A much-loved Borehamwood school launched shortly after Britain went to war in 1939 was this month forced to finally accept defeat in its own battle to remain open.

The moment staff and pupils at Hillside School had been dreading came two weeks ago when its gates closed for the last time, bringing to an end 61 years of school history.

Hillside's closure eventually came after two years of uncertainty for everyone involved with the school, and followed a massive campaign to keep it in operation.

The Hillside Avenue site will be used by pupils of the new Hertswood School next year, after which the land is likely to be sold by the county council for housing development.

Headteacher Tim Westrip, speaking of his sadness at the closure, said: 'What will stay with me is the sense of community there has always been at Hillside.'

The story of Hillside began on Monday, September 4, 1939, the day it was scheduled to open, but was unable to do so due to Britain's declaration of war on Germany a day earlier.

Children were unable to attend the new school until November 20, by which time a number of shelters had been built to protect staff and pupils from air raids.

One of the first pupils to arrive, John Timson, recalled: 'I walked up the drive and I was absolutely overwhelmed with the size of the place ,, I remember thinking it looked just like a university.'

The school had a lucky escape in November, 1940 when five bombs were dropped overhead, one of which demolished the caretaker's bungalow near to the gymnasium.

Hillside played an important role in supporting the district's war effort, raising money for various campaigns, including Warships Week and Weapons Week, to which it contributed £64 3s.

Pupils also raised funds to send gifts to troops serving overseas, made toys for war time nurseries and even weeded a 16-acre field so crops could be planted.

Following the war, the school was expanded to cope with an influx of pupils, and a further eight classrooms were added to the 12 original classrooms in 1948.

One of Hillside's greatest sporting achievements was in 1952, when its under-15 football side beat the rest of Hertfordshire to win the Wix Trophy.

Perhaps the proudest moments in the school's sporting history, however, came around 40 years later: In 1990 the under-16 basketball team became National Champions, a title won by the under-19s side two years later.

Arts have also always been a priority at Hillside, and only last year a cast of 25 Hillsiders took to the stage at The Young Vic Theatre in London's West End with the play The Devil in Drag.

Among those to have paid tribute to Hillside's all-round achievements over the years was the late Rt Rev Robert Runcie, who visited in 1979 before he become Archbishop of Canterbury.

'I would put my money on places like this as signs of hope for the future,' he said.

Although Hillside may not have always produced examination grades of the highest standards, it was widely accepted that improvements had been made in recent years.

The county council's announcement that it was considering closing the school two years ago resulted in 700 letters being sent to councillors pleading for it to be allowed to stay open.

Mr Westrip, who was headteacher at Hillside for 13 years, said: 'I have had some excellent experiences at Hillside and I look back with a great sense of satisfaction at how many Hillsiders have achieved so much.'

Summing up the spirit of Hillside, he said the school had always provided a supportive environment in which pupils learned respect and were given a wide range of opportunities