Michael Waters

My mother, Doris Arnell Waters, was born in Hunslet in 1916. In 1999 she wrote the following account of Bewerley Street School in "Schooldays in South Leeds 1920-1930". A copy of the whole booklet should be in the Leeds District Archives, Chapeltown road, Sheepscar, Leeds and in one of the Leeds City Council libraries. "The building would be Victorian, surrounded by a low wall, on top of which were iron railings. It was two storey, situated in Bewerley Street, the school on one side of the street and back-to-back houses on the other. "Access to each department, boys and girls, was by a joining corridor. They were identical except the girls had a cookery and laundry room and the boys a gymnasium. "There were three schoolyards (playgrounds), the one on the left as you faced the school for girls seven to nine years of age, the one in the middle for girls and boys ten to fourteen years of age (though the boys had different breaks to the girls, never at the same time), and the yard at the end on the right hand side for boys aged from seven to nine. "As with the infants' school in Hunslet Hall Road, the caretaker had a house in the schoolyard, at the boys' end. The school was heated by a coke boiler and large black iron pipes in the classroom. There were also cloakrooms with washbasins and outside toilets. "The schools had long and short corridors from which led classrooms. A class was called a "standard", and went from Standard One to Standard Eight. "There were also a laundry room and a cookery room. "The headmistress, Miss Coward, had her own room, and there was a staffroom. "Once the girls had taken their seats in class, sitting two to a desk (these desks had two sunken inkwells and no back rest; some of the seats, though polished, were very rough and many a girl suffered a splinter in her bottom), the teacher called the register. This was done by numbers in alphabetical order, so Ainley was One, Arnell Two, and so on. Possibly forty-five to fifty numbers would be called out. The teacher would tick their names by their numbers in her book. "She would know that any number not called out would belong to a girl she had been advised was absent through illness - parents were under obligation to advise the school of this. "Should a number that the teacher did not know about not be called, she would immediately advise the Boardman - also known as the "Kidcatcher". With his list of absentees from all classes he would set out and call at the homes of those girls (and boys). The Boardman would enquire of the parent why the child was not at school. Excuses would not be accepted, such as looking after siblings if the mother was not well, running errands, or getting up late. "Unless it could be proved the girl was ill, the Boardman would demand to see the child. When satisfied that there was no apparent reason for the absence, he would tell the parent to send the culprit to school at once. He would follow this up later in the day - it was a full-time job. "It was known in extreme cases for parents to be taken to court. "Classrooms were almost identical: one large square room. The desks, two girls to one desk, would be in rows with probably two aisles in between. The teacher would stand in front of the class. She would also have a large desk. One blackboard would be on the wall and one would be a free-standing swivel type. She was able to keep an eye on all forty-five or so girls, she did not miss anything, and the naughty ones, or those not paying attention, would sit on the front row. The teacher would also walk up and down the aisles checking work. "Bewerley Street School was one of the first in Leeds to have a separate teacher for each subject. Each teacher would be in charge of a class but would also have a subject she would teach other classes, so all girls would have an individual teacher for individual lessons. "As today, children had their favourite teachers and if they did not like any particular one - they didn't like the subject and they were stuck with that teacher through school - no escape. "Each day, in all classes, started with Scripture (R.I.). This would take the form of learning the Ten Commandments, Beatitudes, and the teaching from the Bible of parables, miracles, and all forms of Bible stories. These were all taught by the teacher by means of writing on the blackboard or by repetition. It was made very interesting and the children enjoyed this lesson. It is possible that the higher classes did not do as much of this subject as the lower ones, but they would still have a little scripture as a first lesson. "It is not possible to cover all aspects of lessons through the school owing to the different ages, seven to fourteen, but here is the gist of some of them. "Arithmetic was the second lesson and covered from easy adding up and tables to harder things - mental arithmetic, problems ("If it takes a man so long to plough a field, etc etc..."), fractions, percentages, decimals and so on. "This work was written down in exercise books. "English consisted of spelling - sometimes in the form of dictation, the teacher shouting it out, and the girls writing it in their books - grammar, and compositions (essays) which would be marked for punctuation and spelling as well as writing. "Epic poems were also learnt, some from books and some from the blackboard - for example, 'How Horatius Held the Bridge', 'Hiawatha', and 'The Pied Piper of Hamlin', or simpler poems for lower classes. Of course, the above work would be graded according to ages. "Needlework was taught through the school. On entering the school the seven year olds would make an envelope-shaped bag with her name simply embroidered on it. This bag would remain with her all through school to keep her sewing and knitting. "According to age, many items would be made at school. Memories of nightdresses (all by hand) with scalloped edges made with a penny and halfpenny, pinafores, darning, mending, patching ... . Some of these items took a long time and the same teacher would move up with the girls at the end of the school year. "Knitting: the lower classes were taught to knit, mostly purses and scarves. They would progress to knitting with four needles and would each knit one short sock. These would turn out all shapes and sizes as each girl had a different tension, and some would give it a good pull to make it grow. It is doubtful if ever a pair matched up. "All the materials for sewing and knitting were supplied by the school. "In the last year at school the thirteen to fourteen year olds would go into the boys' gymnasium, it being the only available room, and learn how to use a sewing machine. "Science was taught to the older girls and seemed to consist of bunsen burners, litmus paper, and minor experiments. Bewerley Street School was fortunate in having a Science Room and an excellent teacher who also taught nature study and botany. "The girls made notes and drawings in exercise books. There were no text books; work was copied from the blackboard. Teachers in those days had excellent handwriting (not printing). "Cookery: girls started this lesson at about eleven years of age. "Various items were made, for example cakes, buns, rockbuns (the joke of school cookery), scones, and on a Friday the class would make vegetable broth. In the morning the teacher would give two girls money and send them to buy the veg from the corner shop. They would then spend the morning making a huge amount of nourishing broth (again, the school paid for the ingredients). This was always known by the school as "soup day". At lunch time girls could run home and get a large jug, run back to school and get it filled with broth for an old penny (much less than one new penny). The family would have it for lunch, and if mother could afford it she would put it in a pan and put dumplings in. "In the afternoon the girls had to clean the cookers. That done, they sat at desks and had a lecture and took notes on hygiene. Throughout this lesson the girls wore aprons and caps that they made themselves in sewing lessons. "Laundry: girls today would be horrified to go to school and learn how to wash clothes, but that is what they did in the 1920s. "The room was fitted out with tables for ironing, tubs, rubbing boards and the like for washing, and of course scrubbing brushes. It had a concrete stove, around which was a shelf on which the flat irons were placed on their ends to get hot. The girls took them off with a square iron holder made in knitting lessons. To test if the irons were hot enough, they were supposed to wet their finger and quickly touch the bottom of the iron and hear a sizzle, but it was more fun to spit on the iron when the teacher wasn't looking - this got a better sizzle. "All items to be washed were taken from home - only small ones, as they had to be washed, dried and ironed all in one day at school. Sometimes they were asked to take embroidered and lacy items. Mothers must have sent their daughters to school with precious items in trepidation. "Mothercraft must be mentioned to let readers know how useless it would be today - and it possibly was not very instructive at the time. "It took the form of a teacher, probably a nurse, visiting. She went round all schools in South Leeds so probably only visited once a month. The girls aged twelve years and upwards would have this lesson. "One recollects the diagram of a woman being pinned to the blackboard - just an ordinary woman, hardly any bust, no hair, and certainly not pregnant. "Memory of the first lesson is that the girls were told by the teacher, who was unmarried, that women had babies because they had been given a "seed". There was no mention of how they had babies or how they got the "seed". Although in those days sex was not discussed openly, it is thought that of course girls knew, and were inclined to titter, and would have liked to ask the teacher to see if she knew, but nobody dared. They may have had it all explained in future lessons - or explained it to the teacher! "After learning that the baby was born by a miracle, it was time to learn how to bathe it. "A large doll would be put in a bath (a rarity in the 1920s - the kitchen sink would be used) with no water and the girls would be shown how to wash it - although most, having younger siblings, would already know - dry it, and powder it. Then would come the dressing - a long woollen vest (a binder). This was a long flannel bandage put round the baby's tummy to give support to the stomach, and warmth, and to help to press the belly button nice and flat. Sometimes an old penny would be put on top of the belly button first. The teacher would also explain why a baby had a belly button. "The baby would be dressed in a flannel petticoat, after it had been encased in a large nappy, and a dress - boys also wore these garments as babies. Baby also wore a little cap or a bonnet, indoors and out, to keep their heads warm, and we must not forget the bootees. Now baby was ready to be admired. "When changing the nappy, owing to there being no plastic pants all the clothes would also get wet, unless the mother lifted them up at the back, so they would have to be changed. What a lot of washing - and with no washing machines! "This lesson was not appreciated by mothers, whose motto was "mother knows best" - and of course she did. Imagine if you can, one mother with two children, one in her arms, and possibly pregnant, saying, "What does she know about babies, she's not even married. Wait until she gets a brood like this, then she'll know" - and perhaps she was right. "Housewifery was taken at another school - Hunslet Moor, a short distance away from Bewerley Street School. Here they had a house or flat and girls aged thirteen-fourteen would attend in pairs. "Many stages of housework would be undertaken. "The girls would be asked to consider themselves a housewife, and live a day in the life of a housewife, and enact what she would do while her husband was at work and children at school. This would mean preparing the vegetables for the evening meal, and planning any other meals that may be required. "Then would come the housework itself. "They would wash dishes, clean windows, dust, sweep the floors, polish, do the ironing, and clean cutlery. This latter would mean cleaning knives in particular. These were made of steel, not stainless, and would have to be cleaned with emery paper or even fine sand on a damp cloth. In general the girls would get an insight into what it meant to run a house. Of course they would also be taught all aspects of hygiene. "The girls would be left on their own to do all this and at the end of the day the teacher would return, check what the girls had done, and award marks. "It would be interesting to learn who dirtied the house for it to be cleaned five days a week. It is not known how many days a week each pair attended this lesson. It covered many schools and some girls may only have had spasmodic visits. It is believed that the host school only managed one day a week in order to accommodate girls from the rest of South Leeds schools. "This description may not be entirely of the 1920s. There does not seem to be any record of anyone able to assist, but it is a very fair summary and it is not thought that the procedure changed very much in the 1930s and 1940s from the 1920s when Bewerley Street School girls attended. There may have been a few more modern gadgets (not electric), but it was very rough for the 1920s girls. "Swimming: once a week girls from the age of eleven would be taken to Hunslet Lane Swimming Baths, about ten minutes' walk away. "As the classes were large, the teacher would select fifteen or twenty from her forty-five or fifty pupils. Only the hardy ones would volunteer. "The baths, as one can remember, were not very large, certainly not twenty-five yards in length. The baths were tiled, the water a brownish colour with steam coming off it and a horrible smell - there was no chlorine in those days. "The girls would go into the changing booths in pairs, and would come out in their costumes shivering, partly in fear and partly with cold. There was no getting into the water gradually, they either jumped or were slightly pushed - no escape. "The water was not very deep, possibly 2'6" or 3'. They would go to the other side and line up. This was probably their first lesson. "In turn they would get hold of a long pole, held by the teacher, in both hands, and swim across the breadth of the bath doing the leg stroke. Now this sounds easy. It was for some, but as each girl took their turn, some were unlucky, and they didn't know beforehand who it would be: a girl would be going nicely until she got into the middle of the bath, when the teacher would jerk the pole out of her hands, and she would either sink or swim. Nobody ever drowned of course, but it could not have been a pleasant experience. "Sometimes a girl could be embarrassed when she got out of the water and the costume her mother had knitted her had stretched below her knees. "In spite of what seemed to be barbaric tuition, girls did go on to get certificates, though how they achieved this is not known. Girls opted out of this lesson as soon as they could - some managed this after the first lesson, possibly by a letter from mother, or deciding to be ill that day. It is a long time ago, and it can now be confessed that these were most certainly the wise ones. "Homework: children educated at Bewerley Street Elementary School did not take work home, as far as is known. "We must now leave lessons, as it is not possible to cover them more fully; but it is to be hoped that some idea has been given of lessons in those far-off years. "Children in the 1920s did not go on school trips as such. "It is possible thay they were never thought of in the elementary schools, or the classes were too large. There was also the expense, but although parents did not have a lot of money to spare, most were not poor and managed to let their children go on the annual visit to Leeds Museum. "The curator was a Mr. Calvert and the museum had a lecture room, and he would give a lecture on some aspect of the museum. Then the museum itself would be visited. It was a very good museum, but probably boring for children; the best part was having an afternoon off school. Some schools also visited Leeds Art Gallery, but there is no recollection that Bewerley Street did. "There were no 11+ exams; they were called Scholarships. Not all girls at eleven years of age could sit for a Scholarship. "Examinations were held in every class at the end of the school year - end of July - and reports sent to parents which had to be signed and returned to the school. "When the class examination results came out for the girls eleven years of age before the end of the school year, the three or four girls at the top of the class could sit for a Scholarship the following February. "There were not many High Schools or Grammar Schools in Leeds and they were all fee paying, but each year they took a few Scholarship girls. There was usually at least one school of this sort in the vicinity of the Elementary School. Cockburn High School was the school that took Bewerley Street girls. "Above these schools were Leeds Girls' High School and Leeds Grammar School, the elite of Leeds' schools, and still to this day flourishing as fee-paying schools and offering Scholarships. Only the top girls in Leeds, chosen by their excellent marks in the Scholarship exam, were offered a place at Leeds Girls' (boys also at L.G.S.), and one year two girls at Bewerley Street secured two of the places. "Even if a girl won a Scholarship it was not certain, and sometimes impossible, that she could take her place at High School. "The reason for this was that all school uniform, (very strict) sports kit, tennis gear and hockey sticks had to be paid for by the parents - there were no grants from the Education Department. Likewise, all books had to be paid for by the parents - pens, pencils, exercise books, and everything connected with the lessons. Many parents could not afford this expense, and unless they had relatives who could help, and remember it would be for quite a few years - maybe from eleven to seventeen or eighteen years - the girl could not take up the Scholarship. So here was a girl, not only one but one of many, who was very bright, and who was denied further education. "There was some system that a girl who had failed the Scholarship at eleven could sit again at thirteen, but nothing at this time is known about this, other than that it was possible to get a second chance. "Teachers more often than not were respected by pupils and vice-versa. "They were always referred to as "Miss". All teachers were unmarried. Once a teacher was married she had to leave the profession. "She would hand out punishment, probably a smart crack across the hand with a ruler, or standing out in the corridor, but if parents got to know they would chastise the child as well - what "Miss" did was alright by them. "The teachers were strict - with a class of forty-five they had to be - but very kind. If the teacher went out to the local moor with the girls for sports, she would always be surrounded by her girls. It may have been a bit of hero-worship, but as stated teachers were respected and liked by both pupils and parents. Girls would not dream of being rude to "Miss", though no doubt they had a nickname for her which she would also know about. "It is said that happy teachers make a happy school and it is certain that Bewerley Street was a happy school. "This must now conclude all aspects of lessons and staff, but it does give an idea of schooldays in the 1920s. "We must now concentrate on medical attention within the school. "Each classroom had two blackboards, one fixed to the wall and one a freestanding swivel blackboard. It was behind this blackboard that the nurse set up her little corner to examine the girls. This took place two or three times during the school year. There were skin diseases, which were highly infectious, more prevalent in the senior school, possibly because there were more children, although the Infants' School [Hunslet Hall Road] did not escape. "The nurse had to deal with impetigo. This took the form of scabs on the face, particularly around the mouth (it is not thought that impetigo has ever died out and one still hears of it today). It could spread very quickly, children being unable to keep their hands off their faces. Treatment was mainly by ointment. Some cases became so rampant that the head had to be shaved and children had to wear cotton masks, with holes for eyes and mouth. They were not allowed to go to school, and attended the school clinic. It could take a long time to cure - although not really "cure", as it could return at any time. "Ringworm was another infectious disease. Like impetigo, it affected the face and head, as well as legs and arms. It took the form of a circular scab, some as small as a one penny piece, and some as large as a fifty pence piece. It was spead by touching, and serious cases were dealt with like impetigo - head shaven and so on. "It must be stressed that such drastic measures with ringworm and impetigo were in the minority. Treatment with ringworm was mainly by applying paraffin, and children were not allowed to go to school until it cleared. "It was not only the 1920s that had these skin diseases; probably the 1930s and 1940s had them as well. "An examination by a doctor, with parent and headteacher present, took place in the headmistress' study. "All children had their teeth examined, the senior school twice a year. "If treatment was needed the girls would take a note home to their parents together with a printed form showing a set of teeth with a cross indicating the ones needing attention. This form had to be signed and returned to the school when an appointment would be made for the girl to attend the school clinic. If an extraction was needed the girl would sit in a chair, something like a deflated rugby ball put over her face and, as she breathed, gas and air would be released. The girl would fall asleep and the tooth was withdrawn. Fillings were carried out, also braces to straighten teeth, but nothing is known about how these treatments were carried out. "Of course some parents refused to have their girls treated at the clinic and took them to their own dentist (and optician), which they would have to pay for - this was probably done by the middle-class parents in the area."

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muriel rogers

My mother Clarice Halliday was born in Hunslet in 1909 and went to Bewerley Street school. She said it was a Higher Grade School. Some paid 1 penny a week to go there. My father Leonard Grosse born in Hunslet in 1911 also went there. Miss Perry was the teacher for the boys.

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Keith Johnson

I attended Hunslet Carr School in the 40's and was a regular visitor to the school dentist for fillings, and they were done without anaesthetic and you had to grin and bare it, a green appointment card was given out on a friday afternoon. I hated fridays even though it was the end of the school week.

johnsonkeith3@ntlworld.com

T Young

Bewerley Street School was split into two halves in your photo left hand was boys and right hand girls, age from 7 years to 15 years thats in my time at the school, left august 1955.

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Mr S Buckley

I went to bewerley street school from 1951 to 1957.When i first started the head marster was Mr Meeks. when he left Mr Blakebourough took his place.A very tough but fair teacher I will never forget the first time he came into our classroom. HE introduced himself and said if we had any problems we could go to is office and he would try his best to sort them out.Then he took out from his trouser leg a bamboo cane flext it put it back and walked out we all knew where we stood.Most of us had never been futher than our local area he took us to Leathley near Otley to meet his mum then up washburn valley showed us how to tickle trout. If i am not mistaken he was involved with the Leeds camp near Ilkley I could be wrong what a good man a leader if ever i saw one

sidandjan@aol.net

Betty Johnson

I was born in 1933 and attended Hunslet Hall Road Infants until I was 7 and then transferred to Bewerley Street Juniors, so the school stopped being an infant school some time in the 30s. I lived at 33 Purton Street until I was 12. I attended Burton House Preparatory School from age 9 and went to Cockburn High School in 1944. I was known as Betty Fields and now I am Betty Johnson.

13-Jul-2009

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carl campbell formerly booth

it was a junior school in my time there c1965-69 cyril blakeborough was headmaster miss shaw mr nixon and mr steerman among the teachers

08-Dec-2009

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Elaine Howard (Wilby)

I have bitter sweet memories of this school! I was there from 1966-1969, having Miss Sainsbury, Mr Thompson and Mr Nixon as form teachers. Mr Blakeborough was headteacher. It was a very tough school, and the violence was always from the teachers, not the pupils in my memories! The only positive thing I can say is that the education I received was excellent as I found when I moved to another town I was way ahead. Does anyone remember Mr Thompson, hitting everyone with that blinking ruler for nothing. I wouldnt have dared be naughty, but I only had to lose concentration for a second to get hit!

05-Nov-2010

harlandelaine@hotmail.co.uk

Elaine Walker

You always remember good teachers. I will never forget Mr Blakeborough, Mr Nixon and Mr Stearman and it's been approx 45 years since I attended Bewerley Street School. Mr Blakeborough used to take 'us city kids' into the countryside. I vividly remember the trip to Malham Cove.I also remember a brilliant week spent in a hostel beside Derwent Water in the Lake District. I was the first girl from Bewerley St to go up Helvellyn!- 3,118 feet! It was usually boys only allowed! We competed with other schools every year for the Snowdon Schofield Trophy and the Baxter Trophy. Long jump, high jump, that sort of thing. Mr Blakeborough also used to take some sort of adult night class and because I had a talent for drawing, he tasked me with copying 2 photos of some very old door knockers, onto huge 'flip-chart size' pieces of paper for his class. We used to have 'old time' dancing lessons on Friday afternoons. Thanks for the brilliant memories.

18-May-2011

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JEFFREY HOLROYD

I REMEMBER CYRIL BLAKEBOROUGH, HEADMASTER.I ATTENDED THE LAST ACADEMIC YEAR IT WAS OPEN 1970/71.HE WAS A STRICT BUT FAIR TEACHER, OFTEN COMING IN A CLASS AND OFFERING APPLES FROM HIS OWN GARDEN ,IN RETURN FOR THE FASTEST ANSWER TO A MATHS ADDING UP CONUNDRUM.ALSO ENJOYED TRIPS TO THE LAKES IN 73 AND 74 WHEN HE DID HIS LAST 2YEARS AT ARTHUR GREENWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL.HE WAS A TRUE LEGEND IN HIS MORRIS MINOR WOODEN STYLE ESTATE.

07-Jun-2012

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chris gore

my dad attended in mid 30s i have a class photo all in period dress also a picture of his mum 1912 a member of pottery fields girls club with other members with most names still recognisable.

11-Dec-2012

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Christine Hart

I attended this school from 1969-1970,I loved it the best school I ever attended.we learned ballroom dancing,high jump ,long jump.It was brilliant for team sports rounders being a favourite.We were encouraged to try everything .Mr Blakeborough was a firm believer in Physical exercise and used to take us to Middleton woods on cross country runs. Who remembers "Friday Merchant?",that's what you were called if you had a Friday off.I loved the white rabbit we used to keep outside everyone wanted the privillage of cleaning its cage out, it was the biggest rabbitt I had ever seen! The dinner ladies were brilliant and used to teach us how to knit and crochet during lunch times. I hated the outside toilets which had wooden sanded seats and lots of long legged spiders ugh! No health and safety back then as they put sixpences and threepenny bits in the Christmas Pud. It was an inspiring education the kids were really nice. I do remember Mr Blakeborough being tough on the boys used to hit them with black plimsole or throw board rubber at them ,don't remember him hitting the girls,though he did sometimes throw chalk! Should be a lesson for today's head teachers,,leadership comes from the top,and being an inspiring teacher is the most important part of the job,which leaves a lasting impression on the kids. Well done Mr Blakeborough, you made school life challenging ,exciting and gave us a real sense of community

03-Jan-2013

Christine_hart@hotmail.co.uk

lynne thirkill [turgy]

any old bewerly bugs still out there? ileft in 1958 . last class was old bob , up the iron stairs 'it also had the school stage in it .anybody who remembers me why not get in touch.

08-Feb-2013

lynnethirkill@hotmail.co.uk

Carole Vincent

Correction for T Young, the girls were on the left side and the boys on the right there was also a middle playground.....on the right the boys playground had the caretakers house Mr Ogilvey's in the front right hand corner, Mr Edgar Nighton Wilson's sweetshop was opposite, does anyone remember does anyone remember 'The Shed' ?....Stephen Clegg.

02-Apr-2013

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