Order the 'Roof Off The Dassett' Publication
In 1947, and then again in 1967, a highly regarded survey was conducted by the children of The Fenny Compton School under the guidance of the then Headteacher W H (Bill) Stubbings. It was an extensive look at the village of Fenny Compton, a thorough in-depth survey looking at all the major aspects of life in a 1947/67 country village. This survey was so well thought of, that it was published it as a booklet ‘Roof Off Fenny Compton.’
Mr Stubbings in his foreword of the 1968 publication warned of the danger of so many changes having taken place between the two surveys so gradually and unobtrusively, so smoothly in fact that they could go unrecognised. The school itself had made the seismic shift from 6 buckets to 10 water toilets alone!
Well, we wondered what he would make of the shift that has occurred in the subsequent 46 years. Not least would be the closure of the Fenny Compton, Northend and Farnborough Schools and their amalgamation into what we now know and love as The Dassett.
This in itself has obviously dramatically changed the dynamic of what a modern survey could and should look to achieve. We thought that we would embrace the spirit of the original Roof Off Fenny Compton surveys with a look at the history and background of the village itself, but rather than just restrict the questions to the villagers here in Fenny Compton we would make it more personal to the children of the school and make it a survey about them and their families, across all of the villages that The Dassett school serves.
To achieve this we worked closely with local historians and got the children to compile extensive information about their and their families lives to bring Roof Off into the 21st Century, to do justice to the original project and make this a truly unique social commentary on our school and village as a part of our 180 years celebrations.
Copies of this 36 page book are now available from the school office for £3.50 plus p+p. To order a copy please contact hine.a@we-learn.com.
