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Home » Rawdon » Schools Rawdon » National School 1861 to St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School (2)

National School 1861 to St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School (2)

National School Pupils and Headmaster 1921

T51 – Pupils and Headmaster, 1902.

Title National School 1861 to St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School (2)
Date 1861 to present.
Location Rawdon
Photo ID T51
Comment See below ..

The Headmaster Mr Charles Cockcroft is on the right.
The names of some of the children have been noted but not in order:
On the back row, Beatrice Jackson, Raymond Scurrah, Dennis Rushworth, John Rawnsley, Wilfred Ralph, John Speight, Lilian Wilkinson, Ivy Wright, Gipsy Smith and Jenny Sharp.

Middle row, Waite-Pullan, Lily Teale, Amy Wright and Mary Teale.

Front row, Eric Whittaker and Ronald Money.

National School Pupils and Teacher c1935

W176 – National School, January c1935.

National School – c1935

A photograph of the pupils in the top class donated by Paul Metcalf who also supplied some of the names:

Clifford Rawnsley, Frank Clark, Clifford Bailey, John Broadhead, Harry Hogg, Dennis Beals, Eric Harper, Elsie Dibb, Mary Newall, Eva Wilkinson, Edna Drake, Joan Beilby, Dolly Hudson, Molly Braithwaite, Phyllis Drake, Paul Metcalf, Frank Hattersley, Ben Thomas, Peter Hogg.

National School Pupils 1936

FBA115 – National School, 1936.

National School – 1936

A photograph donated by Jean Dean. Many names have been added and there is a name missing between Roy Marshall and Tom Hattersley.

National School Pupils and adults 1936

T934 – National School, 1936.

National School – 1936

The same image only without names.

After the fire National School 1951

G057 – National School, January 1951.

National School – 1951

A view of the National School after the fire in January 1951.

Donated by Brian Triffitt.

Rawdon National School Fire 1951

W149 – National School, January 1951.

National School – 1951

Another view of the National School after the fire.

Donated by Paul Metcalf.

Rawdon National Pre 1951

W148 – National School, Pre 1951.

National School – Pre 1951

The house on the far left was the headmaster’s residence which survived the fire in 1951.

The classrooms on the right were destroyed.

Rawdon National School Interlude 1951-1955

V483 – National School, Interlude 1951/1955.

National School Interlude – 1951/1955

After the fire in 1951, which destroyed the old National School, classes were held in the church institute where this photo was taken.

Donated by Paul Metcalf who supplied the names:

The teacher at the back was Miss Jackson, Back row, Fred Buckenham, Hazel Brayshaw, Pat Kingston, Janet Outhwaite, Alan Farrar,

2nd row, Tony Dawson, (half in view on the left) John Brown, Maureen ? ? Malcolm Pullan, ? ? Glenda Leathley,

3rd row, Susan Jubb, ? Paul Metcalf, Barry Stead, ?

Front row, Janet ?, Paul Barrett, Susan ?, Susan Elliott.

Rawdon CofE 1955

FB216 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School – 1955

A plaque at the school has this information:

‘This building was opened by
Councillor J M Hudson
On 7th May 1955

To Replace St Peter’s Church School And
Destroyed by Fire on 23rd January 1951

County Alderman W M Hyman, Chairman of the West Riding Education Committee A B Clegg MA, Chief Education Officer H Bennett FRIBA, County Architect’

This photograph was donated by Rachel Dean.

St. Peter's 1955

R283 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School – 1955

An aerial view of the new build school on Town Street on the site of the previous school which was destroyed by fire in 1951.

Bottom left, the old Headmasters house now occupied by the school caretaker.

The tarmac area to the side of the caretaker’s house was where the original classrooms were. To the right of the tarmac area, the main building with five classrooms.

From the classrooms, on the ground floor were clothes storage area and toilets, leading to the Headmasters office, Staff Common Room and a mezzanine landing leading into the assembly hall/gymnasium.

At the rear the coal fired boiler house, next to which was the school canteen and finally the little building where school sports equipment was stored.

St. Peter's 1955

P020 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School – 1955

A photograph showing the school classrooms running adjacent to Town Street.

St. Peter's 1955

C749 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School – 1955

A photograph showing the school classrooms running adjacent to Town Street.

This photograph was donated by Teena Mitchell.

St. Peter's football team 1955

V423 – St. Peter’s Football Team 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, School Football Team – 1955

A photograph donated by Paul Metcalf of the 1955 school football team names as:

Back row, left to right:  Alan Farrar, Terry Pullan, Peter Ward, ( ? ) Malcolm Pullan, Tony ?  Richard Gill.

Front row, left to right:  Bobby Pickard, Paul Metcalf, Barry Stead, Michael Waugh, George Pickard (twin brother of Bobby on the left).

Seated boy in front, Colin Tedder.

St. Peter's Pupils sewing 1955

U870 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Pupils Sewing – 1955

A group of girls sewing.

First on the left: Hazel Brayshaw, third on the left: the donor of this photograph, Valerie Hoare (now Valerie Ryan)

St. Peter's 1955

U869 – See U870 above.

This photograph donated by Val Ryan is the item that she was sewing in the above photograph U870, which she still has today. (I think its an egg cosy – Ed) What a wonderful keepsake.

St. Peter's Pupils 1955

U871 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Pupils – 1955

This photograph donated by Val Ryan is taken from a booklet commemorating the opening of St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School on 7th May 1955.

St. Peter's Pupils 1955

U872 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Pupils – 1955

A group of pupils in gym/drama class, donated by Val Ryan.

St. Peter's Pupils 1955

W122 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1955.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Pupils – 1955

A class photograph donated by Paul Metcalf of the pupils of 1955, named as:

Back row from left to right: ? Saxton, Tony ?, Alan Farrar, Michael King, Peter Ward, Frederick Buckenham, Terry Pullan, Richard Gill, Michael Waugh.

3rd row left to right: Catherine ?, Janet Outhwaite, Hazel Brayshaw, ( ? ) ( ? ) ( ? ) Susan Jubb.

2nd row: Valerie Hoare is 8th in from the left.

Front row: Nigel Pratt, Paul Barrett, Billy Todd, ( ? ) Barry Stead, Paul Metcalf.

St. Peter's Staff 1956

C709 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, Staff, 1956.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Staff – 1956

Staff photograph showing from left to right:

Sally Murgatroyd, Maud Jackson, Headmaster Eric Silletto, Eva Woodcock, George Crompton.

Donated by George Crompton.

St. Peter's Staff c1957

C744 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, c1957.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Staff – c1957

Staff photograph showing back row from left to right:

Eva Woodcock, George Crompton, ( ? ) and front row: Maud Jackson, Headmaster Eric Silletto, Sally Murgatroyd.

Donated by George Crompton.

St. Peter's Staff 1958

C610 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, Staff, 1958.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Staff – 1958

Staff photograph showing back row from left to right:

Sally Murgatroyd, George Crompton, Eva Woodcock and front row: Maud Jackson, Headmaster Eric Silletto, Miss Sullivan (an exchange teacher from America).

Donated by George Crompton.

St. Peter's Pupils 1959

A959 – St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School, 1959.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Pupils – 1959

A photograph of Class 7 donated by George Crompton.

3rd row, 2nd from the right: Kathleen Hardaker.

2nd row, 1st left: Mark Reynolds.

1st row, 2nd left: Alan Lawn, ( ? ) ( ? ) Wendy Bateson, Margaret Scott.

St. Peter's Football Team 1959/60

U900 – St. Peter’s Football Team, 1959/60.

St. Peter’s (C of E) Primary School Football Team – 1959/60

Back row from left to right: Martin Greenwood, Raymond Broadhead, Brian Crompton, Peter McCann, ( ? Jackson } George Crompton, Alan Singleton.

Middle row from left to right: Stephen Smalley, ( Steven Perkins ? ) ( Kevin Robinson ? ) Alan Lawn, ( ? ).

Front row from left to right: Peter Brayshaw, Peter Ogden, Colin Flesher.

Donated by Jack Brayshaw.

Previous Comments:

Re R283
Valryan85a
It was a lovely school I was lucky to go there from 1950-56 and I was so happy there.

A big thank you to whoever donated this phot as it shows clearly Grange Farm and all the out buildings my Gran had this farm Clara L Braithwaite which has now sadly been demolished and site of school car park.
None of our teachers had a car they all walked or came on the bus!

This is the best photo I have of the farm – thank you.

Valerie Ryan (nee Hoare)
18 January 2014

Re R283
Valryan85a
On looking through the census records for Rawdon, Mr Cockcroft the Headmaster lived in one of the cottages next to the school on the left as you enter the school carpark.

The Barrett families also lived in these cottages about the same time they were a family of stonemasons and Esther Barrett was the mother of Brian Close the Yorkshire and England cricketer.

19 February 2017

Re G057
valryan85a
I was a pupil at the school just before it burned down. I remember the news and how sad we all were and going to see the remains and the awful smell like the day after bonfire night.
Think Mr Metcalfe was the caretaker and Paul his son was in my class. I had to then go into the Greenhill Methodist Church Hall that was down Over Lane until the new school was built.

It was big and cold but we all loved playing outside as there were huge holly bushes you could play hide and seek in but they were a bit prickly!
There was a gravel path around the huge church next door and a grassy slope we used to love running up and down.

I remember as you went into the side door there were some narrow stone steps leading to an upstairs room and I went there on a Sunday as my Uncle Eric Myers was a Sunday School Teacher.

There was a big cold kitchen with a huge tea urn. To get in and out we had to negotiate a very steep slope into Over Lane, and it was awful in the snow.

There was a little “Tuck Shop” and Off Licence very near to it (I am sure the Methodists did not approve!) and at the top of Over Lane was Mr Hudson’s Butchers Shop and Mrs Binns Sweet Shop and a baker’s Frankland’s and Carlisle’s Greengrocers and the little shop by the bus shelter was a lovely Fish and Chip shop run by the Smiths.

In the Church Hall there was a stage, and my brother was in a production there with the Harper sisters one was called Annie.

Whenever I remember Greenhill I feel cold as it was a large cold and uninviting place to me as a 5/6 year old.

The new school was wonderful, and I really loved every day. Mr Collins was the head and Mr Maurice Woodruffe (lovely man from Pudsey) took over for a short time and then Mr Eric Silletto became Head when the school was opened. He was lovely and I used to take his daughter Kay to the bus stop every afternoon after school and see her onto the bus where her mother would be as her Mum was also a teacher (I think at Yeadon South View) and they lived in Horsforth.

I traced both Kay and Mr Silletto a few years ago he was well into his 80’s but still playing the piano (he was a wonderful pianist) and lived in Kent and Kay was in Guiseley.

The other teachers I can remember were Miss Jackson (fondly called Jacko) Miss Yeadon; Miss Hepworth who got married and became Mrs Murgatroyd, Mr Wade who always made a funny face when he sang and one of the older ones when I first started was Miss Yeadon she retired not long after I started. Most female teachers in those days were spinsters.

We also had classes in the old church institute sometimes and I remember having lunch there and it always smelled of school dinners.

My granny used to go to Whist Drives there. We had lovely dinner ladies and one I really liked was Mrs Leach who loved in Harrogate Road and had a daughter Jan who like me went to Ilkley Grammar School.

The days at St Peters or the National as we called it really were the happiest days of my life.

Valerie Hoare (now Ryan)
10 September 2013

Re W149
Val Ryan (nee Hoare)
Remember this so well Paul Metcalf it was a sad day for our village, and we all went to look at the smouldering remains and the smell of burning filled the village.

But a wonderful new school rose up from the ashes and we were all very lucky to have such a good education there it was a very happy school the hub of the community.

Your grandparents and parents were lovely and looked after the school for us all. Thanks for sharing your memory of that night with us.
09 December 2018

Re W122
Val Ryan (nee Hoare)

I can fill in the gaps Alistair Milner (you lived behind me across the field that was, in I think Stoneycroft Cottage!
I remember your Mum and Dad Phyllis (teacher) and Wilf and sister Gail.

Think back row was Raymond Saxon then Anthony Dawson and I think ? is Rodney Palliser.

Girls left to right Catherine Binns Janet Outhwaite, Hazel (Duffy) Brayshaw, Janet Tavender, Maureen Kershaw, Gloria Carlisle, Susan Jubb,
Pat Kingston, Pat Hodgson, Rita Smith, Janet Rhodes, Susan Elliott, Susan Ashmore, Janet Gommersall, Valerie Hoare (me) and Anita Smith.

Unknown on front row middle I think was Robert (lived in Horsforth I think cannot remember surname)

Happy Days in our new school
09 December 2018

<< Page 1 Page 3 >>

Consolidated by Jack Brayshaw. 20 December 2020.
Last Updated: 17 January 2024 – Photo ID: T934. 22 September 2022, All Images. 22 January 2021, Photo ID: U900.

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