There were a number of county elementary schools in Oswestry, alongside the private preparatory schools and the secondary schools. Kellys Directory of Schools in 1917 lists these schools in Oswestry:
- Oswestry Boys High School
(William Jemmett MA Headteacher) Holbache Road
- Oswestry Girls School
(Miss Lucretia Mickleburgh Headteacher) Upper Brook Street
The girls arrived at school one day to find their hockey pitch dug up for potatoes. All were keen to help in the war effort. Cooking courses were held in the kitchen to eke out rations. Teacher Miss Robson demonstrated maize trifle, potato shortbread and oatmeal and maize biscuits which did not use flour. What was produced was apparently “very nourishing”!
- Oswestry Grammar School
(A Cawood BSc Headteacher) Upper Brook Street
- Oswestry School of Art
(Arthur Bassett Waller Headteacher) Arthur Street
The Art School was taken over with volunteers to produce clothing for the military under the patronage of Lady Harlech. Here in just one week 244 garments were cut out and sent to be made up at home.
- Oswestry Science Classes
(Harry Darling Master) Guildhall
This school offered practical technical subjects like mechanical drawing, engineering and mining calculations.
There were also these private schools listed which were Preparatory schools:
- Queens Park School, a girls boarding school, in Queens Park, run by Misses Hoult, Weyermann and Porter
- Brookside, a boys prep school on Lower Brook Street, run by Miss Neta Pryce
- Rilston School, a girls prep school at Bellan House, Church Street, headed by Miss Emily Beatrice Williams
- Storan House, a girls boarding school, in Upper Brook Street, run by Mrs Ellen AC Lloyd Williams
- Arnold House was a boys prep school in Masonic Hall, headed by Charles Maltby MA
- Misses N and J Ellis ran a mixed prep school on Morda Road
- Misses I Fraser and M Grant had a mixed prep school at 16 Stewart Road
- Miss Sarah Jane Lloyd also ran a mixed prep school at 48 Park Avenue
At the elementary schools similar activities were arranged to encourage children to participate in the war effort. Children were asked to collect eggs for the hospital patients and many farmers complained of being pestered by the children on their way home from school.
At Llangedwyn school the female teachers attended Red Cross classes, sometimes taking their young pupils with them to act as guinea pigs for their bandaging and splints! The boys here also dug up their playing fields to plant potatoes.
At the Girls Council School the Headteacher, Miss S Thomas, held several rummage sales to raise money for wool which her girls were encouraged to knit into “woollies” for the men at the front.
Sources: Oswestry Genealogical Records, Kellys Directory, Llangollen Advertiser