Last updated at 11:26, Tuesday, 25 October 2011

THIS month marks the 50th anniversary of the official opening of John Ruskin School in Coniston.

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The first pupils arrived at the new secondary school in May 1960 but the formal opening day came on November 10.

The Evening Mail the following day noted: “A dream came reality yesterday afternoon for the people of Coniston with the opening of the John Ruskin Secondary School there.

“The school was opened by the Rt Hon the Earl Peel, who said that he understood there was a great need for this school as before it was built the pupils in Coniston had to go far afield and so the accommodation at other schools soon became full.

“He said that in most cases the site of a school of this type is decided by county planners but it was different in this case.

“As a result of considerable local agitation it was decided that the site of this school should be in Coniston.

“He said: ‘It shows that taxpayers were not content to pay the piper, but decided they would call the tune and the piper was wise enough to yield to local clamour’.”

This is how the Evening reported the arrival of the first pupils at the new John Ruskin School.

The May 11 edition noted: “With the opening of the new county secondary school at Coniston on May 2, the secondary school programme of the Lancashire Education Committee division number one has now been completed, apart from further extensions at Dowdales County Secondary School, Dalton.

“Coniston has taken over senior pupils from Hawkshead Primary School, Coniston Primary School, Broughton Church of England School and Ulpha Primary School, and caters for an age range of from 11 upwards.

“There are about 160 pupils of both sexes.

“An education official described this term as a ‘shaking down’ one for the school. It will shortly be decided what the school uniform will be and the official opening is expected to be some time in the autumn.

“The school, which cost in the region of £130,000, consists of an assembly hall, which is to be used as a gymnasium, a science laboratory, needlework room, metal and woodwork rooms, domestic science room, another craft room, a library, a small dining hall with a canteen and six general classrooms.

“It is a two-storey building, the architectural emphasis being on modernity.

“The school has been built quickly, as work didn’t start on it until September.

“The kitchen is not yet completed and at the moment pupils have their meals in the old primary school canteen.

“There are also extensive playing fields which at the moment are being reseeded and levelled.

“They are not expected to be ready for use this year but will probably be next year.

“There are 10 teachers.

“The pupils come from an area which takes in the Crake Valley, Penny Bridge, Hawkshead, Torver, Broughton and Grizebeck.”

The school’s biggest challenge came at the end of the 1980s when big was beautiful according to education officials and it was planned to close John Ruskin School in a controversial Cumbria County Council review called The Way Ahead.

The school managed to rally support from across its catchment area and well beyond to argue a case to stay open.

The school’s alternative strategy called A Better Way Ahead argued: “We recognise that there are good, caring big schools.

“There may even be good, caring, big, split-site schools, and all credit to the heads if there are.

“We simply quarrel with the notion that all secondary schools should be big.”

First published at 10:39, Saturday, 27 November 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk