SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

HI everyone,

Here are the schools that I attended:

1950 - 1954 Quarry Mount Infants School
1954 - 1957 Quarry Mount Junior School
1957 - 1962 Leeds Modern School

I really enjoyed my time at the Quarry Mount Schools. I passed my 'scholarship' and went to Leeds Modern School, which was a grammar school. On reflection, I often think that I might have done better, academically, at school if I had failed my 'scholarship' and attended a secondary school, where I think that I would have coped better. I continually struggled, academically, at Leeds Modern School, but I enjoyed the sport - rugby, swimming, football, etc. I found that, academically, if you were not in the 'top stream', then the school and the teachers did not have much time for you and you just had to muddle through. I was glad to leave, aged 16, with few qualifications.

Ian

Ian, would the thread permit "which schools you taught at, when, and thoughts", or is that cheating?

Hi Dalehelms,

I will leave that up to people's discretion, but please see the other thread about where people worked.

Ian

Hi Ian,

I think that the place where people worked would be a more suitable thread. I was being over-enthusiastic!

Dalehelms

I went to St.Silas infants in Hunslet from about 1958 for a while (not sure how long) followed by a short time at South Accomodation Road. When we moved to Tinshill I went to Ireland Wood School and then on to Leeds Modern. from 1966 to 1973. I can't say I noticed much streaming as mentioned by Ian Smith. Our classes were made up of varying abilitiesand don't think anyone was left behind.
This is my first post for a while...I had another "nom de keyboard" but it went pear shaped when they revamped the site!

Moortown County Primary 1968 - 1973

Allerton Grange Middle School 1973 -1977 (The first year of the failed Tertiary education experiment in Leeds when my year and the year above at Primary School went up to Middle School and the bottom 2 years at high school came down)

Allerton Grange High School 1977 - 1980 (Subjected to another experiment where in some subjects I sat GCE and some I sat 16+ a combination of GCE and CSE which meant you were pretty much guaranteed a pass at least at the lesser CSE. I was fortunate enough to be in the upper streams of the subjects I took because lower streams sat CSE in subjects that didn't have 16+)

Allerton Grange Sixth Form 1980 - 1982

Halton Moor Primary - which I don't think exists any more - from about '55 to '61. Loved it. Recollect Mr Prince, who taught us Technical Drawing (in primary school!) and Mr Naylor who, amongst other things, did recorder with us. Remember the taste of the instruments that were kept mouthpiece down in a bath of diluted Dettol. Then to Temple Moor after 11+. Headmaster Mr Breeze, who gave me 'six of the best' more than once! It was the days when prefects could give detentions and I had the record for the most in a term - I think it was 38. Happy days! PS I ended up teaching as a career . . .

Ben Rhydding c1945-49, a lovely friendly school. Then in quick succession Green Lane Meanwood, Greenside Pudsey, Poulton-Le Fylde. In September 1949 I went to Princess Field, Holbeck, where I was bullied unmercifully due to my perceived "posh" voice and the fact that my mother was teaching at the adjacent infant school. I was transferred to Lower Wortley after some three months, to my great relief, which was heaven after my experiences in Leeds 11! West Leeds Sept 52-56, Lincoln City Boys 56-57.

Jim - What a coincidence - I was at Ben Rhydding fro m 1941 to 1947 - the last year not in the main old school, but in a large hut just at the bottom of Ben Rhydding Drive, administered by a very stern teacher called Gilbert Pyrah. It was a friendly school indeed and of course World War 2 was still raging most of the time I was there. I can still remember all my teachers.
Standard 1 Mrs. Beanlands
2 Miss Irving
3 Miss Shackleton
4 Mrs. Chapman
5 Mr. Jackman
6 Mr. Pyrah.

OSMONDTHORPE & ALLERTON GRANGE

Up until the age of 13 school life was pretty good for me.

From 1955 I attended Osmondthorpe Junior School and then later Osmondthorpe Primary and Seniors. I always remember in Junior school we used to get the small bottles of milk and a straw (never made milk monitor though) and after dinner we had some type of camp beds to have a nap on. I can honestly say that I enjoyed school at Osmondthorpe and was sad to leave when I was 13.

The reason I left was that my grandmother who I lived with died and I had to live somewhere else, I ended up running away and was caught by the police after a couple of days and put up in a few remand homes so I could be looked after, I spent some time at a remand in the Westwood’s at Middleton, the remand at Redhall off the Coal Road and finally Street Lane Children’s home. I was finally found some foster parents from around there and finished my school years at Allerton Grange High. Not a bad school at all and I again recall breaks taken in the 5 courts as they were called, it was always good there for a smoke and if you were lucky a mess about with the girls.

I left school at 15 and was lucky enough to get and apprenticeship with the YEB.

Sorry I missed you Tyke Boy but I was long gone before you started