South Yorkshire Times, November 28th 1959
Schools Exchange Is Recommended
Wath Governors Explain the Problem in Figures
Wath Combined School Governors decided on Wednesday to stand by their recommendation that an exchange of premises should take place between Wath Park Road Secondary School and the adjacent Wath Park Road Infants’ School.
This decision was taken despite recent protests from the mothers of the pupils attending the Infants’ School, and their plans to petition the Ministry of Education against the exchange.
Coun. W. Cutts said that although he admired the parents, the Governors had to put the case in its proper perspective.
Anyone visiting ‘open day’ at the senior school, could see that they were greatly overcrowded, while the infants’ school was under-strength.
“We have a big school with only a few children in it, and a small school absolutely overcrowded. There are 199 pupils at the infants’ school and 508 pupils at the senior—these figures speak for themselves,” he said.
In One Corner
Coun. Cutts added that while the senior school were unable to hold an assembly because of inadequate school hall, the infant’s school were able to get all their pupils into one corner of their home. The question would never have arisen had the largest school been given over to the seniors immediately the new school was built.
He was referring to the fact that the present infant’s School used accommodate both infants and junior pupils until a few years ago, when the juniors were transferred to a new school.
The school which at present accommodated senior pupils was originally built as an infant school and was a proper size to accommodate them.
Exchange Agreed
Mr. E. B. Stockdale, Divisional Education Officer, agreed that anyone comparing the number of children at the two schools would see the problem. He said that the Chief Education Officer and the Ministry of Education had agreed to the exchange.
The Governors were also in agreement that the change-over should not result in bad accommodation for the Infants. When the present senior school is taken over the accommodation would he improved at the same time.
The exchange is recommended to take place at the beginning of the next summer term.