School Cars (1961)

Crawley, West Sussex.
M/S of an old car, a1932 Austin Seven parked in a field of Sarah Robinson County School; a boy comes into shot, lifts up the bonnet and starts to work on it; pan right to show two other vintage cars that teenagers are cleaning and working on. Various shots of the boys and girls working on the cars; checking engine parts, changing wheels and so on. Commentator explains that understanding the way a car works and how to drive is part of the pupils' education.
On a 1933 Ford 8 that has been stripped down to the engine, steering wheel, lower frame and wheels, a girl is being shown how to drive by the Senior Metalwork Master, David Polhill, in a white coat, while her classmates watch. The car is mounted on blocks, but the girl goes through the motions of driving complete with hand signals.
Commentator says the pupils get their practical tuition on the school playing fields, as we see various signs that have been put up in the fields; 'Slow - Major Road Ahead'; 'Keep Left'; 'Halt At Major Road Ahead'. The pupils and instructors get into the three vintage cars and drive off, with a pupil in each driving seat and more in the back seat.
Various shots of the Austin Seven being driven by one of the girls over the playing fields; a black car is driven by another female pupil.
What a good idea! I wish my school has done this. The pupils seen include Martyn Turpie, Phillip Fletcher, Margaret Steer and Barbara Ediss.
Note: notes on file say the pupils paid for their own petrol and instruction was done in their own time. There is also a news cutting about the driving tuition at the school from The Children's Newspaper'.
FILM ID:153.15

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