St Swithun Wells

St Swithun Wells School | Hunters Hill, Ruislip

(Opening comments from a Ruislip, Northwood & Eastcote Local History Society publication from 1992)
 
In 1958 Father Philip Dayer was sent out from Westminster to form a new catholic parish in South Ruislip. He began operations from a house in Queens Walk, to which he added a small chapel from where mass could be said. He made his next priority the provision of a school. Land on East Mead was acquired and Blessed Swithen Wells was built and opened in January 1962. A hut set up on the site was used as a mass centre until St Gregory's church was opened in Victoria Road in 1967 and then accommodated a remedial class until 1984, when children with special needs were absorbed into ordinary classes.

The school opened with 80 children in four classrooms, two infant and two junior , but very soon expanded to seven classes, with about 35 children in each. A nursery was built for 20 children, in 1981. There are probably about 200 children on roll now (1991).

St Swithun Wells 1536-91 who was martyred for harbouring priests at his house in Grays Inn Fields is shown on the was of the school in South Ruislip named after him.

Blessed Swithun Wells, after whom the school is named was one of the Forty English Martyrs canonised by Pope Paul VI in 1970, causing the slight change in name.