Newspaper cutting - most probably Watford Observer
MOST DANGEROUS MISSILES - WORDS
Emphasising the value and importance of the proper use of the English language, Sir Robert Watson-Watt, the eminent scientist who created radar, told Bushey Grammar School pupils on Tuesday: The most dangerous missiles in the world are words. The H-bomb will not be launched except by mistaken use of words, and our defence against the H-bomb is the right use of words.
Sir Robert, who was speaking at the School’s annual speech day and prizegiving, urged the youngsters: Whatever else you neglect, I would beg you to treat the English language as a most important tool for whatever vocation you are to take up.
To those who were likely to become technologists, Sir Robert said. I have not the remotest doubt that far more brilliant projects have gone wrong because of bad English in their presentation than because of bad physics in their working out.
In this third annual report, the Headmaster (Mr. F.J.P. O’Connor) reviewed the school’s numerous activities and said he thought they could claim to compare with those two outstanding schools - our neighbours in Watford.
Referring to school successes, which included six pupils accepted for universities, Mr. O’Connor warned parents of abler children that the school had been recommended by the Ministry to think about a seven years course to advanced level. If they do not stay on for seven years it will be difficult for them to get full benefit out of arrangements made possible by the new General Certificate of Education, he said.
The family feeling
The Headmaster also had a word to say about the threat to grammar schools in the suggestion that they should be comprehensive schools. To those who thought all children should go to school in a community of 2,000 - the normal size for a comprehensive school - Mr. O’Connor pointed out that the existing family feeling would be difficult to maintain and that in his opinion, a great deal that mattered would be lost.
From the chair, County Councillor K.E. O’Bryen (chairman of the governors) mentioned the proposed formation of a Parent-Teacher Association.
Principal prizewinners were: Freeman cup (outstanding academic achievement), T. Cuerel; Chairman’s prize for head boy, P.B.Rose; Vice-Chairman’s prize for head girl, Marlene Richards; Headmaster’s prize for English, Mary Smethurst; Humphries art prize, Sheila Vollam; Adkins Memorial prize for mathematics, R. Woodhead; history, Josie Ulrich; geography, Janet Farr; French, M. Garrett; sciences, Susan Randall, A.J.Mitchell, W.D.Jordan; drama, F.H.Combley; excellent all-round performance in General Certificate, Anne Reed.
Form prizes: Fourth, Anne Box, D.K.Coombs, J.Onyet; Third, B.Warner, K.C.Martin, J.M.Lee; Second, Patricia Hacon, J.Box, Carol Higham, Jennifer Linsell; First, Annabel Leaney, Jennifer Toombs and P.J.Tolchard.
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