St Austin's School has a long and interesting history which in some
ways reaches back to the founding of the parish in the 1820's.
| Joseph Ireland's original plans of 1824 include a separate building
behind the church itself. This building was 40 feet by 20 feet in
dimensions and is marked "school".
On the plan to the right the school appears as the square building to
the right of the church itself.
(Click the image to view an enlarged version)
Although this separate structure was never built, a number of rooms
were added underneath the church building. These rooms do not appear
on the original plans and it seems likely that the intention was for them
to be used as the school. |
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Celebrations were held in Wakefield in June 1838 to mark the coronation
of Queen Victoria. An acount of these events mentions the various
schools which took part in a procession through the town and "The Catholic
School" is included in the list. In the same year statistics
produced for the Bishop indicate that 20 boys and 25 girls attend the school
and that it was supported by voluntary subscriptions.
By 1848 the population of the parish had grown considerably and Fr Jarrett,
the Jesuit priest in charge of St Austin's wrote to Bishop Briggs of the
Northern District:
"I have an average attending my
school about 60.
The accommodation is good. A large boarded
room under the chapel. I have a Schoolmaster - no Schoolmistress.
He is a lay person and a married man. The annual expenses consist
of the salary of the Schoolmaster. The purchase of books, pens etc.
The children pay 1d. per week each to the
schoolmaster. Besides this I allow him 6/- per week, his lodgings
and coals. To meet these expenses I have recourse to voluntary subscriptions,
these last years did not clear all. I was obliged to close my school
for some weeks. It is now open again." |
For at least part of this period the schoolmaster resided within the
presbytery itself.
The Census Return for 1851 lists James Newnham, aged 36, Schoolmaster,
as one of the presbytery's occupants alongside Fr Jarrett, a maid and a
housekeeper.
With the arrival of Fr John Baron in 1854 the need for a seperate school
building was becoming more pressing. By now there were around 90
pupils of varying ages being taught in a single room beneath the church.
In 1858 the Sisters of Charity of St Paul arrived in Wakefield. These
would be among the teachers at the school. A four day Bazaar was
held to raise funds and shortly afterwards land was purchased and building
work began on Teall Street. The school was officially opened on October
18th 1859 by Dr Briggs, the Bishop of Beverley.
Among the figures in the foreground are Fr. Baron and Fr W Thompson,
the curate. |
St Austin's School
1859
The convent is in the centre, the boys and girls school on the right
and the Infant's School to the left and rear of the convent.
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The school comprised three units, the boys and girls school, the convent
and the infants school. Within the convent was a staircase illuminated
by a stained glass window depicting the patron of the convent, St Joseph.
Later, when the building was finally demolished, this window was rescued
and now forms part of the present Infants School entrance.
The building itself would be quite distinctive with its tall tower and
spire, the butresses and chimneys of the school rooms, to say nothing of
the roof tiling which was coloured alternately with bands of red and blue.
The whole project cost just under £2000.
The population continued to grow in the following years with the school
on Teall Street soon becoming overcrowded. To remedy the situation
the boys moved out of the school in 1870 and back into the rooms beneath
the church. They were to be taught by a newly employed schoolmaster
Mr Joseph Moores. This was only ever intended to be a temporary measure
and, with school attendance now compulsory and enforced, the numbers were
continuing to grow. Mr Moores comments:
| " Obliged to remark on the unpleasant and
unhealthy smells arising from the closets through to the water being cut
off three weeks ago. For ventilation the windows are open all day
(and night) long - a continual breeze thus blowing on the heads of those
in school exposing them to colds. This mode of ventilation will have
to be stopped during the winter months. When the weather is dull
the room is too dark for writing lessons. During the winter this
will prove a great drawback."
School Log Book
13th September 1872
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The problems were well recognised in the parish and work began in late
1872 on a new building for the Teall Street complex, It was finished
and finally opened on 22nd June 1873. It was not very long before
increasing numbers forced two extensions to this new building in 1893 and
1904.
| 1904 Extension
St Austin's School
Teall Street |
 |
In 1931 the Jesuits left the parish and were replaced by secular priests
under Canon Charles Leteux. One of the new Parish Priest's first
moves was to open a new school in Lupset (English Martyrs) for the children
of the new estate there. Many catholic children from that side of
Wakefield were encouraged to attend English Martyrs rather then St Austin's
and before long a seperate parish was formed.
Despite this, however, the numbers attending the school were still considerable
and the ever aging buildings were becoming increasingly unsuitable.
Successive parish priests made efforts to improve the school but plans
to build a new school met with some resistance from the authorities.
In 1957 Sister Maria Pia retired as headmistress of the school after
many decades of service. She was to be the last Mother Superior of
St Joseph's Convent. With her departure the Sisters of Charity of
St. Paul left Wakefield and the school passed into the hands of lay people.
Monsignor Thompson had been parish priest for some time by now and his
relentless campaigning for Catholic Education in Wakefield was began to
pay off. 1963 saw the foundation of a Catholic Secondary School,
St Thomas A Beckett on Barnsley Road. Prior to this Catholic children
had to travel to St Michael's College in Leeds to continue their studies.
Later in 1967 permission was finally granted for new school buildings and
the new Infants and Junior School were built on Edward Street. Shortly
afterwards the original buildings were pulled down and the Marsh Way road
system was developed.
St Austin's School continues to provide quality Catholic education for
Primary school aged children in St Austin's and St Peter and Paul's parishes.
It popularity is such that many non- Catholic parents send their own children
to the school. |
