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Children from Ridgmont Lower School dressed up for War Weapons Week 1940
Because of the threat of air raids a refuge room was built inside the school building using an existing room. The window was bricked up and the walls were lined with sand bags. A small gap was left in the bottom of one 'sandbag wall' to allow access. Whenever the air raid siren was heard the whole school would gather in this room.

The following is an extract from Cecil Woodland's diary. Cecil was a pupil at Ridgmont Lower School during the war years.
"Anti blast walls had been built in front of the two cloakroom outside doors, and windows bricked up except for about 1 foot at the top - so that the boys and girls lobbies could be used as blast proof refuge rooms. The smaller classroom at the back of the school had also been converted to use as a refuge room - having strong brick walls built up against the outside of the windows -with just about a foot being left at the top to give a little daylight and fresh air. At the back of the classroom an emergency escape hatch had been cut in the wall. In the two big classrooms the glass in the large windows was covered with gauze to prevent it from flying and causing injury in the event of bomb blast."