A SEARCH through an elderly woman’s possessions unearthed a rare panoramic photograph of the Oxford Central Girls’ School.

It was found among the belongings of Christine Kilbee who, as Christine Hann, was a pupil in the 1930s.

She lived in Canal Street, Jericho, in her schooldays and spent her later life as a resident of North Hinksey village. She died in 2010.

The picture, taken in May 1936, was sent in by her nephew, Mr P J Couling, of North Hinksey Lane.

As we have recalled, the school in New Inn Hall Street had a strict code of discipline.

Former pupils have spoken of pupils being banned from sunbathing during their lunch break, told to stay indoors on four nights a week to do homework, banned from shops when in school uniform and forbidden to scream.

The school’s roots go back to 1797 when the Rev James Hinton, of New Road Baptist Church, founded four Sunday and day schools in different parts of Oxford, one of which was destined to become the girls’ school. By 1812, the four schools had become one mixed school of 50 boys and 50 girls, known as the United Charity and Sunday Schools, based in Gloucester Green. A new school was built in Pensons Gardens, St Ebbe’s. It ceased to cater for boys, except on Sundays, in 1835. It later became known as the Oxford Girls' British School, designed to train children to develop into “intelligent and affectionate daughters, sisters, wives and mothers and honest, true-hearted, pious and reverent servants of God”. In 1882, the school moved to larger premises in New Inn Hall Street. It survived until 1959 when it moved to Gipsy Lane, Headington, and became Cheney Girls’ Grammar School. The new name did not go down well. A petition signed by 500 old girls called on the city council to name the school Chadwick Grammar School, after Louise Chadwick, headmistress for 36 years, but to no avail.

Can anyone name any of the teachers and staff above? The other two parts of the picture will appear soon.