Ave Maria Community Home, Eltham, Bulk, 1903-1983 1871; 1903-2009, bulk: 1903 - 1983
Scope and Contents note
Sub-series consists of material acquired and accumulated by Reverend Mother of Bermondsey Congregation, the Sisters at Eltham, and Cabrini Childrens' Society in relation to Ave Maria Community Home: Admission registers; log Books; managers meetings; Head Teachers' correspondence; wages; buildings and maintenance; medical records; education and activities; Ave Maria Mercy Community; legal actions.
Dates
- Creation: Bulk, 1903-1983 1871; 1903-2009
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1903 - 1983
Conditions Governing Access note
Subject to closure for periods up to 100 years. Under the Data Protection Act (1998) access to Ave Maria Community Home records is on written application to the Archivist and approval by the Generalate of the Institute of Our Lady of Mercy GB.
Biographical/Historical note
Ave Maria School opened in Eltham in 1947. At that time it was under the Home Office. The 1969 Act changed the name to Community Home with Education (C.H.E.) from 01 October 1973 under the care of the Congregation. The School catered for 59 girls between the ages of 11 and 16 years with serious emotional, social and educational problems.
The aim of the school has been to help the girls to rediscover themselves in relation to their own personality, the community and society at large through a structured but caring environment. The charisma of the school has been to enable the girls to develop their personalities by a gradual withdrawal of the degree of dependence and external controls initially required. The Education Programme catered for a wide range of intellectual ability. Subjects covered were: English, Mathematics, Social Studies, Health Education, Geography, History, Child Development, Religious Studies, Home Economics, Needlework and Art. Girls of the required age were entered for C.S.E. examinations. Some girls achieved as many as eight Grade 1 passes although on entering the school at 13 or 14 years old their attainment had been assessed as below average by Educational Psychologists. This success can only be attributed to a stable environment and regular schooling which had hitherto been absent factors in the lives of these unfortunate youngsters.
Besides the normal school curriculum a variety of evening activities were made available and possible by the school's connection with the Kingsdown Park Youth Centre and expertise of the Residential Staff of the school itself. Such activities included Physical Education, Games, Typing, Art, Toymaking, Cookery, Woodwork, Craft, Knitting and Crochet. To extend experience and stimulate creativity many school journeys were organised and the following are some of the places that have been visited: The Isle of Man, The Isle of Wight, Devon, The Lake District, Derbyshire, Wales, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Portugal, The Channel Islands.
[Taken from an undated paper within the Ave Maria series of papers.]
Full Extent
9 box
Language of Materials
From the Sub-Fonds: English
Appraised out
The following files were appraised out and shredded on 09 April 2010 by Kate Johnston, IOLM Archivist: 1) Local Authority Day Book 1980-1982 recording monies given to girls 2) Fire precautions building works with certificates and fire drill record 3) Income and expenditure 1982-1983 4) Auditors' reports 1975-1981 5) Redundancy National Insurance payments 1981-1982 6) Buildings and maintenance finance for Ave Maria Hostel, Croydon 1975-1981 7) Buildings and maintenance finance for Ave Maria, Eltham 1976-1982 These were appraised out in accordance with the 1980 Limitations Act and The National Archives' records retention and disposal schedules at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/retention-disposal-schedules.htm. Also the records were not deemed to be helpful for data subjects tracing their backgrounds.
NB. Exceptions are the 1973 Bills of Quantities and the Attendance Registers, kept as the first might illuminate the now-demolished building and the second because the girls' files were lost.
Repository Details
Part of the Bermondsey Convent of Mercy Repository