Hambledon Nursery School has a strong association with residents of the village. Many helped turn the former Church of England state primary school, which closed its doors in 1983, into what it is today.
Their initiative and enterprise led to the purchase of the Victorian school building and playground in the lovely rural setting of Rock Hill. And they were responsible for its transformation into a nursery school for two to five-year olds, administered by a charitable trust.
Today the school is a popular choice for parents in Hambledon and beyond. Its strong links with the local community remain in place. Trustees are drawn from the village and include representatives from St Peter’s Church and the Parish Council.
So villagers may like to take a look at the school’s new website which can be found at www.hambledonnurseryschool.co.uk This is beautifully and colourfully illustrated with photographs of the school, including an interesting aerial view. You will find photographs of staff and of children, at work and play.
The school’s ethos is explained as is a typical school day and there is useful information about term times and dates and day-to-day and emergency contacts. The school is rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted and there is a link to its report. There are also links to and from this website. 
A lot of hard work has gone into making the school’s website a valuable resource for staff, parents and for those looking to find a suitable nursery for their pre-school age children. Please do take a look. The school’s logo is pictured right.
For those interested in knowing more about Hambledon School’s past, the village website has a history section which is well worth exploring. Many old documents, including parish magazines dating back to 1944, various albums depicting special occasions and the much-prized Hambledon Village Scrapbook, which was started in 1952 and is now in Godalming Museum, can be found here.
The Scrapbook has been digitally photographed and its pages are available for view on this website. This includes a fascinating and evocative entry on the closure of the school.
There is a photograph of the last class and a copy of the Surrey Advertiser story, dated July 29th, 1983, marking the closure after 131 years.
Teacher, parents and pupils – past and present – gathered for a special church service, led by the then rector Rev David Thompson. The story is illustrated with a photograph of 87-year-old Harold Hutchins, a former pupil, holding five-year-old Isobel Falk, who was one of the last pupils. She was just one of ten on the school roll by the time of its closure.
The article notes: “Once a thriving and central part of the village community, the school now lies empty.”
But it ends on an optimistic note. “The building may once again echo with the voices of happy youngsters as plans were well under way to start a nursery school there.”
As indeed it does!