NORTHLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL - Durban North

The initial enrolment was 96 with a staff of three - Miss Dale, Miss Gardiner and Miss Ridgway. Miss Milne's first priority was to establish the school's identity by choosing a uniform, school colours and setting up a fund. When school reopened for its second year in January 1950, the number of pupils had increased to 155 and two more teachers were appointed. It seems that problems existed even in those days as Miss Milne recorded that very little stationery was received and there was a delay in delivery of desks. As numbers increased, the children were housed in the rather dreadful prefabs which were to become common-place in Natal schools. At that time the site in Kensington Drive was on the edge of development as can be seen from Miss Milne's comment in the log book: Wednesday 7 March:  

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'Two snakes were killed in the vicinity of the school building today. I have endeavoured to keep the grass near the school fairly short and have and have approached the corporation with a view to their clearing the rank growth along the Kensington Drive roadside. The rank growth at this time of the year makes the danger of snakes a constant anxiety'. By 7 May 1951 there was sufficient confidence in the school's future to contemplate the erection of permanent buildings. It was planned that the existing buildings would become change-rooms for the Boys' High School which was about to be started on the site, while the Primary School would move to Mackeurtan Avenue.