Description:A classroom at Stonehouse Primary School at Slitting Mill, near Rugeley. This is Miss Merry's class which had three or four school years in one class. There were around 40 pupils attending the school at this time. Stephen Adams is 3rd left, his brother Chris Adams is standing reading a book with Sheila Upton(?). David Westwood is at the back near the window and to his left near the window is Andrew Willis and Dvid Bridgens. In front of them are Heather Alexander and Keith Rollinson(?). 2nd left is Michael Walsh. 4th from left, wearing spectacles is Nigel Boughton. Susan Flint is in the centre, back row, whilst in front of her is Roger Carr. In the front row sit Stephen Oakley (left) and David Harrison (right).
Sarah Hopkins left a legacy of £600, a cottage and land near the Stonehouse, Rugeley, to provide a school for children in the Cannock Chase area. Her will was dated 1841 and proved in 1844. The school closed in about 1894 and the legacy was transferred to a mixed National school, which was built at Stonehouse in that year. Latterly the school was renamed Slitting Mill County Primary School until it closed in the early 1990s.
This photograph is believed to have been taken for the Rugeley Times.
Ann Grimes, a former pupil, has kindly shared her reminiscences about her time at the school:
"I am so pleased to see the photo as I attended this school from age about 6 to 9 years old. (1953-1956) after which my parents moved to Leicester. I lived at a bungalow called The Hollies on Chaseley Road, Etching Hill. (now demolished and replaced by an impressive house). It was opposite the farm where the Uptons lived and I believe Sheila Upton? in the photo was the little toddler visitor at her grandparents at the farm that I used to go collecting eggs with and picking Bluebells. I used to walk to school on my own at age 6, taking a footpath across fields deep with snow over my wellies in the drifts in the winter. When I was at the school there were two teachers, Mrs Wise taught the younger ones and also there was Miss Merry who I liked. The outside toilets with wooden, bench seats were shovelled out from time to time, no flushing with water then, which meant you held your breath when you went in and didn't linger because of the smell! The playground was blue bricks and we had sections of old pot sinks each to make our own miniature gardens. I took my 11plus at the age of 7-8 and failed, mostly because I was made to stay in at lunch time to do it, which upset me as I thought it was a punishment, so rushed it so I could go out and play! Afterwards I was used to help the other children with their reading as I had learned everything for the 11 plus syllabus. (I did pass when I was aged 11). Other children I remember then were twins Anthony and Christopher Holland and their younger brother Edwin. There was a boy called Trevor Jones and a girl called Gay lived at Horn's Pool Pub and told me swarms of baby frogs had to be kept out of there with a row of salt across the doorway. Boys then would bring baby Adders to school in a jar or deer antlers they found. I was sad to leave and go to a big city school. The first thing I missed was the lovely smell of the pine forest in the area."