After the war English families started to come back to much damaged Malta and education again had to be provided for their children. Early in 1946 the old Headmaster was sent out to see how much was left of the old school equipment, after the bombing. He found seventy five desks (we still use them) and some moldering books most of which are now museum pieces, but this was not a very encouraging start for the re-opened school. Re-open it did on 16th May 1946 with 55 children, in two requisitioned houses on the water's edge at Ta' Xbiex. The staff were two Instructor Officers and their wives. Children under seven couldn't be accepted because no one could teach them. Soon after the school opened it became clear that the two houses in Ta' Xbiex would very quickly become inadequate and another search was made for a new building. Various country houses, hotels, etc all proved unsuitable but in September 1946, a disused Army Barracks at Tal Handaq was discovered. This had been built during the war to resemble a Maltese village, in order to give camouflage from the air. However this unpromising and remote spot had room for lots of children and so work began to fit it out as a School. So in January 1947 the Dockyard School (children's section) came to Tal Handaq and ever since there has been a continual race between the Civil Engineering Department of the Dockyard in preparing new rooms and children coming along to occupy them. In 1947 the name of the School, now completely separate from the Apprentices' School, was changed to Naval Children's School.

The Headmaster's report for 1948 said that no more children could be crammed into Tal Handaq (150 extra have been put in somehow since then!) and in 1949 the old School at Verdala was repaired and restored as a school. The rebuilding of the hall was not completed until 1951 and meanwhile the present hall had been built at Tal Handaq. The School's record year for growth was 1952 when 300 additional children were absorbed, the total number reaching 1947 by the end of the year. This year also gave us our new name 'Royal Naval School' - a more dignified and inspiring title for an organisation which is unique among schools. Now it would seem we have reached the limit of growth in our present buildings. Where next?

A recent appeal in the local press has brought me a number of letters of reminiscence (at least one of which appears elsewhere in this magazine) as well as one or two useful leads to original sources of information, and in this respect I am particularly grateful to Mr W Bellizzi of Balzan and to Dr Depasquale, Librarian of the National Library,Valletta.

The following notice appeared in the Malta Government Gazette of 31 May 1820: Britsh National School, Burmola 20 May 1820

Wanted: A Governess to instruct the female children of this Institution in Needlework, reading, writing and the rudiments of arithmetic.