Bolton Woods School History: Introduction
1874
It
was decided by the Bradford School Board that controlled education should
start in Bolton Woods. So temporary rooms were found in the local mission
church and that was the start. After plans were submitted and several meetings
held, a local builder was instructed to build a school on land off Livingstone
Road to cost £4,762. Come August 1876 the new school was opened. It
was soon found to be too small so two new classrooms were added at the north
end. As the village grew so did the need for a larger school. Bits and pieces
were altered and added so the building reached its present configuration in
1901 at a total cost of £11,786.
The only change since has been in the number of pupils per class. In 1876
50 pupils per class was considered normal, while today 30 pupils per class
is thought to be too high.
When the school opened a child's education took place at one school only;
now a child must attend two or three schools in the course of his or her education.
Now after 125 years Bolton Woods school is to close thanks to political restructuring
of the local education system - the sense of loss is keenly felt in the village.
Doris Sutcliffe's and Peter Rayner's memories of Bolton Woods
school, click here.
Bill Sutcliffe's history of Bolton Woods school, click
here.
