The Macmillan Nursery School

A Mexborough Girl in London

Last week on this page was published an account of the child welfare work which was being done in the country generally, and in this district in particular ; now, from London, comes an interesting letter and article dealing with the work of a nursery school in the slum area.

The writer is Miss I. M. Hilliard, of Mexborough, who is a student at the, Rachel McMillan Training Centre, Deptford. Miss Hilliard remarks that there is already a similar school in Bramall Lane, Sheffield, run by one of the Training Centre’s old student, and that others are shortly to be opened in Rotherham and Doncaster.

“It is a real pity that Mexborough, although possessing one of the finest secondary schools in England, should not consider its babies and mothers a little more,” she added.

Miss Hilliard extends a cordial invitation to Mexborough mothers, and anyone interested in the work, to visit the school. The official visitors a day is on the first Wednesday of every month, and parties who are in London and would like to see the school are asked to communicate with the principal, Miss Stevenson, The Rachel McMillan Training Centre, 232, Church Street. Deptford, S.E.8

Interesting Work.

“Our school,” Miss Millard writes,” was first opened by the late Rachel McMillan, in the face of great opposition. The older children were tackled first; and with the assistance of Miss Margaret McMillan (who now travels all over England, Scotland and Wales popularising the movement), she began this great pioneer work.  Miss Rachel died on her birthday in 1917, but the school was carried on by Miss Margaret, who has done much to establish it upon a firm basis.’

The work is going forward now, but we have only got in the thin end of the wedge.

We begin with babies of two years, and we have children of all ages up to fourteen. The day’s work begin about half-past eight with bathing and washing. Then follows breakfast, and games, walks round the garden, etc. The children take dinner about half-past eleven to twelve o’clock. The beds are put out, and the children sleep after dinner until about two o’clock. They dance, and lessons or games in the afternoon, and take tea, about four o’clock. After tea they play with beads, books or plasticine, and about five o’clock their parents begin to fetch them home. The children’s ailments are all attended to, and if they stay in the school their health is looked after entirely.”

The photograph shows a happy little group of two-gear-olds enjoying a “slide” in the garden, of the school. Such a school is an excellent idea, especially in busy, slum districts like Deptford; but it might well be introduced into any town for the convenience of working mothers.