Archives - The History of Manchester Road School

The first British school in Droylsden was built in Queen Street in 1838 by Mr. William Miller Christy, and was opened shortly afterwards as a junior and infant day school. A "British" school was a school carried on under the auspices of the British and Foreign Schools' Society, a Nonconformist body. Mr. and Mrs. Buller were the first teacher, trained at Home and Colonial Society's Training School. When these two teachers left Droylsden, Miss Athowe continued to teach until 1843 when the school was enlarged. The school was reopened on January 16th, 1844, with Samuel Dawson in charge of the juniors, under the system of British and Foreign School Society, and Miss Athowe in charge of the infants under the previous system.

The school received government grants from 1844, one of the first schools in the country to do so, for this was a generation before the 1870 Education Act. In addition to the government grant, the children brought weekly pennies for their teacher. All expenses above the government grant and the children's pence were shared by the Mill owners, Messrs, Worthington, Benson & Co. ; Samuel Ollershaw and Brothers ; and Messrs W. M. Christy & Sons. When Miss Athowe left, Miss Collins, and later Mrs. Dawson, taught the infants.

Mr. Christy then built a second British school at right angles to the first, in Queen Street, and this was opened on April 25th, 1851. The old British school was then used by the infants, with Miss Annabella Ferguson from Glasgow Training College as Mistress with pupil teachers. The new British school was used by the juniors with Mr. Samuel Dawson as master with nine pupil teachers. The junior school had 400 children on roll in the 1850's and the infants' school had 200 on roll. The 1851 British School still stands with its read and white brick at the corner of Queen Street and Halcrow Street. It is now used as storage space by the local council.

In 1878 the school was transferred to trustees, while on April 1st, 1878, George Dawson became headmaster. George Dawson, who came from Tideswell, was not related to Samuel Dawson, who hailed from Ireland. When the Educational Institute was opened nearby, in 1858, certain rooms in the Institute were used by the British School as extension classes. The school came to an end in 1907 when the Manchester Road Council School was opened, the children being transferred to the new school.

Manchester Road County Primary School. This School was opened on October 7th, 1907, with Mr. George Dawson as headmaster, who had been headmaster of the old British School in Queen Street from April 1st, 1878 to the date of its closing. The staff and scholars of the old school were transferred to the new Manchester Road School.

When the school opened on October 7th, 1907, the number of scholars present was 408. They were addressed by Mr. Mallalieu, one of the managers, who took as his motto Psalm 119, verse 144, "Give me understanding and I shall live."

In 1907 the staff consisted of one head teacher , two college trained assistants, six uncertified assistants, our supplementary teacher, and four pupil teachers.

As the child population grew, fresh accommodation was required. On July 15th, 1940, St. Andrew's Institute was opened to accommodate the overflow, and Edge Lane Methodist School opened on November 8th, 1948, to provide still further accommodation. St. Andre's was then used for the older girls of the Manchester Road School, and Edge Lane Methodist School for the older boys.

The following have been headmasters of the school :-

It is interesting to note that Mr. John Thomasson was connected with the school, as scholar and teacher, for 55 years.

Manchester Road Infants' School. The school opened, with the senior department, on October 7th, 1907. The infants were transferred from old Queen Street British School.

Headmistresses of the school have been :-