Knavesmire Council Public Elementary School. York (Architectural Competition)

The school was to consist of three departments - for 250 boys, 300 girls, and 250 infants respectively - together with a domestic subjects centre, manual workshop, caretaker's house, and a spare room which might, if ever required, be used for shower‑baths. The total cost was not to exceed £10,000.

The design placed first, by Mr. J. T. Proffitt, is, on the whole, a satisfactory one. A number of the classrooms have a north aspect; but that, as mentioned above, is unavoidable if a T‑shaped plan be adopted. The entrances and cloakrooms adjoin the hall, and, as the scholars will no doubt assemble in the hall both at the beginning and at the end of the school hours, this is probably the best position, though it is possible to ventilate the cloakrooms better if they are situated at the ends of the building. The placing of the lavatories in the cloakrooms is hardly in accordance with modern practice. The playgrounds are excellent, being open to the south, and of good shape; but the position of the latrines, which adjoin the cookery‑room in one case and the parlour of the caretaker's house in the other, is bad, and will doubtless have to be revised before the plans obtain the approval of the Board. The elevations are very poor.

Reference    Building News 26 April 1912 Page 612
Reference    Building News 17 May 1912 page 702
Reference    Builidg News 24 May 1912 Page 726-727 with plans