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The Bromley & Bexley Special Schools Sports Association was formed and Mrs Rackham, the Head Teacher,
Goddington School, was elected Secretary, since when there have been 2 swimming galas and two sports days, a crosscountry
run and football matches. The swimming pool is now covered and swimming takes place during all the months
except November to February.
The senior boys and girls of Goddington School worked on a six months educational programme on the
dimensions and role of housecraft based on the organisation and preparation needed for a wedding. It involved work
in budgeting, needlework, cake making, planning the music for the wedding, the lay-out of the invitation card etc.
Work was also done on the health aspects of marriage and family and a visit to the Family Planning Clinic was
arranged, and subsequently a mock wedding took place at the local Baptist Church Hall, when the following talk
was given:-
"At this point in the service I usually address the bride and groom, but as this is not a real wedding, I felt
this would be a good time to explain why we are here.
The Senior Boys & Girls of Goddington have been working for the past six months on an educational and
social developmental project based on the organisation and preparation needed for a wedding. The bride's dress was
a present from a parent and the veil lent by the sister of one of the Senior Girls. But the bridesmaids' dresses and
head-dresses were made by the girls themselves as were also the table decorations for the reception. The food was
prepared by the Senior Boys, who also made the cake. The groom decorated the cake himself, helped by a Class 7
boy who made the fondant flowers. The children have taken photgraphs of these processes which they will
develop themselves.
I have visited the school twice to talk about the religious meaning of a wedding. The girls have visited at
my home for coffee and also came along twice to church.
In Handicraft home maintenance and interior decoration and renovation has been thoroughly explored.
Health education has included visits to local clinics and has included much time spent discussing the morals and
responsibilities of marriage.
In English lessons the invitations were planned, letters asking friends to be bridesmaids, forms were filled
in from the local Housing Office, "thank-you" letters were written for presents and the home-movie film sequence
planned.
Mathematics lessons were very busy costing all the activities, hire of cars, halls, cost of church, choir,
flowers, food, wine, the honeymoon etc. Also the cost of furnishing and running a small flat.
The hymns and music were chosen by the children, and the school choir is very thrilled to be actually
singing in the choir stalls of the church.
As you can see, the involvement of the children in this event has been very full, and will continue after
today with follow-up work at the school. Perhaps the greatest value is in the poise and confidence which has
obviously developed in the children through this experience of taking the learning situation out of schools".
The seniors have felt a continued interest in the project after the wedding and have done drawings and
a film of the entire work of the school.
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