Mr. Armitage was educated at King James' Grammar School,
Almondbury, Yorkshire, and at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He has MA and
BSc degrees. He was senior science and mathematics master at King's
School, Rochester, and senior physics master at Bradfield College.
RADAR
During the last war he joined the RAFVR and undertook
special scientific duties under the War Office at the AA Command School
studying and then training in the use of radar. He was first head of the
Wireless (Telecommunications) Wing of the Army Radio School and one of
their most urgent problems was the dealing with flying bombs.
Mr. Armitage, who was always a very keen sportsman,
became, headmaster of Soham Grammar School in 1945. He remained there
until the school went comprehensive in 1972 before taking the post as
director of the Sixth Form Centre.
Soham Grammar School was always blessed with a fine
academic record and Mr. Armitage thinks he knows why. "When I arrived at
the school there was already a number of very long-serving staff there
and these were gradually replaced with another group of equally
long-serving staff," he said. "They say you can't make bricks without
straw and I am sure getting this sort of continuity among the staff at
the school was very important."
"I have enjoyed my time at Ely, it was really not that
much different from Soham. We have almost 200 pupils in the sixth form
and the maximum number of pupils at Soham was less than 500. The main
difference was that for the first time we had girls at the school -
which I thoroughly enjoyed."
Even at Soham Mr. Armitage tried to foster the atmosphere
of a club among the sixth form pupils and this attitude is even more
pronounced at Ely. "They are given the sort of freedom they would have
at university, and we hope if there are any mistakes to be made, they
will be made here rather than later. It is like a club in as much as if
you break the rules the first thing that happens is that you incur the
displeasure of those in authority - and if it goes on the next thing
that happens is you may have your membership cancelled."
Sixth Form Director's 42 years in education
Past and present pupils and past and present
colleagues assembled at the City of Ely College on Friday
to pay tribute to Mr Edward Armitage at the end of a long
and distinguished career.
After three years as Director of the Sixth Form and 42
years in education - 27 of them as Headmaster of Soham
Grammar School prior to the advent of Comprehensive
education - Mr Armitage retires at the end of the summer
term.
At the ceremony he was presented with a brandy decanter
and glasses by Colin Hambridge on behalf of the school.
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The Principal of the Federation of Ely Colleges, Mr
Peter Thacker, said: "I would like to hope Mr Armitage would feel he
has helped to create something which is going to be as vitally
important in the education of this area and this community as splendid
work he did before he came here. I really hope that is so, and I
believe that it is".
In a review of his three years as Director Mr Armitage said: "At the
Sixth Form Centre the soil has been dug and much effort has been
expended. Not everything planted has 'taken' but the evidence is there
that some healthy growing has begun. The years to come will I hope "
bring the full flowering and the real fruit."
But as evidence of some ofthe initial fruits of his labours Mr
Armitage cited the 59 former pupils who were at various further
education centres around the country: 26 at university, 21 at colleges
of further education, nine at polytechnics and three at art colleges.
Mr Armitage also paid tribute to the efforts of Mrs Smith, who is also
retiring after 25 years as his secretary. She was presented with a
salver to mark the occasion.
source: Ely Standard, 1975, via Stephen J Martin
A goblet for Mr Armitage
Ely Standard, July 1975: via Gwyn Murfet
Over 70 past and present colleagues and their wives
entertained Mr and Mrs Edward Armitage to dinner at the
White Hart, Newmarket, on Friday to mark Mr Armitage's
retirement after 42 years in the teaching profession.
During the evening, on behalf of the assembly and several
absent colleagues, Mr R A Taylor presented Mr Armitage with
an engraved glass goblet by Stefan Oliver, incorporating the
arms of Soham Grammar School and the City of Ely College. To
Mrs Armitage, who managed the boarding house at Soham
Grammar School for 26 years and also served on the staff, he
presented a cheque for a commissioned water-colour painting
by Peter Gill.
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Pictured with the goblet: Mr and Mrs Armitage,
with Mr Taylor centre. |
Mr Armitage taught at King's, Rochester, and Bradfield College before
coming to Soham Grammar School as Headmaster in 1945. He remained there
for 27 years, during which time he built up Soham into one of the
leading grammar schools in the eastern part of the country, on both the
academic and sporting sides.
With the coming of comprehensive reorganisation in 1972 Mr Armitage was
appointed Director of the Sixth Form Centre at the City of Ely College,
and has seen the Centre through its first three years with great
success.
In reply to a toast proposed by Mr Taylor, a colleague of long standing
and until recently Deputy Head of Soham Village College, Mr Armitage
paid tribute to the loyal and talented staff who had served with him at
Soham. He advised youngercolleagues not to spend time looking back. "You
can no more stop the advance of comprehensive reorganisation over the
whole country than you can stop the tide, orthe wearing of long hair",
he said. "If academic standards should fall, that is the price that has
to be paid for classless education and society is prepared to pay for
it".
Mr Armitage concluded by quoting Ruskin: "It is the crowning virtue of
all great art that however little is left of it by the injuries of time,
that little will be lovely". "What, therefore", he added, "that still
remains of Soham Grammar School and of Ely High School is still lovely
and making its influence felt in the continuing development of education
at Soham and Ely, and we should therefore be thankful and glad that we
have played our part in the unfolding pattern and that you have still an
important part to play".
Rod Armitage 16 Dec 2009: Here are the front covers of
some of the books.
If you can add to this page or provide better photos please
contact
the editor
page last updated 22 Oct 2009
