Watling Way Middle School
Head Waits For His New School
A headmaster without a school - that’s Mr Ronald Titcomb who took up his post as head of the Watling Way Middle School, Stony Stratford, at the beginning of the autumn term. Mr Titcomb, who is living at Yardley Gobion until he finds a home of his own, pays almost a daily visit to the building site just south of Stony Stratford on the Galley Hill housing estate to watch progress. The school is being built by the same firm that had the contract for the extensions at the Radcliffe School, Wolverton.
First houses on the Galley Hill estate are expected to be Mr Ronald Titcomb, pictured on a visit to the Watling Way Middle School building site ready by February and will be occupied at the rate of 40 a month. But the Bucks County Council, after its experience with the Radcliffe, is obviously reluctant to say when the new school will be ready. The architects are keeping their fingers crossed that the school can open in the middle of the summer term next year.
Noose Newsletter, May 1982
When one starts to reflect on the last ten years it is staggering to think that 1489 children and 51 teachers have been to the school. I wonder how many remember the school opening in a house in Bunsty Court, in May 1972, with 10 children Miss Lal and myself. In September 1972 we occupied a couple of classrooms in the school and pushed the builders through the school. The school grew rapidly as the estates developed until there were over 600 children and six additional transportable classrooms. The First School and Youth Club/Swimming Pool were finished in 1976. The younger children transferred end the two schools began to establish their own identity but always ensuring that we had the common concern of each individual childs development.
I have always considered the school as an integral part of the community and our links with old and young have continued to a lesser or greater degree as the demands change at ay moment. I reflect often on the pioneering spirit that was necessary in the early years when we were ankle deep in mud, twenty/thirty children arriving weekly and new teachers establishing themselves in the school. MY priority was and always will be to create a caring school community concerned with others arid the environment in which they live. I do know that whenever we have visitors or whenever our children make visits we are told how well mannered courteous and polite they are and. that to me is vitally important if they are going to become worthwhile members of the community as adults.
I have enjoyed being a part of the growth of this corner of the New City over the first ten years and I look forward to the next ten years.
R.Titcomb
Headmaster
Watling Way Middle School
In Memory of Ron Titcomb
After five increasingly confusing years, Ron, aged 82, died peacefully on November 27th 2006 at Princess Marina Hospital in Northampton. His funeral was held at Crown Hill Crematorium on December 4th. Ron came to Milton Keynes in 1971 to open the first primary school to be built in the new city. He made Watling Way (now Queen Eleanor) on Galley Hill estate, the centre of the new community, arranging social events for parents, a luncheon club, whist drives and Christmas parties for the senior citizens and Saturday film shows for the children.
He was always enthusiastic about this new city and was proud to represent his colleagues as President of the Buckinghamshire branch of the National Association of Head Teachers. Any donations to the memory of Ron can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society, South Northants branch or Parkinson’s Society, Northampton branch.
Sylvia Titcomb