Steephill School

In 1935, a woman named Eileen Bignold embarked on a journey to shape young minds. She founded Steephill School. Imagine this very site, not with a school building as we see it today, but with a cozy house nestled amidst sprawling grounds. That was Steephill School in its infancy. The first classrooms? They were housed right where the staff room is now! Steephill School started small, welcoming just a handful of children between five and seven years old. With the outbreak of World War II, the school became a refuge for some students who boarded with Miss Bignold. Can you picture them, sleeping in the room that now houses the school’s library, surrounded by books and stories? As the war ended and a new era dawned, Steephill School blossomed. It expanded its embrace to students up to eleven years old. The school’s growth led to the addition of classrooms in various huts and within the main house. It was a time of warmth and nurturing. Miss Bignold, known for her delicious homemade sausages, personally cooked lunch for the children every day. Today, Steephill School stands as a testament to the vision of its founder and the dedication of a community that rallied to keep its spirit alive. It’s a place where past and present intertwine, a place where the echoes of laughter from those early huts still seem to linger in the air.