1913 to 1947

Extracts from the Headmaster’s Diary

This New Council school was formally opened on Monday 31^st March 1913 by William Carnelley Haigh D.C. J.P.

The Chairman of the meeting being Joseph Peckett esq., D.C.

The day was gloriously fine and there was a large concourse of people.

…………………..

The school was opened this morning (Tuesday April 1^st) at 9 am and 411 children enrolled. The teaching staff comprised as follows – Henry Perry Reed – Head Teacher, John J Nangle, Joseph C L Speight, Emma Scott, Ann A Maltby, Emily Wright, Esther Smith, Ethel Runcorn, and Laura Longbottom.

December 2^nd – The gardening tools have arrived.

27^th January – Attendance down due to Bazaar at Wesleyan Chapel on Tuesday and Wednesday. Gardening classes in full swing. Fire drills being carried out.

April 1^st – Admitted 67 scholars from Ryhill Church Infants School.

April 3^rd - Miners on strike. 5 children with Scarlet Fever sent to Infectious Diseases Hospital.

April 6^th - Train at the Halt is off on account of the Miner’s Strike. Gardening classes continue.

May 22^nd Miss Broughton appointed to Staff permanently at seventy five pounds per year.

June 29^th – Half day holiday for Primitive Methodist Sunday School Feast. MORE fire drills.

July 20^th Fred Ogley and Clarence Ripley awarded County Minor Scholarships.

August 24^th – Head addressed the upper school about the war and their duties thereto.

Jan 8^th – Mr Speight is under notice from the War Office to join the colours at short notice.

Feb 6^th – Shortage of staff, applied to Wakefield to have gardening classes discontinued. Request turned down.

Feb 7^th – Mr Speight has orders from the War Office to present himself within 1 week for the purpose of joining the colours.

5^th March – Mr Speight returned to duty having been rejected by the Army authorities.

April 20^th – I have cautioned the children about running after carts on the street consequent upon John Schofield having a broken leg through the practice.

May 6^th – No gardening class has taken place on account of the Senior boys attending a Military Funeral.

May 24^th – At 11.50 am all the children assembled in the boy’s playground. The children sang the National Anthem, saluted the flag and sang patriotic songs.

October 27^th – A report appeared in the Yorkshire Evening Post that Mr John A Teale, 2^nd Lt. Has succumbed to wounds received at the front.

Nov 28^th – Several children are away this morning owing to a Zepplin raid in the vicinity last night.

Dec 20^th – War Savings committee formed.

Jan 17^th – War Savings Association established this week 103 members – first week’s takings were seven pounds and four shillings.

May 3^rd – Much sickness – 6 children with tuberculosis.

June 28^th – Ryhill War Weapons Week to raise two thousand, five hundred pounds for an aeroplane began last Monday.

Nov 12^th – Assembly at 9 a.m. and dismissed for a day’s holiday to mark importance of the signing of the Armistice.

December – School closed for 5 weeks – influenza epidemic.

Jan 23^rd and 24^th – Coal Strike.

July 18^th – Peace Celebrations.

Sept 1^st – Mr F Smith appointed permanent Head of School.

Jan 6^th – At playtime this afternoon Annie Hunt of Standard 3a was bitten by a dog which was sent into the yard by a boy named Wright of Station Road. I sent the child home for medical treatment and have complained to the owners of the dog.

Feb 2^nd – We have today received from the War Savings Committee a captured German rifle as a reward for the War Savings Effort of 1919.

June 1^st – The senior boys had a nature study excursion from 3-4 p.m. to Fairy Wood to make a special study of the bluebell.

June 17^th – School excursion to Bolton Woods.

July 1^st – Children taken to village green for the "tug of war" competition.

July 9^th – Half day holiday in recognition of War Savings record in West Riding Schools (half a million pounds).

Aug 23^rd – Contractors started work in the girl’s yard on new Senior Girls School. During holidays 8 boys under Mr Hemingway spent one week camping at Stock’s Moor Nr. Wakefield.

Sept 1^st – Unveiling ceremony of the memorial Cross to the men who fell in the Great War witnessed by the children in the cemetery.

Nov 1^st – Senior Girls transferred to new Senior Girl’s Dept.

Nov 2^nd – Arrangements made to feed underfed children during the Miner’s Strike.

Nov 3^rd – Free breakfasts provided for 227 children to continue until the end of the Miner’s strike.

Dec 17^th – School Concerts held in the Empire Cinema, Chapel Street.

Feb 25^th – Caretaker unable to obtain sawdust for sweeping.

April 27^th – Breakfast provided for 325 children due to Miner’s Strike.

April 28^th – 400 children provided with breakfast at 8.30 a.m. and permission granted to close school at 3.30 p.m. to enable teacher from Wakefield to walk to Crofton to catch 5 p.m. train as local trains have been withdrawn due to Miner’s Strike.

April 29^th – 405 Breakfasts average cost four pence farthing per child. Cocoa (milk and sugar) and long buns (2-4 per child according to need).

Nov 14^th – Took children to Empire Cinema to see educational film "Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of America".

Feb 28^th – One day holiday – Princess Mary’s Wedding.

May 20^th – Pontefract Music Festival – Junior Choir 1^st prize. Dancing Team 2^nd prize and Boy’s Choir 2^nd prize. Harry Iredale and Alfred Snooks had 3^rd prize for Vocal Duet and Harry Iredale Boy’s Solo "Fairest Isle" 2^nd prize.

April 26^th – School closed for the wedding of the Duke of York to Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyons.

April 27^th – Harry Crawshaw of Standard 3 broke his arm "cart wheeling" and was given into father’s care to be taken to the hospital

June 1^st - 87,000 gallons of water used during May – I have instructed the caretaker to economise by adjusting flushing apparatus in the offices.

Dec 13^th – Lantern Lecture – South Africa

Dec 14^th – Lantern Lecture – Australia

Jan 24^th – Mr Bush, West Riding Art Organiser, inspected the work of Malcolm Smithson with a view to him taking up an Art Exhibition at a Technical School.

The gardening classes and fire drills continue regularly.

May 4^th – General Strike – no trains or buses.

May 7^th – "Voluntary Committee" formed to provide free breakfast for children. During Whitsuntide Holidays free breakfasts or teas were provided for the children.

July 1^st – Sports Day organised by Breakfast Fund Comm.

Oct 31^st – Attended formal opening of South Hiendley New Council School. Headmaster Mr F. E. Guest.

May 1^st – Mr Walter Stones became the new caretaker.

May 25^th – Celebrated Empire Day outdoors with parents. Children took part in a musical play "Brittania Receives Her Ministers". National and patriotic songs were sung by all the children who finally saluted the flag.

July 6^th – Opening Ceremony of Havercroft Junior Mixed School. 43 children transferred there. Number now on roll is 297.

Oct 9^th – Admitted 59 children from Havercroft Junior Mixed School aged 7-10 and all from Mulberry Place.

Nov 4^th – Board of Education recognises this school as now providing accommodation for not more than 350 children.

Nov 10^th – Discussion of Provision of Meals (Subsidiary Nourishment).

Nov 22^nd – 50 children qualify for above.

Dec 3^rd – Received 50 mugs, 15 spoons, 2 jugs, 4 tins of biscuits, 3 pins Cod Liver Oil, 1 plunger and 2 tins dried milk (Subsidiary Nourishment)

Dec 4^th – 113 children receiving milk, 15 children Cod Liver Oil. 54 pairs of boots also provided.

April 12^th – I have tested the children from Ryhill Church of England Infants and I sent the results to Miss Darby the headmistress for comment, she put them on the fire.

June 26^th – W.R. Medical Officer reported a number of children suffering from malnutrition – they should be provided with a meal each day.

Aug 28^th – Arranged details of Canteen Work, i.e. provision of breakfasts to necessitous children. Feeding begins on Tuesday Sept. 10^th.

Sept 3^rd – Mr T Hepworth, Mr Hooton, and Mr W Peckett examined all the children’s footwear to select worst cases which will be helped from funds received from the Mansion House Fund.

Sept 23^rd – 9 boys from Ryhill and 6 from South Hiendley are at Staithes Holiday Camp courtesy of the Mansion House Fund as these boys are from distressed miner’s families.

Oct 1^st – School Medical Officer reported 24 cases of malnutrition, 22 border cases, and 53 cases with bad footwear.

Oct 5^th – Health Week – Heaadmaster addresses school.

Dec 7^th – School broken into – missing items – 2 toothbrushes, 1 bottle of mercury was spilled in a classroom.

Feb 3^rd – Room 7 to be "stoved" on account of 5 cases of Diptheria after which the floor will be scrubbed and treated with "Dust allaying Oil".

May 9^th – Sanitary Inspector reports 3 children are carriers of Diptheria and must be excluded. 45 boys sent to Featherstone Baths on Tuesday and 20 girls on Wednesday. All are making good progress.

May 24^th – Empire Day and at 11 a.m. the children paraded in the playground, sang patriotic songs and saluted the flag.

July 31^st – 63 children, staff and a few parents had an outing to Liverpool. The Canadian Liner the "Duchess of Athol" was viewed and the rest of the day was spent at New Brighton.

Nov 30^th – Mr A Madeley presented certificates for proficiency in swimming to 28 boys.

Oct 10^th – In accordance with Health Week 2 classes paid a visit to inspect the new sewage works at Brunswick. The manager, Mr Wilkinson, instructed the children in the latest methods of dealing with sewage. Sanitation will be the main feature in my lecture to the senior boys.

Oct 11^th – Standards 7 and 8 visited Stead’s Dairy at Cold Hiendley to see the modern methods of cattle feeding, milking, cooling, bottling etc.

Nov 1^st – The new scheme of co-operation between the Milk Marketing Board and the Education Committee came into operation this morning – 203 children had one third of a pint of milk at the cost of one half penny a bottle.

Nov 29^th – Holiday – Royal Wedding – The Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Grece.

Jan 10^th – 250 children have now been immunised against Diptheria.

Feb 7^th – 116 children and 37 parents and staff visited the pantomime "Mother Goose" at Leeds Theatre Royal. The children travelled by train from Royston and in Leeds they visited City Square to see the "Black Prince" then via Boar Lane to see the Lewis’s store.

March 11^th – School closed early to enable staff and 146 children to attend a matinee at Fitzwilliam Picture House to see "Treasure Island".

May 3^rd – Closed school early for the King’s Jubilee Holidays on May 6^th and 7^th. Messrs. Silverwood, Hepworth and Dunleavy presented pens and pencils to the children in commemoration of the event. The Jubilee Bank Books with one shilling credit were also issued to each child. Patriotic songs were sung and the proceedings were terminated with the National Anthem and cheers for the King.

July 27^th – Annual school excursion to Blackpool

Nov 6^th – Holiday – Royal Wedding – the Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Scott.

Jan 21^st – At prayers this morning I made appropriate reference to the death of King George who passed away just before midnight on the 20^th.

Jan 28^th – School closed for funeral of King George.

Nov 13^th – At 9 a.m. assembly Mr Baldwin’s message to the children was read and I spoke to the children on the signing of the armistice. The children marched to the local War Memorial to place a wreath and to observe the silence.

May 7^th – Coronation spoons were presented to the children by Mr Silverwood on behalf of the W.R.C.C. and National songs were sung.

Oct 24^th – Closed for the day. 100 children will walk or cycle to Sharlston Common to see the King and Queen.

The reorganisation of Schools in Ryhill, Havercroft and South Hiendley takes effect on Jan 10^th 1938. This school closed up to this date as a Junior Mixed and Senior Boys’ Dept. will become a Junior Mixed Dept.

April 11^th – Staff meeting held this morning to discuss Air Raid Precaution Circulars.

May 31^st – H.M.I. paid a visit this afternoon regarding the disposal of the Army Hut (late Senior Girls Dept.)

Sept 27^th – Five teachers went to the Church Hall to help in assembling gas masks which are to be distributed immediately.

Sept 28^th – Gave a brief talk about the care of gas masks.

Nov 25^th – Attendance down due to bad weather, poor footwear and insufficient clothing.

Dec 5^th – Clerk of Works paid a visit with the electrical engineer to view the premises re installation of electric light.

Dec 13^th – Medical Officer ordered several children to have 2 bottles of milk instead of one bottle per day.

Jan 9^th – Contractors at work putting in the electric light.

Jan 19^th – Electric light contractors have put out of order the gas switches in 5 rooms.

Feb 17^th – The divisional Clerk paid a visit to consider accommodation of children from evacuated areas in the event of war.

March 30^th – present "flushing system" in lavatories condemmed – substituted with "chain pulls".

May 10^th – Visited by Divisional Clerk re site for A.R.P. trenches for the children.

June 5^th – Discussion on Air Raid Precautions with the staff.

Sept 1^st – Staff attended school to prepare for billeting of children (evacuees) expected from Leeds.

Sept 4^th – Children are not in school owing to Declaration of War.

Sept 11^th – Arranging a meeting with parents to discuss arrangements for children if air raids should take place during school hours.

Sept 14^th – Gas mask and fire drill practice at 10.35 a.m.

Sept 15^th – an evacuee from Manchester admitted.

Sept 19^th – Air raid arrangements discussed. Children might be evacuated to the adjacent "picture house" where good shelter is available under a balcony of concrete. I have been asked to find out what cellar accommodation is available in adjacent inns, stores, clubs and farms.

Sept 26^th – Practice evacuation from school to picture house. It is possible to accommodate 160 sitting and 96 standing. All the children settled in their places in 4 minutes.

Oct 2^nd – Discussion with staff regarding economy in use of paper etc. and change of gardening policy to produce foodstuff instead of flowers.

Nov 17^th – Instructed caretaker that in performing his duty he must comply with regulations regarding "black out".

June 12^th – Mr J Richards joins the Army tomorrow.

July 30^th – Mr J Dunleavy, Chief A.R.P. Warden inspected gas masks and suggested provision of fine wire netting to all glass in the corridors for protection of children during an air raid.

Oct 9^th – Visit by C.C.I. who asked that "dispersal of children" during air raids should be organised instead of all children using the local and adjacent picture house. It was arranged that all children living within 3 minutes walk from school should each take home 2 or 3 children for shelter.

Oct 14^th – Preliminary practice of dispersal of children. About 6 children are without "hosts" and these will be under my care in the school cellar or in my room if an alarm sounds.

Oct 16^th – Mr Gordon Sterry called up for Army service.

Nov 11^th – School used as evacuee reception centre. 13 families, mothers and children, 37 in all, were received from the London area.

Jan 6^th – Blast wall has been completed outside the Head’s room and some windows have been bricked up on the outside.

Jan 8^th – Meeting to discuss precautions against Incendiary Bombs.

Jan 11^th – Meeting to discuss protection of school during an "Alert" volunteers will attend a later meeting for practice in the use of stirrup pumps, 2 of which have been provided by the council.

Jan 16^th – Residents of Chapel Street and Brick Row took part in stirrup pump practice in the playground.

Jan 20^th – Visit by Mr Dunleavy who has promised delivery of 25 sandbags.

March 12^th – Lantern lecture given by Rev C.M. Oswell, Vicar of Ryhill.

March 13^th – Attendance down due to Air Raid during the night.

March 21^st – 2 new evacuees from Leeds plus 13 from London, Sheffield, Birmingham, Dagenham, Portsmouth, Edinburgh and Stretford.

March 27^th – Warning given to children re dismantling of live cartridges. I have taken 31 away from a number of children. An aeroplane crashed in this neighbourhood about 10 days ago and the children have searched the fields and taken scrap metal and live cartridges as momentos.

April 28^th – work carried out by senior boys in the War Emergency Garden.

July 7^th – Communal meals began today 43 children from this school and 19 from the Church Infants School.

Sept 12^th – National Salvage Drive has been carried out with good results.

Nov 11^th – The W.R. Clerk of Works measured the iron railings in Chapel Street with a view to sanctioning removal for use as "Munitions of war".

Jan 5^th – The Handwork and Art room have been converted into a canteen during the holidays.

May 13^th – The price of school meals has been raised to five pennies per meal or two shillings per week so that full rations of two pennies worth of meat may be served with each meal.

August 31^st – Mr J Richards, a member of this staff until he joined H.M. Forces, died in a Middle East Hospital. He was 27 years of age.

Jan 26^th – Children assembled in the boy’s playground for a show given by the National Savings Committee Cinema Van.

June 30^th – Wings for Victory Week – children addressed by 2 men and 1 woman (R.A.F.). Children’s gift fund realised thirty three pounds, four shillings and a penny.

Jan 31^st – Mr F Smith retired after being Head for 25 years and a presentation of a "wallet of notes" was made in front of the whole school in Ryhill Empire Cinema.

May 1^st – Mr R.J.H.Mills commenced duties as Headmaster.

May 4^th – The respirators of the children were inspected today by the police, the children then went through the gas-van.

May 17^th – "Salute theSoldier" week, children addressed by 2 A.T.S. officers.

May 28^th – Anti-splinter netting has been removed during the holidays.

Sept 14^th – The local councils are providing tea for all children tomorrow on the occasion of the V.J, celebrations.

Nov 26^th – Mr G. Sterry who left school in 1940 to join H.M. Forces returned to duty today.

Dec 21^st – The Parents Association gave every child in school a tea and small Christmas gift.

March 15^th – Workmen commenced work on the removal of the blast walls and the playground dividing wall which are to be removed.

June 18^th – The school was used by the Council’s on the 8^th June for the village celebrations.

June 22^nd – During the last holiday 20 children and 5 members of staff had a camping holiday at Wormhill, near Buxton.

July 25^th – School Open Day – after visits by the parents the children went to the Empire where they gave items of Choral Speaking, Music and Drama.

Nov 19^th – School closed for 2 days holiday on the occasion of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth.

END