South View School, 1905 – 1915

The letter was written by Miss Emily Smith of 3 Wells Court, Yeadon, in November 1983.
Miss Smith was born in 1902.

“I haven’t any pictures but I went there from being about three years old until leaving at the age of thirteen in 1915.
I remember quite well the school as it was then, the Girls section at the top of the building, the infants in the middle, and the boys at the bottom.
Each section had its own entrance and playground, the boys went in at the Harper Lane gateway and the girls where the gate is, opposite the present infants, with the infants using the same gate with their entrance lower down.
There have been many changes since then, though I remember the inside just as it was then also the teachers.
In the Infants they were, Headteacher, Miss Lee, the others Miss Elsie Denison, Miss Margery Denison (sisters) and Miss Yeadon, the latter was my teacher in that department and was always reminding us to have clean hands and handkerchiefs and to always be respectful to older people.
There were no forms then, there were standards one to seven, and, whilst I was there standard one had to go to the Town Hall in the lower room where I now go to the Darby & Joan Club, it was for one year only and the teacher was Mr Poole.
Then back to South View, with two classes of standard two, teachers Mrs Bilton and Miss Cowgill, standard three had Miss Dale, four had Miss Sparrow, five had two classes taught by Miss Crossley and Miss Birch, sister to those mentioned before.
The Headteacher was Miss Anderson.
There was a classroom for each standard with one teacher for all subjects.
The only time we left our desks was for a weekly session for cookers and housewifery.
I can’t remember who taught that but it was in a separate building between the school and the Caretaker’s house – it appears to be connected now.
We had no games, just one short session in the playground for drill, which was for exercises etc.
The school hours were 9.0am to 12 noon and 1.30pm to 4.0pm.

When it was time to go in, a teacher came to the door and rang a hand bell which meant we had to line up in our classes and march into school to music.
Any girl who could play the piano, I was one of them, could volunteer to be on the list and be allotted a regular weekly spell, this happened at playtime too.
We had full examinations each year to determine whether we were ready to move up to the next standard, in addition there was a special examination for a limited number of scholars for a free place in the Grammar School, which was for paying pupils only, it is now Aireborough Grammar School.
If you won you had three years there free.
I myself won a scholarship but, unfortunately, I wasn’t able to use it though I was very proud of my name being on the large notice board which hung behind the Head’s desk and had the names and the year of the winners in gilt lettering.
Scholars came from Carlton and the Moorside which is beyond where the Airport is now and they were among the best attenders whatever the weather even though there was no canteen, no buses and very little private transport.
There was a man employed who we nick-named the kid seeker, his job was to go to the homes of those who didn’t turn up to find out why.
All that of course, is a long long time ago but it brings back happy memories as I always liked going to school”

Emily Smith (Miss)
November 1983.