In 1950 the School Council was founded with two representatives from each form, two from the staff and the Head Girl as Chairman.  By 1951 they had succeeded in gaining permission for the sixth and Upper fifth to wear skirts instead of tunics, had set in motion a search for a better material and style for summer dresses, were trying to decide on the form for a new school flag and were looking for a school song.

The school had sung Roger Quilter's Non Nobis Domine at Speech Day in 1950.  In 1952 it was adopted as the School Song and has been sung ever since.

In 1951 for the first time the girls took the General Certificate of Education which the Ministry had brought in to replace the old School Certificate and Higher Certificate.  At first the Ordinary Level could not be taken under the age of 16, but it was  possible to take papers both at O Level and Advanced Level at the same time.

This photo from 1949 shows a sewing lesson at Denmark Road Girls School in Gloucester - making and mending clothes had become an essential skill in the war years.

The girls' energies were by no means directed exclusively at examination work.  1951 was a year of great creative activity.  A Sketch Club was formed and gave the first of many exhibitions of paintings and craft work.

Jane Weller had a poem accepted by the BBC which was broadcast in May 1951.

Chemistry Lesson

Much Ado About Nothing - June 1949

Nativity Play 1951

The Rivals Play 1951

Netball 1st VII

Hockey Ist XI

Old Girls' News

Valerie Conway after studying at the Slade School of Fine Arts in London was selected  by the French Government for their scholarship to Paris for a year to study art.

Mrs Brodie (Margaret Blackwell) was awarded a Certificate by thee Royal Humane Society for her rescue of a child from the Gloucester Canal.

Mrs Whitehouse (Pat Horlick) has gained a Cambridge Ph.D.

Millicent Jeens is teaching Biology at the BAOR Boarding School in Plon, Germany.

 

Non Nobis Domine

Roger Quilter

Non Nobis Domine!

Not unto us, O Lord;

The praise and glory be

Of any deed or word.

For in thy judgement lies

To crown or bring to nought

All knowledge and device

That man has reached or wrought.

 

And we confess our blame,

How all too high we hold

That noise which men call fame,

That dross which men call gold.

For these we undergo

Our hot and godless days,

But in our souls we know

Not unto us the praise.

 

O Power by whom we live

Creator, Judge and Friend

Upholdingly forgive,

Nor leave us at the end.

But grant us yet to see;

In all our piteous ways,

Non Nobis Domine;

Not unto us the praise.

Non Nobis, Non Nobis, Non Nobis, Domine.

 

What's happening in history?

4th of April 1949 : Foundation of NATO
18th of April 1949 : Republic of Ireland established
5th of June 1949 : Noddy’s First Appearance
8th of June 1949 : 1984 Published
29th of July 1949 : First Regular TV Weather Forecasts
22nd of September 1950 : First Non-Stop Transatlantic Jet Flight
16th of October 1950 : The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Published
17th of April 1951 : Peak District is designated Britain's first national park
24th of April 1951 : Glorious Glosters Stand at Imjin River
22nd of May 1951 : Burgess and Maclean Defect
26th of October 1951 : Churchill becomes PM again
31st of October 1951 : Zebra Crossing Introduced