The school during World War II

EVACUEES

In 1939, evacuees from two London schools, in Homerton and Islington, shared Brington School with local children. Local children and those from Homerton would attend school in the morning, whilst the children from Islington used it in the afternoon. In October 1939, this shift system was stopped, with the Homerton children being sent to Northampton and the Islington children being taught in the Reading Rooms.

The winter of 1940 was very cold and snowstorms prevented children and teachers from reaching school. A shortage of fuel for the boiler meant that the school often had to close for those children that could attend. Many children were also suffereing from measles and chickenpox.

In May 1941, eight of the Islington evacuees once again began attending Brington School. Other children, from London and Ipswich, were also evacuated and attended the school too.

Few bombs fell on Northampton during the war, and any which did, failed to explode. However, school often started late in the morning, as children were often kept awake at night by air-raid warnings.

Many German planes flew over Brington on their way to bomb Coventry. One plane, returning from Coventry, dropped some incendiary bombs into the fields near little Brington. Here, the hedges caught fire. Another plane dropped it's bombs harmlessly on to Moor Farm.

Food and clothing were rationed at this time and the school closed in October to allow the children to help with potato picking.

On the 8th May 1945, the European war was over. Brington schoolchildren were given two days holiday to celebrate V.E. Day.
At 5.30pm, on the 9th May, the schoolchildren paraded throught the villages on a decorated cart. Refreshments were provided and sports continued until 9.30pm. This was the only celebration held in Brington to mark the end of the war.

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