History of the Martindale Fund

The Hounslow Heath school in Martindale Road, Hounslow was built in 1908-9. The building now contains Hounslow Heath Infant and Nursery School.

It was at first an Elementary school. Then from about 1930 the council began a reorganisation of its existing schools which became junior and infant schools and also opened senior schools, one of which was Hounslow Heath Senior School in Cambridge Road. This school opened in 1934.

After the 1944 Education Act, the council senior schools became secondary modern schools. Then because of the raising of the school age to 15 and with more children in the school the Hounslow Heath Secondary School was closed and its buildings were changed to accommodate the junior aged children who transferred from the Infant/Junior school site, on Martindale Road.

The senior school children were moved to the Woodfield Secondary Modern School which opened in 1954 at the Great South West Road.

The old Secondary school, in Cambridge Road, became Hounslow Heath Juniors. The old Junior school on Martindale Road became the Martindale Special School for physically disabled children.

The policy for the education of children with special needs changed over time, from separate schools to an integrated approach, with disabled students transferring to mainstream schools. Units to support physically disabled children opened in Hounslow Heath Infants, Hounslow Heath Juniors and Feltham Community School. Martindale Special School in Martindale Road closed on 31st August 1990 as the new units opened.

The Martindale School had a very active Parent Teacher Association and the funds they had raised, plus a generous donation from a relative of a member of Hounslow support services for disabled pupils, became the basis of the Martindale Centre Fund charity. The name of the charity was changed in 2014 to Martindale Fund.

Today the Martindale Fund is a registered charity that supports school aged children with physical disabilities in Hounslow schools. We help to provide resources outside the statutory duty of the local education authority. We hold fund raising events during the year to raise money.