| AdminHistory | A site for the establishment of an open-air school was offered by Mr and Mrs Barrow Cadbury in July 1910 in the grounds of a house called Uffculme in Kings Heath with the Elementary Education Sub-Committee as Managers of the school (see BCC/1/BH/2/1). Children suffering varying physical weakness such as asthma, bronchitis or poor nutrition at home were intended to attend for periods averaging ten months before returning to mainstream schools.
The control and management of the school was temporarily referred to a special sub-committee in July 1911, the Open-air School Sub-Committee, which included the Chairman of the Education Committee and the Chairman of the Elementary Education Sub-Committee amongst its number. By December 1911 it was decided to place the control and management of the school under the Special Schools Sub-Committee and discontinue the Open-air School Sub-Committee (see BCC/1/BH/5/1 Special School Committee). Recommendations of the Open-air School Visitors were included in the minutes of the Special Schools Sub-Committee but it was still decided from November 1913 to record minutes of the Open-Air School Visitors separately as the Uffculme Open-air School Visitors Sub-Committee.
By December 1919, the sub-committee was known as the [Uffculme] Open-air School Sub-Committee and by December 1921 was known as the Residential and Open-Air Schools Sub-Committee. Other schools administered by the sub-committee include the Cropwood Residential Open-Air School, Blackwell which opened in June 1922, and was also a gift from Mr and Mrs Barrow Cadbury. The records of the Marsh Hill Open-air School 1931 - 1966 are held by Birmingham City Archives, catalogue reference S 128, as are the records of the Haseley Hall Open-air School 1947 - 1977, catalogue reference S 94. |