FAQ

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
It is the Association of former pupils and staff of the following schools:
 * What is the Old Paludians Association?**
 * **Slough Secondary School** (1912-1936)
 * **Slough Grammar School for Boys** (1936-1982)
 * **Slough High School for Girls** (1936-1982)
 * **Upton Grammar School** (1982-1993)
 * **Slough Grammar School** (1993-2013)
 * **Upton Court Grammar School** (2013-)

All one school really. Founded in 1912 under the name of Slough Secondary School, it was sited in William Street and was co-educational. By 1936 the school had outgrown the buildings and was split into Slough Grammar School for Boys in Lascelles Road and Slough High School for Girls. The girls could not move to their new building in Twinches Lane until 1939 and so stayed in William Street for a further 3 years. In 1982 the Twinches Lane site was sold for redevelopment and the girls moved to Lascelles Road. Slough Grammar School for Boys and Slough High School for Girls were merged, and the combined school, once again co-educational, was renamed Upton Grammar School. In 1993, this School reverted to the former name Slough Grammar School. In 2013, Slough Grammar School was renamed Upton Court Grammar School, and remains co-educational.
 * Why so many schools?**

We are a not-for-profit organisation which exists for the benefit of our Members, and to undertake the following activities:
 * What is the purpose of the Association?**
 * Annual Reunions - continuing an unbroken tradition since 1940, bringing together each March former pupils of all the above schools historically making up today's Slough Grammar School (Language College)
 * Annual Newsletters for Members - with news of former pupils and staff
 * Membership Support - trying to put former school friends back in contact with each other; there have been spectacular successes, sometimes after more than 45 years
 * Voluntary Work and Support for the current School and its activities - e.g. Industry Week, the setting up and recording of the School Archives
 * Website - giving news and information, not least a trip down memory lane with over 240 archive photographs there for the viewing
 * Generous donations from members allow an annual gift to be made to the School in the name of the Association
 * Books presented to the School Library in remembrance of former members - a special name-plate is placed in the book with the name and years at the School

You may wish to read our Constitution.

Yes, if you were a pupil, Staff Member, Governor at any of the above schools
 * Can anyone join?**


 * How much is it to join?**
 * Former Staff are offered complimentary Life Membership.
 * Former Pupils are offered Life Membership for a single payment of £5

No, we have members from every era - pupils from the Slough Secondary School days onwards. It is never too late to join
 * Am I too old to join?**

Please see our Membership webpage for further details of Life Membership at a very reasonable cost
 * How do I join?**

Some years back, there were two separate organisations:
 * I paid for a Life Membership some years ago. Am I still a Member?**


 * **Old Paludians Association (Boys Section or Sports Section)** which was reconstituted in 1955 as Old Paludians Ltd at Taplow, and since 1998 is also registered as Taplow United Football Club
 * **Old Paludians Association (Girls Section)** which became in 1988 the Old Paludians Association, organises Annual Reunions and has created and maintains this website.

If you paid your Life Membership to the Boys or Sports Section, then you will need to contact the Old Paludians Ltd / Taplow United Football Club to determine the current status of your Life Membership. We understand that they moved to an exclusively Annual Subscription basis a few years back, but we can not and do not speak for them. Please note that we (Old Paludians Association) are always pleased to hear from all former pupils, Staff, Governors and friends of Slough Secondary School, Slough Grammar School for Boys, Slough High School for Girls, Upton Grammar School, Slough Grammar School and Upton Court Grammar School, and we hope that you will consider joining our Association.

If you paid your Life Membership to either the Girls Section or the Old Paludians Association after 1988, then you are still a Life Member of the Old Paludians Association and you should still be receiving annual newsletters from us. If you do not receive such newsletters, then it is possible that we have not kept up with your changes of address. Please let us know
 * who you are
 * your years at which school
 * how we can contact you
 * if possible, approximately when and where you paid your subscription

and we will recheck our records.

We have members all over the world - and for the same cost.
 * I don't live in UK. Can I still join or is it more costly?**

An Annual Newsletter gives news of members - it is produced for the Annual Reunion each March and is either handed (if you attend the Reunion), posted or emailed to all members. In addition, our 'Former Pupils' webpage gives details of those former pupils who have authorised their details to appear on the Internet
 * How do I get any news?**

If your address or contact details have changed, please use our Update Membership Details Form to inform the Association, or else email the Secretary
 * My contact details have changed. How do I notify the Association?**

On a Saturday each March a get-together is arranged at Slough Grammar School for members and non-members to come along to meet up with old friends. Obviously, Old Paludians meet each other every day of the year, but this occasion brings together many Old Paludians in one place at the same time, and is a wonderful way to locate or meet up with old friends, and renew acquaintances. The schedule can include morning coffee, a light lunch, a short AGM followed by afternoon tea - depending on your wishes. All day, there are opportunities to view the current School, displays of our archives, and of our website.
 * What is the Annual Reunion?**

Contact the Secretary with all your details; details of your friend; your years at the School, etc and tell us whether and how much you want published on the website. All other information is held on file. We welcome any information you wish us to publish in our Annual Newsletter. No information - personal or otherwise - is published on the website or in the Newsletter without your express permission.
 * How do I search for a former classmate?**

Once a match is made from our files (We have many details on file. Someone always knows someone, who knows someone), we contact both parties usually by post. We have managed to link up friends after 50 years!
 * Supposing someone is searching for me?**

It is on the eastern side of the town, postcode SL3 7PR (Google maps: [|SL3 7PR]) forming one of the link roads between the London Road and Upton Court Road
 * Where is Lascelles Road - I can't remember?**

Following the departure of Slough High School to their new Twinches Lane site in September 1939, the former Slough Secondary School (SSS) buildings were used to accommodate Upper Latymer School, which was evacuated from Hammersmith for the duration of the War. After the war, the SSS buildings were used to house the new Slough Technical School (which subsequently moved to a new site in Northampton Avenue, changing its name to Herschel High School and is now Herschel Grammar School). Part of the Slough Secondary School site had been used for the construction of the Tonman Mosley School for juniors. However, after the Second World War, this school was also closed. The SSS and Tonman Mosley buildings were then used for a variety of purposes, including Night Classes, before being demolished to make way for the building of Slough College. In turn, Slough College became the Slough Campus of Thames Valley University and, for a short time, the [|University of West London], but it still stands on the original Slough Secondary School site in William Street. The area has been subsequently redeveloped under the project name [|Heart of Slough]
 * What happened to the Slough Secondary School?**

The buildings were demolished. A housing development was built on the far side of the hockey pitches, and alongside Twinches Lane itself there is the late 20th century phenomena - the Retail Park. Maybe the sound of girlish chatter can still be heard at midnight!!
 * What about Twinches Lane?**

There is an excellent school website at http://www.uptoncourtgrammar.org.uk/
 * How can I get any news of the current Upton Court Grammar School itself?**

Technical FAQ
Although our original website was hosted using standard webspace, this webspace was limited in size. In order to display several large School & Class photos, we need access to almost unlimited webspace, which we have been fortunate to acquire from http://www.wikispaces.com Part of the agreement with Wikispaces for this free webspace is that we will allow them to add advertising banners at the top right of each page. If you do not use an advert blocker, we trust that this is not too obtrusive.
 * Why is there banner advertising all over the School Photo webpages?**