An Act of Parliament in 1870 created locally elected school boards to
build elementary schools. Before this time in Stainforth the children
that wanted Education received it by a variety of Private and Dame schools
and some children even walked to Fishlake and Hatfield. Elementary education
became compulsory for all children in 1880 and the minimum school-leaving
age was raised to 12 in 1899.
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The building which now contains the Stainforth Family Resource Centre on Thorne Road was originally opened in April 1876 as a Public Elementary School for 130 children. It was built for £1,585 and Mr George Jenkinson from Sheffield was the 1st Headteacher. The fees payable weekly and in advance by the children were:- Infants 2d/week, children between 7-10 4d/week, Children between 10-13 6d/week. The early school was largely successful but it did receive critical Government Inspectors Reports in 1899 and 1900 stating the school was not up to the mark and this prompted calls for a "revolution in staff" but this never materialised. The school was extended in 1902. |
 Thorne Road School © A. Covell Stainforthonline 2006 |
Mr Jenkinson died strangely in 1904 after being Headteacher for 28 years.
He died of blood poisoning from an insect bite. He was buried in Stainforth
Cemetery.
As a result of massive expansion in Stainforth, due to the Colliery, a larger school was opened on Junction Road in 1925 and, eventually, Thorne Road school became a school solely for Infant children living nearby.
Thorne Road school was always a popular school and in 1940 17 children from Hull who had been evacuated attended the school. The following year the Lord Mayor of Hull visited Stainforth to see the evacuees and granted them a ½ day holiday. At the same time the Sheriff sent 6d for every Hull evacuee.
Because of educational reorganisation the school closed in 1973 with
around 65 pupils on roll and many pupils transferred to the newly opened
Kirton Lane School. Soon afterwards the building became a Council Depot
and in 1994 the present Family Resource Centre was opened.
©Peter Dumville 2005