Holland Street Board School, Newton Heath (School No 29)

NEW BOARD SCHOOLS AT BRADFORD AND NEWTON HEATH. MEMORIAL STONE LAYING - On Saturday, the memorial stones of new board schools in Queen-street, Bradford, and Holland-street, Newton Heath, were laid by Principal A. Holliday and Lieutenant-Colonel Clark, members of the Manchester School Board, respectively. At Holland-street, a considerable crowd gathered to witness the proceedings.

The building here faces south-west, towards Danson Street, and the back overlooks the site of the proposed recreation ground. The materials used for the exterior are terra-cotta and brick, classically treated. Large playgrounds, entirely surrounding the school, are provided for the two sexes, portions of these at the back of the school being covered in for use in unfavourable weather. The building, which has two main storeys and a basement, is intended for use as a mixed school and infant school, and is planned on the Central Hall principle, the total accommodation being 690 infants and 650 in the mixed department. Advantage has been taken of the face of the ground towards Iron-street to provide a well-lighted manual instruction-room in the basement, 59 feet by 25 feet, also a commodious kitchen and coal place. Access to the ground floor is obtained from the playground by means of two entrances—one for boys and the other for girls and infants. The entrance halls, from which the cloak rooms, lavatories, and staircases are entered, communicate directly with the central hall, 107 feet by 31 feet. The latter room is lighted from large windows at each extremity, and also by means of the glass screens dividing the class rooms from the hall. An enamelled brick dado of light and cheerful appearance is placed round the walls of the central hall and class rooms. On this floor are provided eight class rooms, amply and correctly lighted, five of them measuring 25 feet by 24 feet each to accommodate 75; one 25 feet by 18 feet, to hold 56: and one 34 feet by 25 feet, to hold 100. All these open directly from the "central hall,” as does the remaining class room for babies, 36 feet by 25 feet to hold 100, which has separate access from the playground if needed The cookery room and scullery are conveniently placed, and two teachers' rooms are provided. Ample cloak rooms, lavatories, and crush spaces are provided at each entrance hall, from which in each case a staircase leads up to the first floor. On the first floor are provided nine class rooms, opening from the central hall, seven of them 25 feet by 24 feet, each to accommodate 60; and two 34 feet by 25 feet, each to hold 85. The cloak rooms and lavatories are repeated on this floor, and two teachers' rooms are placed convenient to the staircase. Provision is made for throwing two, three, or four class rooms into one if necessary, by means of movable glass partitions. The heating throughout will be by means of open fireplaces. The entire cost of the structure, including the site, is estimated at £14,000, the contractors for the whole of the work being Messrs. R. Neill and Sons, Strangeways, and the architects, Messrs. Woodhouse and Willoughby, of King-street, Manchester.

Mr. Alderman Crosfield gave a short history of the school. He said when Miles Platting became united to the city the School Board took over the school then being conducted at the Holland-street Ragged School That school was very well taught, but the building was one of the most miserable and inadequate possible, and they were compelled to take stops to build a new one. Their proceedings were expedited by an accidental fire which destroyed the Ragged School and they had to erect the adjoining iron school, where the children had been much better housed. They had great difficulty in securing the site for the new building, but having acquired it, they were going to build one of their largest schools in anticipation of the wants of the future. Near the school would shortly be a recreation ground, given by the Dean and Canons of Manchester to the Corporation. The school would accommodate 534 infants on the ground floor, and 1,182 boys and girls on the upper floor, and its cost would be £14.000. [Manchester Courier 16 July 1894 page 8]

HOLLAND STREET SCHOOL, ANCOATS, MANCHESTER - For this work a limited competition was instituted in 1894, and we now publish the design adopted by the board. The building provides for a mixed and infant school for 1,000 children - viz., 650 boys and girls, at l0 sq. ft. each, and 350 infants, at 9 sq. ft. each. In their report the architects state they have endeavoured to carry out the gist of modern school planning - viz., the spirit of the "hall passage system," the controlling idea in planning the same being openness of supervision. Every classroom throughout is entered directly from the central hall, which is completely under the control of the head master. Every teaching room is correctly and amply lighted from the left‑hand side and back. The cost, including covered playgrounds, &c, was about £10,000. Messrs. Woodhouse and Willoughby, of Manchester, were the architects. [Building News 7 October 1898 page 497 and illustration]

BOARD SCHOOLS, BRADFORD AND NEWTON HEATH - The memorial-stones of the new Board Schools in Queen-street, Bradford, and Holland street, Newton Heath, were laid on the 14th inst.  The school in Holland-street will be entirely surrounded by playgrounds. The building is two-storied and is planned on the central hall principle. It is to be used as a mixed school and an infant school. In the basement there is a manual instruction room 59ft. by25ft. There are eight classrooms and two teachers’ rooms on the ground floor, and nine class-rooms and two teachers’ rooms on the first floor. Provision is made for throwing two, three, or four class-rooms into one if necessary. The healing throughout will be by means of open fireplaces. The entire cost of the structure, including the site, is estimated at 14,000/. The architects arc Messrs. Woodhouse & Willoughby, and Messrs. Neill & Sons are the contractors. [Builder 21 July 1894 page 45]

Reference    Manchester Courier 16 July 1894 page 8
Reference    Building News 7 October 1898 page 497 and illustration