Obituary: Well-known former Dunstable headteacher, Magistrate and councillor dies aged 102

Christina Margaret Scott was born on December 11, 1921. The well known Scott family lived in Great Northern Road, Dunstable. Her father owned Scott’s Garage (established in 1882) in High Street South and was Town Mayor 1952-1954.

Miss Scott, as she was known to so many, lived a long and interesting life.

Her own education started in 1927 at Miss Whitworth’s preparatory school in Burr Street, Dunstable. It continued in 1932 at The Cedars, Leighton Buzzard. She then attended Bedford College, London, where she succeeded in achieving a BA. Teacher training followed at the London Institute of Education.

Christina’s varied professional career took in a private independent school in Hertfordshire and a mixed school in Derbyshire. Then she returned to Bedfordshire in 1949 to teach at Luton High School.

1954/55 saw Christina on a exchange visit to a school in Toronto, Canada.

Her career then took her to Taunton at the Bishop Fox Girl’s School as Head of Languages – she taught French.

Returning to Bedfordshire, Christina was appointed the founding head of the new Queen Eleanor’s Grammar Girls’ School, Langdale Road, Dunstable. This was one of a very few such schools in Bedfordshire. In September 1959, when the school was opened, there were 61 eleven year old girls on the roll. In reality, the school then still resembled a building site. A considerable amount of her time was taken up sorting out administrative duties and trying to ensure the site was suitable to be a school. With a staff of four, including Christina, work as a Head was not easy.

By September 1961 the roll had increased to some 250 girls between the ages of 11 and 13. Over the next 15 years, the roll grew to 500 plus pupils.

1972 saw a school reorganisation in Bedfordshire. Queensbury School was created being an amalgamation of Queen Eleanor’s and Kingsbury.

Over the next 12 years, Queensbury grew to some 1,000-1,200 pupils under Christina’s headship.

During this period Christina was on the National Executive of the Headteachers’ Association.

Her aim was to ensure that her pupils had a good grounding for life and the world of work. This was particularly relevant for girls at that time with a changing attitude to women and work. She had broken through a glass ceiling herself and wanted to ensure others had that opportunity.

Retirement from Queensbury came in 1984. This after 25 years as a Head. She continued as a Magistrate until 1991, the then retirement age of 70 years old, having been appointed in 1966. She was an elected Member of South Bedfordshire District Council 1985-1996.

An inveterate traveller and keen photographer, she hosted a number of slide shows giving an authoritative commentary on the flora and fauna, geography and history of many of the places she had visited.

Christina contributed to the local community being a member of many local associations including the Cordova Older People’s Association, the South Bedfordshire National Trust, Chew’s House, the Lockington Charities, the Dunstable and District Local History Society and a Governor at the former Glenwood School. She hosted Watling Ward committee meetings at her home in Bullpond Lane offering post meeting refreshment.

I have been pleased to learn that a group of Miss Scott’s first pupils at Queen Eleanors keep in touch with each other, meeting regularly. A few years ago they were hosted a few times by Miss Scott at her home.

A fuller version of Christina Scott’s life and her contribution to Dunstable will be given at a Memorial Service which has yet to be arranged. Anyone who would like to attend such, please contact [email protected] with subject ‘Christina Scott’ so he can relay further details when they become available.

Christina Scott will certainly be missed by her many friends from the different areas of her life, as well as many former colleagues. She will also be remembered by numerous pupils who attended both Queen Eleanor’s and Queensbury schools when she was Head.