stanford from 1954-1961, my brother was there from 1944-51. We lived in Dyke Road Drive. It was a bit mortifying to have someone send me the class photo from 1961 and see how little we all looked compared to the same age group today!

    By Geoffrey Mead (11/05/2009)
  • I remember a Philip Mead who lived in Dyke Road Drive. I used to walk home from school with him very occasionally, and then continue up the road to Port Hall Road where I lived.
    I agree with the comment about the early photos. Happy days!

    By John Boxell (18/05/2009)
  • I passed my 11+ in 1951 but don’t remember any certificate. I can remember being in the school hall at my school, Moulescoomb Juniors, and being surprised when my name was read out. Out of 52 children in 4A (yes enormous classes) 48 of us passed. What a credit to those teachers of those hard up years. We didn’t have homework at Moulsecoomb but we did behave in class, no parent came to the school deriding a teacher for chastising a wayward pupil.

    By Joan Cumbers (nee Oram) (21/05/2009)
  • Geoff’ even more mortifying would be the school play photos “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in which we both had parts! I do not recall an 11+ certificate in 1961 when I “graduated”. As I still have all my Stanford School reports I would have thought that I would have retained a certificate had there been one.

    By David Ward (16/06/2009)
  • I went to Stanford Road Infants and then the Junior School in 1935-1941 when I was evacuated to Heptonstall in Yorkshire. Miss Parks and Miss Jenks came with us and Miss Jenks taught at the Heptonstall School. I gained my 11+ which I took before I left and went first to Hebden Bridge Grammar School and then Varndean when we came home in 1945. Does anyone remember the house opposite the school in Stanford Road that had a model railway in the garden and also the rag man who gave away goldfish at the school gates? Mark you, I don’t suppose there are many of us old pupils left now.

    By Stella Fryer (nee Pett) (12/11/2009)
  • Did any of you know Miss Gunn? She now lives in my care home Meadowcroft in Shoreham-by-sea, and will be reaching the grand age of 100 on the 22nd February. I was trying to get some of her past pupils to attend a birthday party on the day at 3pm. Anyone who would remember her and would like to come, please email me on rachel@meadowcroftcarehome.co.uk. Thank you.

    By Rachel Mohidin (05/01/2010)
  • I went to Stanford Road school From 1945 to 1948. I can remember the house opposite with the model railway in the garden. I lived in Buckingham Place. I now live in Lincolnshire.

    By Kenneth James McHale (30/01/2011)
  • I went to Stanford Rd school 1935-1942. Miss Goldring was our teacher. My school friends were; John Reynolds, Dennis Watts, Jean South, Stella Pet, Daphne Brown and Charlie Siddal who tragically died in the bomb at Scarborough Road in 1940. I have fond memories of my days during these years. I would be grateful to hear from anyone who remembers me.

    By Roy Tullett (27/07/2011)
  • That is not a 1944 11 plus certificate.  It is a rather more prestigious certificate stating that you have been awarded a Special Place at one of the secondary schools (which were mostly fee-paying at the time).  The 11 plus exams didn’t get under way until 1945.

    By Newmark (19/05/2014)
  • I’ve just looked at this page for the first time and looked at the certificate.  It looks very much like the Chair of the Education Committee that signed it was my grandfather, Cllr H J Robbins, (the picture isn’t totally clear).  I know he was definitely involved with the education committee in a number of roles over a period of years so it is certainly possible.  (See the articles about the opening of Carden School and the unveiling of the birdbath at Moulescoombe School.)  I have never seen his signature before (he died long before I was born) but it is strikingly like my own father’s (his son’s) signature.  Could David Blackford confirm the name from the original please?  Thanks

    By Geoff (20/05/2014)
  • Yes Geoff – the signature of the Chairman is Councillor H J Robbins.
    Reference contributor Newmark’s comment: I always understood that ”special place” was acceptance to Varndean but my parents could not afford the fees. So I went to the Fawcett – where I attained my School Certificate and later a commission in the RAF as a pilot – so happily, nothing lost.

    By David Blackford (13/07/2014)
  • That is a tremendous pass rate, Joan Cumbers – we got nowhere near that in my London school in ’56. I feel sorry for the 4 that didn’t pass though, but perhaps they all became multi-millionaires to compensate!

    By Stefan Bremner-Morris (13/07/2014)
  • In reply to Stella’s question about the house with the model railway in the front garden, I do remember it. Immediately opposite the school was the drop down to the main London to Brighton railway line and the house in question was a few yards further up, next to a small garage. I was told that the model railway was a sort of shrine to the resident’s dead child, but I am not sure how true that was. I never saw model trains running on it. I was at Stanford Road School from 1942 to 1948, when I left for the BHS Grammar School. We lived at No 21 Stanford Road. My older sister Pauline (born 1932) also went to the school. 

    By Anthony Hollis (07/05/2015)

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