Mexborough and Swinton Times June 14, 1929
Wombwell Middle School
Opening Ceremony
On Saturday afternoon the new Middle School at Wombwell was formally opened by Alderman T.H. Foulstone, of Darfield.
The school stands on a site containing a little over twelve acres, overlooking the Dearne Valley and adjoining Wombwell Hall, purchase from Mr R.H. R. Rimington-Wilson at a cost of £1,000. The tenders amounted to £21,634. The school provides 280 boys and 280 girls in accommodation for two departments. There are ten classrooms, two science laboratories, one manual instruction room, one metal work room, one needlework room, and or cookery and laundry room
These are separate assembly halls for the boys and girls, which can be thrown together as required, and there are the necessary cloakrooms, staff rooms, store rooms, etc. All the rooms open directly off wide corridors, arranged round a large quadrangle, in order that the pupils may obtain the maximum amount of sunshine and fresh sir.
The school is amply lighted and ventilated, and the lay out is on the latest semi open-air principle. Each classroom is self-contained as to access, lighting, ventilation and heating, and all classrooms are fitted with ample cupboard accommodation and large blackboard services on the walls. The assembly halls are centrally situated, shut off from the corridor, and form excellent rooms for lectures, examinations, special classes and social functions. The halls are fitted with cupboards and museum cases.
The whole building is heated by low-pressure hot water from two large boilers in the basement, and there is ample fuel storeroom. The school is lighted by electricity. The corridors and cloakrooms are paved with marble terrazzo, and have glazed tile dados. The playgrounds are asphalted for games and physical exercises, and portions of the ground are laid out for shrubs, gram, and flowers. In addition there is a large playing field in front of the school of about eight acres, for football, cricket and hockey.
The main approach to the school is by a branch road—Roebuck Street from the WombwellUrban Council’s housing estate in, King’s Road.
Opening Ceremony.
The opening ceremony was performed by County Alderman T. H. Foulstone, J.P., of Darfield. Among those present were Sir Percy Jackson, chairman of the West Riding Education Committee; Councillor J. Wright (Wombwell), Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Allott (Wombwell), Councillor .J. Belshaw (Wombwell), Mr. A. J. Thomson (chairman of the Wath Education Sub-Committee), Dr. and Mrs. J. C. Pickup (Wombwell), Mr. and Mrs. T. Woolley (Wombwell), Mrs. Foulstone (Darfield), Councillor F Collindridge (Wombwell). Mrs. Poiner (Wombwell), Councillor J. Winder (Wombwell), Councillor H. Hallsworth (Wombwell), Councillor T. W. Ilkley (Darfield), Councillor and Mrs. J. W. Mellor (Wombwell), Councillor R. Preston (Wombwell), Councillor R. Randerson (Darfield) and Councillor A. O. Hollingworth (Wath).,
Mr. E. Tune, chairman of the Wombwell Education Sub-Committee, presided.
The proceedings opened with a hymn and prayers.
Great Progress.
Mr. Tune said it was a great pleasure to note the public interest in educational affairs in the district. Some of the people present had lived a long time in Wombwell and had seen much progress. It had been his privilege to take some little part in the development of education in that area. He remembered Wombwell when there was only one school, the National School in Church Street, and their nearest neighbours were Brampton and Hemingfield. Those were voluntary schools and he thought it was well they should remember that all education had developed from the voluntary system. Everyone now realised the importance of a good education.
He remembered quite frequently in his boyhood coming into contact with men and women who had never been to school and had never learned to read or write. Those men went to work in the pits when they were eight years of age. The system they now advocated was the primary school up to eight years of age, the junior school till eleven, then a different type of school until fourteen. He supposed that in thenear future children would remain at such schools until they were fifteen.
From title educational point of view, times had changed.
For some time they had been confronted locally with the problem of making provision for the children who were getting on a, little faster than the others. He had known children who had reached standard seven at eleven years and who would not be able to leave school until they were fourteen. In the ordinary schools no provision was made for such children and they had to “mark time. Ten years ago they made an attempt to deal with the problem and that school was the outcome of their efforts.
“Wombwell ‘has always been a very important place in the West Riding,” said Mr. Tune. At least we have always thought so, whether the West Riding have agreed or not” (laughter). The County Council had treated them very well since they took them over in 1904—”.nearly,'” said Mr. Tune. “as well as we could have done it ourselves” (laughter). Wombwell being an important place, it was only to be expected that the County Council would look in their direction when the new system came into being. He thought he was correct in saying that that was the first school of the kind planned in the West Riding. They were glad to acknowledge the fact that the County Council had decided to develop that type of education in their district and they intended, as the education authority for the district, to make the best of the school its construction It was not yet complete in construction and more accommodation would be provided as the necessity arose.
“Why they called it a Middle School,” said Mr. Tune, “I don’t know; unless it was that when *hey planned it they decided to place it in the middle of this field (laughter). I hope that in the near future this will be called King’s Road Secondary School. I offer that little hint and I hope that at some time it will be developed.”
Mr. Tune explained that children were admitted to the school by a process of selection and said that those children who had been selected and had not taken advantage of the facilities were being deprived of a great advantage.
He was quite sure that those parents who had had the opportunity of seeing the children at work were delighted with the prospect.
Education For Girls.
One thing they had to recognise these days and that was the importance of education in the case of girls. Girls were now playing a very important part in the government of the country and they wanted them to take their share of the responsibility of Citizenship In the new Parliament there were fourteen women and for the first time a. woman was in the Cabinet (applause). In the natural order of things the majorities ruled and as there were more women than men it followed that women must eventually rule (laughter). He hoped the parents would co-operate with the education authorities and teaching staff and that the school would be a. great advancement on anything they had ever had before in Wombwell. In addition to the facilities provided at that school their children were still eligible in the ordinary way for the scholarships offered in connection with the secondary schools.
“The Sweetest Humbug.”
Ald. Foulstone said he was exceedingly proud to have been given the opportunity of opening an educational establishment which was to open out wider opportunities and new educational experiences for the children of Wombwell and Darfield. The school would equip them better for their Part in the world and would, he hoped, make them better men and women. He hoped the children who passed through it would enhance the reputation of the school, do honour to the townships from which they came and he a credit to the country to ‘which they belonged
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