PLYMOUTH |
The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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It was designed by the Board's architect, Mr H J Snell, and the building of grey limestone was constructed by Mr W T Jinkin. The total cost, including fitting out, was £21,800, of which the cost of construction amounted to £15,350. On the afternoon of Friday May 27th 1904 the Mayor of Plymouth, Alderman Henry Hurrell JP, opened the School. He was accompanied by the chairman of the Education Committee, Alderman J T Bond. There were three departments to the School. On the ground floor was the infants' school under Miss A Higgins. It could accommodate 512 children. On the first floor was the girls' school, with 480 girls under the charge of Miss K Firks. The 430 strong boys' school was on the second floor, with Mr J H Curtis as their headmaster. Cookery classes were held by Mrs Roberts and the boys' handicraft lessons were under Mr W Bradbury. There were eight rooms in all for the staff. In the basement was a large classroom for the manual instruction of the boys and another for use in teaching laundry matters to the girls. Outside was a large playground with the added advantage of large covered sheds for use in wet weather. The playground was tarred and decorated with flower beds around the buildings and boundary walls. Several young trees had also been planted around the boundary. During the opening speeches it was revealed that the average attendance at schools in England was 84%. It was proudly announced that Plymouth had reached 86.57% during the four weeks ended May 6th. The occasion was also used to present a silver flower bowl inscribed: 'Presented to the Rev. Professor F E Anthony, MA, JP, on the opening by the Plymouth Education Authority of the Hyde Park-road School, the last school to be erected by the Plymouth School Board, of which body Professor Anthony was chairman for twenty-three years, and a member for the whole of the period of its existence, 1871-1903. -- J T Bond, chairman of the Education Committee, May 27 1904.' The building was open for public inspection on the Friday from 3 till 6pm and on the following Monday from 6 until 8pm. Enrolment took place on Wednesday June 1st. In 1935 the Headmaster of the boys' school was Mr H F Curtis; the Headmistress of the girls' school was Miss M Mortimer; and the Headmistress of the infants' school was Miss A D B Pike. Disaster struck the School in March 1941 when the building was badly damaged by enemy action. The pupils had to be dispersed to other buildings. The boys transferred to Montpelier School and the girls went to Laira School, both some distance from Hyde Park Road. Unfortunately for the boys, Montpelier School was destroyed in April 1941 and they were forced to move in to rooms at Pennycross Methodist Chapel. In July 1941 some 120 boys and girls of what became known as the Hyde Park Emergency School were brought together in rooms at Hope Baptist Chapel, Peverell Corner. Later, when pupils who had been evacuated earlier in the war began to return to Plymouth, a room in the cricket pavilion at the Plymouth Cricket Club was also used for classes. Under the reorganisation of education brought about by the Education Act 1944, as from Sunday April 1st 1945 Hyde Park Elementary became Hyde Park Primary School while the senior boys and girls became Hyde Park Secondary Modern School.
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