Percy Jackson Grammar School
Percy Jackson Grammar School was a state grammar school in Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England which ran from 1939 to 1968, after which it merged with Adwick High School to become the Adwick School.[1][2] It was situated at Adwick-le-Street.
History
Beginnings
The school's founding father was J W 'Jimmy' Lane JP (1877–1969), alderman of the West Riding and a check weighman at Brodsworth colliery.[1][3][4][5][6] It was named after alderman Sir Percy Jackson, an active proponent of education on the West Riding County Council in the 1920s and 1930s.[1][7] Designed as a co-educational state grammar school, it was housed in modern Art Deco style premises which opened for instruction on 9 October 1939, just a few weeks after the start of World War II.[1][4] The two-storey building was designed to accommodate 540 pupils and was constructed of steel framing, bearing concrete floors and flat roofs.[8] The total cost of the site, buildings and equipment was approximately £62,000.
Pupils brought their gas masks to school and, after the air raid shelters were hurriedly built, they practised evacuation drill. The air raid shelters were not removed until about 1984.[1] The school was not formally opened until 23 October 1943, some four years later.[1][4] The first year's intake of pupils was only 85, many being transferred from other schools in the area. Of these, 62 joined the first form and the others the second and third forms.[1][3] Not until five years later was the planned capacity reached and then in 1948 four prefab classrooms were added.[1]
In 1954 the new science block was opened with additional laboratories, domestic science rooms and four extra classrooms. The final school population levelled out at around 900 – almost double the original plan.[1]
Head teachers
In its 29 years, the school saw three head teachers: Mr Ronald 'Pop' Field from 1939 to 1945,[1][5] Mr Cecil 'Chas' Elliott from 1945 to 1966,[1][9] and Mr F John Atherfold from 1966 who oversaw in 1968 the conversion to the comprehensive Adwick School – later North Doncaster Technology College and now the Outwood Academy at Adwick.[1]
Educational Programme
Percy Jackson's educated children to GCE 'O' and 'A' levels and competed with other schools in various sports. In 1950 it provided the largest squad (5 athletes) for the Yorkshire County team competing in the All England Schools Athletics Championship.[1][2] In a cricket match against Hemsworth Grammar in 1952 one of our boys bowled out Geoffrey Boycott for a duck. Scorecard entry: "Boycott G 0 : bowled Yeomans D".[1]
1950 entrant Roy Cromack, a keen cyclist at school, was a member of the England cycling squad at the Olympic Games in Mexico, 1968. In 1969 he set the British record for the men's 24 hour race at 507 miles (816 km) – a record which stood unbroken for 25 years.[1][2][10] In the same year 1951, joiner Christine Moody (now Minto) set a new women's 24 hour record of 427 miles (687 km).[11]
Percy's was unusual for its time in teaching German as the first foreign language and school exchanges to Germany were undertaken in 1953 and 1954 <15>. Since 1949 organised travel in the UK as well as abroad was an important extra-curricular feature.[1][12]
Kenpj (talk) 19:08, 14 December 2019 (UTC)
Demolition
The original Art Deco school premises were demolished in 2013,[13] despite protest from former pupils and local residents.[12] The reinforced concrete floors were beyond redemption.[14] Full photographic and video records have been made of the old buildings – and of the process of demolition.[14]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 Ken Cooke (January 2007). Percy Jackson's : history of the Percy Jackson Grammar School, Adwick-le-Street, Doncaster, Yorkshire, 1939–1968 : recollections of schooldays of the 1940's, 1950's & 1960's (2nd Rev. ed.). Matador Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84876-460-6. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Doncaster Free Press 7 February 2019: 'Tracing the History of the Percy Jackson Grammar School'.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Percy Jackson GS School records, Doncaster Archives
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 The Formal Opening Day plaque (c/o Outwood Academy Adwick)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Doncaster Chronicle 19 December 1940, 'Youth's Chance to Build a Fairer Britain'.
- ↑ J W Lane Biography, April 2017, Ken Cooke: Doncaster Archives
- ↑ Oxford Dictionary of National Biography – Sir Percy Jackson 1869–1941
- ↑ 'Official Opening' Programme 23 October 1943
- ↑ Doncaster Free Press 7 November 2002 p 20: 'Retired Grammar School Head Dies at 96.'
- ↑ Stories, Doncaster's Cycling (September 5, 2018). "A rare all-rounder: Memories of Roy Cromack".
- ↑ "Cycling Time Trials: Women - Bicycle - Individual". www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Yorkshire Post 20 August 2011 'Former Pupils Launch Campaign...'
- ↑ Doncaster Free Press 18 February 2013: 'Moving-in Time at £17M school site'
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 WYAS – West Yorkshire Archaeological Survey Report No 2367 August 2012
- 15 Sheffield Telegraph 6 April 1954, p 2: 'Desks are shared for German Friends'.
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