Burgess Street (Girls and Infants’) Board School, Burgess Street, Harpurhey (School 4)

NEW BOARD SCHOOLS IN MANCHESTER – On Saturday Miss Becker laid the memorial stone of a new Board school in Burgess Street, Harpurhey. The memorial stone bore the following inscription: “This memorial stone of the fifth Board School was laid by Miss Lydia Ernstine Becker, member of the Manchester School Board, February 17, 1877.” The style adopted by the architects is gothic of a plain character. The external walls throughout are faced with picked common bricks, relieved by stone dressings. A striking feature in the principal front is a large three-light stone mullioned window with traceried head, and crowning this is a bellcot. The basement storey contains a commodious kitchen and fuel stores. The ground floor is arranged for infants and comprises a schoolroom 58 feet long by 30 feet wide and 15 feet 3 inches clear height, and a classroom 20 feet by 20 feet and 15 feet high. The upper floor is appropriated to the girls, and is precisely similar to the ground floor, excepting that the main room is much loftier and that cloakrooms are provided. Two entrances are provided for each department at either end of the main building. The staircases to the upper floor are spacious and well-lighted. The internal fittings are to be of a  plain but thoroughly substantial character, and suitable for school purposes. Particular attention will be paid to warming and ventilation. The fresh air will be admitted in such a way as to obviate draughts, and the vitiated air will be extracted by means of shafts and flues communicating with the chimney stacks. Messrs Shillito and Shorland’s patent school grates will be used throughout the building. There will be two playgrounds, one for each department, and also two sets of offices. These will be well lighted and thoroughly ventilated, and access to them can be gained under cover. The school is designed to accommodate 500 children, viz 250 infants and 250 girls. The floor space provided for each child is 8.5 square feet, and the air space 130 cubic feet. The contract for the building, including boundary walling but exclusive of furniture and fittings is £3,520. The works are being carried out by Mr S Warburton, builder, Harpurhey, under the supervision of Messrs Royle and Bennett, architects, Cooper Street.  Report continued with speeches etc. [Manchester Guardian 19 February 1877 page 6]

Notes – Girls and Infants departments only. Noted that a temporary Board School with places for 150 children had been erected in Mount Street, a short distance from the site of the new school in 1876.

Reference    Manchester Guardian 19 February 1877 page 6 – memorial stone
Reference    The Builder 10 March 1877 page 248
Reference    Samantha F Barnes: Manchester Board Schools page 60