Southwood School / St Margaret's Probation Home, Sydenham, London
On January 11th, 1944, the Southwood Approved School for Senior Girls was certified for operation at 6 Sydenham Hill, Sydenham. The School, which was run by the Salvation Army, received girls aged between their 15th and 17th birthdays at their date of admission and provided them with domestic training.
On March 20th, 1950, the School's managers announced their intention to resign its Certificate of Approval.
The premises subsequently became St Margaret's Approved Probation Home and later a home for girls. From 1977 to 1982, it accommodated children from The Haven while its premises on Crystal Palace Park Road were being rebuilt.
The property is now in private residential use, renumbered as 12 Sydenham Hill.
Records
Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.
- None identfied at present — any information welcome.
Bibliography
- Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain's Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
- Hyland,Jim Yesterday's Answers: Yesterday's Answers: Development and Decline of Schools for Young Offenders (1993, Whiting and Birch)
- Millham, S, Bullock, R, and Cherrett, P After Grace — Teeth: a comparative study of the residential experience of boys in Approved Schools (1975, Chaucer Publishing)
Links
- The Therapeutic Care Journal — has a number of articles relating to Approved Schools.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.