Scope and content
Records of Stoatley Rough School, 1923-2000, including Council Meeting reports, 1935-1959,
dealing with the administration of the school; general administrative material, 1933-1962,
notably salary books, annual accounts, memorandum and articles of association and
pupil card files; school desk diaries, 1949-1955, giving details of term dates and
appointments; general administrative correspondence, 1934-1960, including letters
relating to the establishment of the school, pupil applications, building maintenance,
former pupils and teachers, as well as correspondence with the Jewish Refugees Committee;
academic papers, 1934-1960, including examination papers, certificates, syllabuses,
timetables and pupils' exercise books; school reports, 1939-1950; pupil files, 1932-1960;
material concerning student helpers, 1950-1951, including index cards and correspondence;
general papers and publications, 1923-1960, notably attendance and ration lists, papers
relating to teaching methods, and material on various refugee organisations; various
memoirs and reminiscences by former students and staff, 1948-1991, notably an oral
history by Eleonore Astfalck; a typescript history of Stoatley Rough School, 1990.
Later deposits include the personal papers of Dr. Hilde Lion including material relating
to her early life and career in Germany; papers of Gerda Mayer; papers collected by
Herta Loeser and deposited by Barbara Wolfenden in 2008, including History Steering
Group papers, 1990s; papers relating to the search for former pupils and arrangements
for reunions, 1990s; letters to and from former staff and students, including a few
items from the 1930s-1940s, but mainly dating from the 1990s.
Record creators history
Stoatley Rough School was founded by Dr Hilde Lion in 1934 as a mixed boarding school,
mainly for refugee children from Nazi Europe. It was recognised by the Ministry of
Education in 1940. After World War Two, a number of British pupils from disadvantaged
backgrounds were sent to the school by local authorities. It was also attended by
private boarders. Stoatley Rough was run as a non-profit-making concern, and was closed
upon the retirement of Dr Lion in 1960. The Stoatley Rough School History Steering
Committee (later the Stoatley Rough School Association) was constituted in July 1991
following a reunion, and is dedicated to preserving, cataloguing and researching the
historical records of the School.
Processing information
Sources: British Library of Political and Economic Science Archives catalogue. Compiled
by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 project. Updated Apr 2008 by LSE Archives
Accruals
Source of acquisition
Upon the closure of Stoatley Rough School, Dr Hilde Lion removed the records to her
own house with the intention of writing a sociological study of the school. On her
death in 1970 the papers were bequeathed to Louise Leven, who deposited them in the
British Library of Political and Economic Science. Further deposits were made by members
of the Stoatley Rough School History Committee (later the Stoatley Rough School Association)
and others in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2008
System of arrangement
The collection is arranged as follows: 1. Council meeting reports. 2. School diaries.
3. Correspondence. 4. Academic Papers. 5. School reports. 6. Pupil files. 7. Student
helpers. 8. General papers. 9. Publications. 10. Pupil files (Additional). 11. Additional
Material. 12. Gerda Mayer. 13. Additional Papers Deposited by Gillian Weinmann in
September 2006. 14. Additional material deposited in 2008. 15. Papers collected by
Herta Loeser
Conditions governing access
Mainly open; some items closed
Conditions governing reproduction
Rights to access and re-use digital objects:
Unknown
Most items can be photocopied, subject to handling and copyright restrictions. No
material may be published without the prior permission of both the copyright holder
and the Library. All applications for publication must be made to the Archivist in
the first instance, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with
the user.
Other finding aids
Catalogue available from Archives staff
Publication note
Ed Hans Loeser Since then...(Privately printed, 1971), containing letters from former pupils and staff of the
School.
Extent
53 boxes
Keywords
Subjects:
Boarding schools
Educational management
Formal education
Migrant education
Refugee education
Schools
Educational institutions
Geographic names:
Stoatley Rough Haslemere Surrey England
London England
Personal names:Astfalck, Eleonore, b 1900, teacher Lewent, Herta, b 1921, afterwards Loeser Lion, Hilde, d 1970, teacher Mayer, Gerda, b 1927, nee Stein, poet
Corporate names: Jewish Refugees Committee Stoatley Rough School Stoatley Rough School History Steering Committee
Language of the material
English , German
Record creator
Content provider
British Library of Political and Economic Science