Heritage

ORIGIN

Dropmore was rough open country, extending to some 600 acres, like Littleworth Common, until 1792 when Lord Grenville purchased it and made his home there. Lord Grenville was a prominent politician and was prime minister of the Coalition Government that passed the Act of 1807 for the abolition of the slave trade. After his purchase of the Dropmore property, its improvement occupied all his leisure. He built the house in the park and cut down a hill in front so he could see Windsor Castle. He died here in 1834, and the property passed to the descendants of his sister, Lady Fortescue.

CHRONOLOGY
1796
The existence of the school on an 1801 map, but not the one produced 5 years before has helped to determine the opening date of the school as being in the year 1796-97.
1830
The first written record is in 1830 when the school applied for a union with ‘The National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church’, more usually known as The National Society.
1853
In 1853 it was referred to as ‘The Chantry School at Dropmore supplied by the munificence of Lady Grenville’. When Lady Grenville died in 1864 George Matthew Fortescue, the nephew of Lord Grenville, inherited the Dropmore Estate.
1874
In 1874 the school was 'opened', or reconstituted perhaps, as St Anne’s School according to the 1870 Education Act and we have the first Log Book entries.
1894
In 1894 the school was enlarged, following recommendations from the Inspector that a separate classroom for the Infants should be provided. The addition was a square brick building with a bell tower, currently our library.
1910
An official register is kept of all children attending. A second Log Book has been started.
1938
Dropmore House and Estate continued to be in the ownership of the Fortescue family until John Bevill Fortescue died in May 1938. The payment of death duties meant that the House and Estate had to be put up for sale immediately.
1939
In September 1939 school did not re-open until 22nd September. War had been declared and air raid precautions had to be taken to make schools safe before children returned. As well as the usual Dropmore children, nine evacuees arrived and the following day eleven more, increasing the size of the school by a third. After a few weeks the eleven children were transferred. In January 1940 six more evacuees arrived.
1941
On 4th March 1941, the County Council acquired the school premises and the school is now known as ‘Dropmore Council School’.
1960
On 1st September 1960 Mr T A Bryan assumed duties as Headmaster and continued to ongoing refurbishment of the school and premises. The roof was thatched and land acquired for a playing field and a site for a proposed new building. The field and playground were fenced and the hedges cut. New gates relaced those demolished by a skidding car during the holidays.
1965
Due to Government's economy measures building work was postponed and did not commence until February 1965. The County Council officially took over the new building on 12th October 1965.
1973
Due to a County Re-organisation Dropmore became Dropmore First School.
1985
Following a survey by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Dropmore County First school became a Grade I Listed Building.
1996
In January 1996, Mrs J Smith took over as Headteacher. The school celebrated it's 200th birthday with a  Victorian Day and a Bicentenary Fete.
1998
Due to a change in the age of transfer in Buckinghamshire, to be in line with the Key Stages, Dropmore loses Year 3 and becomes Dropmore Infant School.
2008
Work on a new classroom / ICT suite started in July and was finally completed in December. The Year 1 children, still to this date, are very lucky with such a bright and spacious classroom!
2019
In the summer term the children were learning about the history of Dropmore and organised a Dropmore Museum for past pupils, parents and staff. The children designed the invitations and applied for jobs at the museum. It was a wonderful day!
DID YOU KNOW?
 
NAME
One possible derivation for the name Dropmore is the number of swallow-holes in the area where the underlying chalk has dissolved away and the surface material sinks into it (‘drops’ on the ‘moor’).
CLAIM TO FAME
Dropmore School has featured in 1 movie, 1 television programme and 1 book!
In 1952 the school was used for a film with Petula Clark and David Tomlinson: ‘Made in Heaven’.
In 1971 the school was used in the book ‘The inquisitive calf’ by Helen Piers. 
In 1981 Thames Television spent a day filming for the schools' programme 'The Shadow Cage' using the school playground and the children.
THANK YOU
A very special thank you to Phil Street (pupil at St Anne's School from 1951-1958) who kindly organised and paid for our (very) old Log Books to be rebound. 
ALUMNI
If you have been enthused by this page and would like to see the wealth of information (Log Books, Registers, Maps, Photographs etc) we have about the history of Dropmore, please contact the school office to book an appointment.