A Brief History of Education
at "Spring Hill"

For the story of education at Spring Hill we must go back to the 1870s when the town was beginning to expand in the Scaitcliffe and Richmond Street area.  The Wesleyan Churches had established a chapel and school in Union Street (rebuilt in 1866) and in 1871 some of the teachers began holding ‘cottage’ meetings.  The ground floor of a shop was rented but, as numbers grew, larger premises were required.  It was decided to build on Hannah Street.  In the meantime the teachers and 128 scholars met in washhouses in Ormerod Street and Richmond Street before Hannah Street School was opened in 1877 as a Sunday school.¹  Extensions were made in 1882 and in 1884 opened as a day school under the headship of Miss Alice McCarthy.

By 1896 the premises were too small and a larger plot of land was acquired in Spring Hill where the present school was built.

The Spring Hill Smith Memorial Day School opened on September 30^th 1899.  The school was named after Alderman Smith, the driving force of the Hannah Street Wesleyans.  Unfortunately Alderman Smith had died just prior to the opening and so the school was opened by his sister, Miss Smith, using an inscribed gold key which was presented to her.²  The first headmaster was Isaac Watts, aged 33.  Mr Watts was assisted by three teachers in the early days and eventually there were always one or two pupil teachers to help.  Pupil teachers were drawn from the older, more able scholars – not always from the same school.  The pupil teachers sat examinations and had time off for classes and private study.  In 1901 it was said that there were 100 girls between the ages of 14-16 teaching children in classes of 40 or more.³  A notable pupil teacher at Spring Hill was Sophia Dove who rose from standard 7 to pupil teacher in 1900 and became an unqualified teacher in 1906 and then qualified as a certificated teacher in 1908.  She then taught at the school until 1933.

From the beginning the ‘scholars’ began at Spring Hill at 7 years old, many coming from the Hannah Street Wesleyan school.  They began work part time at 12 years old and attended school the other half of the day – eventually leaving at 13 or 14 years old.  From 1907 some of these children attended Continuation Evening Classes run at the school on Tuesday and Thursday in order to further their education or gain some qualifications from local institutions. Part Time education was abolished in the Education Act of 1918.

It should be remembered that attendance at school was not compulsory until 1876 and until the end of the century the children had to pay a small amount of money each week (‘schools pence’). When Spring Hill opened the Chairman of the Managers told parents that if they sent their children to other school they would have to pay 2d per week.  He wanted them to pay 5 shillings per year and thus save 24% on school pence.²   In 1870 an Act of Parliament allowed boroughs to build schools from money raised from the rates.  Usually School Boards were set up to organise this but Accrington, which did not become a borough until 1878, never formed a School Board.  Church schools provided the only form of education until another Act in 1902 ended School Boards and required the running of schools be handed over to the County Councils and Borough Councils.  At this point negotiations were set up for the County to buy the Wesleyan ‘Spring Hill Smith Memorial Schools’ from the church. In 1904 the school was bought by the Council for £4000.  It became known as ‘Spring Hill Council School (No15)’.

In 1901 Willow Street Day school closed down. This was a large school and the pupils were dispersed to the church schools around town. ³  Spring Hill’s numbers on roll went from 125 to 370 in one week!  Three extra teachers started work at the same time.

In 1902 the school was virtually full. The Figures presented by the Town Clerk were: ⁵

(92 of the infant numbers were 3 to 5 years old)

Until the Councils took over the school the level of teachers pay was so poor as to discourage entrants for the examinations.  It was said that in 1901 teachers wages were less than that which could be obtained in the mills and thus there was a shortage of candidates.  A report at the time said “In the mill they can earn 12 or 13 shillings per week but in school only 3/6”. ⁴ Teachers seemed to have been poached.  In 1904 the Headmaster’s entry in the log book hints at his feelings on this matter…  

“Mr Holgate will be away this afternoon.  He will probably be appointed at Blackburn.  He will receive £30 a year more,   this is the reason for his going.” ^4.  

After the sale of the two schools to the Council the Spring Hill Methodists decided to build their own separate Sunday school and Chapel, partly funded by the proceeds of the sale. Both buildings were completed in 1907 just above the present school on Richmond Road. ¹

From 1904 Spring Hill Council school continued as a mixed school through the next forty years but, when part-time working was abolished in the 1918 Education Act, all the pupils stayed until their 14^th birthday.

There were four age groups or standards in the junior department and 2 in the senior.  In 1932 two extra classrooms were built at the back of the school for the senior classes.  Not all children went in to these classes.  Some brighter pupils, whose parents allowed them to do so, sat examinations and were accepted at the Town’s Grammar (and later Girl’s High) or Central schools. 

In 1926 Isaac Watts retired and Mr Edgar J Barrett was appointed.  He served for the next 11 years.  Unfortunately he died in service.  He was replaced by Mr William Spencer who guided the school through the war years and beyond.

In 1947, following the 1944 Education Act, all children went to a secondary school (modern, technical or grammar) following a selection examination (the 11+) and Spring Hill Council School became Spring Hill Junior School.  Children attended from ages 7 to 11.  The school was fed mainly by the new Spring Hill Infants (built in 1932) and Hannah Street Infants.

In 1955 Mr Richard Berry was appointed Headmaster, a post which he held for the next 22 years.  Three long serving teachers, who will be remembered by many Accringtonians are Miss Mary Hindle and Miss Muriel Sutcliffe who both worked at Spring Hill for 40 years.  Miss Hindle worked under three Headteachers – Mr Barrett, Mr Spencer and Mr Berry.   Miss Florence Kellet worked for 38 years at the school.

In 1974 selection for secondary education ended and most pupils went on to one of the Comprehensive schools in the area.

Mr Ronald Hayden succeeded Mr Berry in 1977 and in 1984 oversaw the amalgamation of the two feeder infant schools with the juniors to become Spring Hill Primary School under one headteacher.

In 1997, when Mr Hayden retired, Miss Stephanie Grimshaw took over the headship.

¹  “A Talk about Methodism in Accrington”   Dorothy Redmayne 1991
²  “Accrington Observer and Times ”   October 7^th 1899
³  “The development of Education in Accrington 1790-1903”… Edgar Stones
⁴  “School log book”   1899-1925
⁵  “…..For the education Act 1902”  Town Clerk Accrington