Ridge Primary School, Ridge Road, Sutton, Surrey, opened on 5th September 1932. On the first day admission began at once, and during the course of the day, 333 children were admitted. On the 9th September 1932, there were 329 children on the books. On 12th September 1932, an extra 7 children were admitted, making a total of 336 - The new school was full. The Head Teacher was Mr. T. Donnellan.

Ridge Primary School Head Teachers:

Mr. T. Donnellan 1932 - 1940
Mr. W. W. Bielby 1940 - 1944
Mr. C. R. Hobby 1944 - 1961
Miss M. H. Ward 1962 - 1966
Mr. W. D. H. Crook 1966 - 1971 (died 1971)
Mr. B. M. Hyde 1971 - 1972 (Acting Headmaster)
Mrs. B. Watson 1972 - 1979
Mrs. C. J. Hutchinson 1979 - 1989
Mr. M. J. Moore 1989 - present

Mr. W. D. H. Crook remains the only Headteacher to have died whilst in service at Ridge Primary School. Many of the above Headteachers retired at the end of their service at Ridge.
Mr. T. Donnellan, the first Headteacher, left to join the forces in 1940 during the Second World War. Mr. Hyde joined the school in 1962 and retired in 1982.

After 67 years, the original school building has now been demolished. Last lessons were held on Wednesday 16th February 2000. A new school building has been constructed on the adjacent school field and has been built onto the front of the original Canteen. Building work has now been completed. The new school was put into use after half-term on 1st March 2000. The official name for the school is now Brookfield Primary School.

In June 2000, the transfer took place for the sale of the entire site of the original school to Threshold Tennant Trust, 467 Garratt Lane, London, SW8 4SN, Tel 020 8875 5555, Fax 020 8874 5661 for the building of a cheap housing estate (the land of the Clinic and Clinic Roadway was sold separately at auction to a different company for the same purpose).
Demolition took place in September 2000. Despite local opposition to the proposals by the company for 26 dwellings on the old school site, the proposal was approved after the the plans went to Committee in January 2001. Although the buildings themselves have been demolished, no building work has yet been undertaken, and the site remains empty. Click Here to see some Photographs of the site.

If anyone has any photographs of the school from the past, then please get in touch. We are very interested in unearthing as much visual information as possible on the history of the school as virtually no material such as photographs or video/film has been retained over the years.

We are particularly interested in any photographs from the 30�s, 40�s and 50�s - the decades in which most of the structural changes took place (particularly photographs of the �flying bomb� damage from 1944). Even old class photos from these decades, or video film of school events (even standard 8-mm or Super-8mm film from the 60�s or 70�s) is of interest in the light of the end of the original school site.
Other material of interest are items such as Old Newsletters /Parents letters and Programmes produced for things such as school nativity plays and other school productions. There was also a Ridge School Magazine produced by the pupils during the 1950�s, which is also of interest.
So far, extensive research with all the official sources (Sutton Borough Archives, Surrey History Centre, Surrey County Council and Sutton Council) has revealed that not one single historical photograph exists, thus if any photographic material does exist anywhere, it is with past Staff, Pupils, Parents of pupils or members of the public that lived close to the school at some point over the last 67 years.
If anyone has any material at all from the last 67 years of Ridge Primary , knows where material can be located or knows someone that has any, please get in touch, e-mail Researcher
Another important source for photographs from the 1930�s to the 1980s, are the local newspapers which would have featured many articles on the school over the years, possibly some accompanied by photographs. However, with thousands upon thousands of editions over the past 68 years, it is virtually impossible to locate many of the articles without approximate dates. Accordingly, if anybody remembers articles or photographs relating to the school that featured in the local papers over the years (even if you do not have a clipping or the precise date), then please e-mail. Any information about the existence of articles or photographs that have featured in the papers would be of help, even if you can only remember the approximate year. This will mean that a comprehensive list of articles and pictures that have featured in the local papers can then be compiled. To view a current list of the articles that are known about from the 1930�s to the 1980�s, click on the following: List of Old Newspaper Articles on the School

Ridge
Primary
School

September 1932 - February 2000


History of

(especially e-mail if you joined the school in March/April Easter intake 1985 and have the initials D. D. R)

Now continuing in a new building as Brookfield Primary School, Ridge Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM3 9LY. Although demolished, the original site remains empty (as of 30/04/2001). Only the building has been demolished - the front railings, front trees, playground, clinic roadway and Horse Chestnut Tree with Logs currently remain, although will not longer exist once building work commences on the housing estate in the near future (see below for address of Company which has bought the site). The company that has purchased the site legally has 5 years to build the housing estate for which it has submitted plans. Click Here to see some Photographs of the site.

Updated: 30/04/2001