Records of the Old Dagonians Association

This collection comprises the records of the Old Dagonians Association, including correspondence of the Secretary with former pupils of Dagenham County High School (1955-2000), lists of members (1960-1990), a scrapbook, containing newspaper cuttings and photograph on annual meetings or anniversary celebrations (1948-2001), copies of the Old Students Association Magazine (1947-1989) and copies of the annual newsletter (1950-1959 and 1970-1992).

Old Dagonians Association was formed for former pupils of Dagenham County High School. It was originally called 'Janus' and this was also the name of their annual newsletter.

The history of schools in Dagenham is a complex one because of the need to create school places quickly as the Becontree Estate was developed. This resulted in a great deal of reorganisation as time went on.

Dagenham County High School opened in September 1936 as a mixed grammar school situated in Parsloes Avenue, Dagenham. In 1970 it amalgamated with Halbutt Girls County School and Beverley Boys schools to form Parsloes Manor Comprehensive school which occupied the former High School's site in Parsloes Avenue . (Halbutt Boys and Girls Schools (Halbutt Street) were opened in 1928; in 1959 Halbutt Girls became Halbutt Girls County School while Halbutt Boys merged with Fanshawe Secondary Boys School to become Beverley Boys School in Fanshawe Crescent).

In 1989, Parsloes Manor Comprehensive merged with Erkenwald School (Marlborough Avenue) and Mayesbrook School (Mayesbrook Road) to form Sydney Russell Comprehensive School which was situated on the site at Parsloes Avenue.

This collection has been arranged according to format of the material and chronology.

This material is open to research and can be viewed at the Barking and Dagenham Archive and Local Studies Centre. To make an appointment to visit the reading room, please telephone 020 8227 2033 or email at localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk.

Catalogued in accordance with ISAD(G).

For further information about the contents of this collection, please contact the Barking and Dagenham Archive and Local Studies Centre telephone 020 8227 2033 or email at localstudies@lbbd.gov.uk.

For further information about our reprographics and publication charges, please visit our website http://www.lbbd.gov.uk/MuseumsAndHeritage/BoroughArchivesandLocalStudies/Pages/Copyingandreproductionservices.aspx

The photographs and ephemera were deposited by Jim Fleetwood in 2001. Additional material, including the correspondence of the Secretaries of the Association was donated by Jill Fuller in 2004. These accessions have been brought together to form a composite collection.

The acquisition of additional material is likely.

The minutes of governors’ meetings at Dagenham County High School (1948-1960) are also held at the Barking and Dagenham Archive and Local Studies Centre.