During the holidays folding doors were made to divide the long schoolroom into two so that we then had an upper division and a preparatory. The upper divisions were the three eight year olds and the sixes and fives were the preparatory. We began French lessons this term, a friend of ours who was a very good linguist came once a week to give lessons in eurhythmics and to talk to the children in French. This was never left out of our curriculum and one of our first seven who at Oxford took a Double First in foreign languages told me not long ago that her early love of French dates from the time when they played a sort of Happy Families in French with cards cut in half which bore on the one side a picture and the word in French and the other the same picture with the English word. The term ended in December with a breaking up party and a carol concert to which parents and others were invited. The children began the carols from the gallery above the hall and danced down the stairs and continued the singing in the schoolroom. They also had a percussion band, two drums, three triangles and three tambourines.

We also began the idea of thinking about other children by collecting 'job pennies' for the Children's Convalescent Home at Tadworth. Every Monday a collection was made of pennies they either gave from their own pocket money or earned by doing a job at home. Most of the mothers were quite cooperative in setting a job for this and not just acceding to the request for a penny every week.

In those early days before the changes brought about by the two World Wars and before the Education Act of 1944 it was up to anybody to open a school provided they could get enough parents to support them. But Eleanor and I wanted to be recognised as a school apart from any given standard. So in the autumn term of our second year 1932 we applied to the Board of Education and were inspected under Section 147 of the Education Act 1921. Mr. Charles from the Surrey Local Education Authority came on the 12th December and spent the day with us and gave us this report:-

'This is a preparatory or pre-paratory school for boys and girls. The boys leave as a rule at 8, the girls about 12. There are at present thirteen children, of whom one is a boarder. Their ages range from 4\6 to nearly 10. A register of attendance is regularly kept. The Head Mistress, who has had some experience of teaching, is assisted by her sister, an experienced teacher with special qualifications in Art and Handwork, and by three visiting teachers for French, Music and Physical Training. The premises consist of a private house with an acre and a hal f of garden and field. The house has been well adapted, and well equipped, for school purposes. The three classrooms are light, airy and cheerful rooms, all on the ground floor, easily accessible from outside and inside and separate from the private rooms. Lavatory and sanitary accommodation are suitable and sufficient for present numbers. The garden affords good facilities for Games and Exercises, and there is some asphalted ground for use in wet weather.

The curriculum provides a varied and well balanced scheme of instruction and training. A good foundation is given in Reading, Writing and Arithmetic: the children's work in these subjects was well advanced for their age and showed clear progress from stage to stage. In History and Geography the children showed a very fair knowledge, and their interest pointed to successful teaching. A promising beginning is made in French, both oral and written. Art and Handwork are well taught. The children's Handwork is attractive and well executed: and good use is made of both Drawing and Handwork in connection with the teaching of other subjects. The teaching is itself liberal and thorough. The school is young. As a tradition of closer attention and application in class is developed some very good work should result.'

In keeping with our aim as a school to be outward looking and not too 'in-bred' the Upper Division began in 1933 to listen to the broadcast history lessons by Professor Eileen Power. At the end of the term I got the children each to write an account of what they remembered of the lessons and sent it to her with a covering letter. In reply she said she was delighted to see how well they were done and extremely glad to hear that they liked the talks, especially as they were not really designed for such young hearers.

During the year we made two excursions. In the Spring the afternoon class visited Hampton Court and saw the Tudor kitchens and wine-cellars and walked through the gardens to see the crocuses which were then at their best. In the summer term the Upper and Middle Divisions visited the Colonial section of Imperial Institute, Kensington, travelling in two cars, and we had a picnic tea in Richmond Park on the return journey. At 3 o'clock on June 12th we listened to the opening speech by King George V of the World Economic Conference at South Kensington. July 15th was our Sports Day and after tea in the garden the Upper Division acted the fairy scene in 'Midsummer Night's Dream' in the chestnut spinney, at the back of the house, raised some three feet above the lawn where the audience sat. In November Miss Wyatt took some of the Upper Division to one of Robert Mayer's Children’s' Concerts at Central Hall, Westminster. A busy year ended with the Christmas entertainment when the whole school mimed Hans Anderson's Snow Queen. The scenes were introduced by parts of the story told by Anita.