The Phoenix Primary: Leinster Road, Laindon

The Phoenix Primary School opened in September 2003, following the decision to amalgamate and rename Bluehouse County Infant and Junior School.

The school had originally opened as Bluehouse County Infant/Junior school in September 1965 to serve the new Laindon 1, 2 & 3 and future Five Links housing estates then being constructed close by, parts of which were occupied by 1966.

The original name of the school was to have been Laindon East Primary School but by 1964 during early construction had become Bluehouse after a local farm that once stood nearby, and whose farmhouse was still residential until the early 1970s, before being demolished around 1974.

Initially pupil numbers were low, and in 1968, many 1st year Junior intake were transferred from nearby Janet Duke to increase numbers.

The first infant school headmistress was Mrs J.L.G. Wilson and the first junior school headmaster was Mr H.C. Goodwin, who had previously held the same post at Vange County Primary School.

A traditional house point system operated comprising: Danes (blue), Normans (yellow), Romans (red) and Saxons (green). A later house system in use during the 1980s with names taken from English castles was Arundel, Colchester, Dover and Rochester.

An early feature of the playing field between the infant and junior school were some elm trees, which were later removed in the early 1970s possibly as a result of a national outbreak of Dutch elm disease.

Swimming lessons were held at nearby Nicholas school, with some swimming examinations being taken at Hutton, though Basildon's Gloucester Park was soon used for both lessons and examinations.

During the early 1970s, demountable classrooms appeared as intake expanded when the Five Links estate was completed. A caretakers house was built in the 1990s.

The first Head Teacher, Mr. Goodwin, was in charge until at least the end of the summer term in 1977 and probably beyond. The last junior school Head Teacher was Mr Peter Minter, who left in July 2002. For the final year, 2002/2003, Mrs Mabel Butcher, Head Teacher of the infant school, became acting Head Teacher of Bluehouse junior, with her deputy becoming acting Head Teacher of the infant school. Following the official closure of Bluehouse on 31st August 2003 Mrs Butcher was appointed Head Teacher of The Phoenix Primary School.

Some junior school teachers from the 1960s and 1970s include Mrs Olive Willcock (1W), Mrs Hales, Mrs Greig (1G), Mr Mitchell (2M), Mrs Jones (3J), Mr Parry, Mr McGoldrick, Mr W.J. Addicott (3A) (assembly pianist), Mr Gifford (4G), Mr David Eagling (4E) (deputy Headmaster), Mr Dave Drummond (3D, 4D), Mr Evans, Mr Salmon, Mr Flaxman, Mrs Audrey Choules (2C), Mrs Liddament (3L) and Mrs Jefferies (4J).

Later teachers include Mr Salt (Headteacher), Mrs Kemp (infants), Mrs Prentice (infants), Mrs Flook (infants), Mrs Knightley (infants), Mrs Yallop, Mr Carter, Mrs Horn, Mr Street, Mr Williams, Mr Bolt, Mrs Swatton, Mrs Bailey, Mrs Telford, Miss Hunt, Mrs Smedley, Mrs Mahortra, Mrs Potts, Mrs Smith and Mrs Reese.

Copyright
Unless otherwise specified, all photographs appearing on the Basildon History website, are the sole property of Basildon History Online and are protected by copyrights and laws. You may not modify, copy, reproduce, upload, transmit, republish, post, publicly display, prepare derivative works based on, or distribute in any way Basildon History's own material without first receiving written permission. You may download photographs, images and text provided it is for your own personal non-commercial home use.