Pinfold Lane School, 1925
On the right in the immediate foreground is the tall wall of Oaklands. Just beyond is the entrance to the passage which led to the large rear playground. An iron gate is at the entrance. This way was used by Infants and Girls.
Further along is the caretaker’s house and school building as in the previous photo. The boys’ entance was the large gate in Pinfold Lane. The bell in the tower was always rung by older boys – who considered it an honour to perform – before morning and afternoon sessions.
At the rear of the building was a large playground, divided into two by a wooden fence, the part behind the caretaker’s house and the Infant School being used by the Girls and Infants, the other section by the Boys. All toilets for both sexes and both schools were outside.
At the rear of the playground were playing sheds – open fronted, roofed shelters with fixed benches at the rear, which provided cover for the children in wet weather. The playing sheds were converted into school kitchens during the 1939-45 war.
Note no houses of Taylor Grove – these were built 1925-26. Beyond the school there is no Savile road (built 1923), the bungalow at Pinfold Lane – St. Margaret’s Rd. junction, St. Margaret’s Church and Red House (just visible).
Pinfold Lane School
Class of children near ‘the hut’. To cope with the increase of children on roll after the end of WW1 this large ex-army hut was erected on the present Savile Road side of the playground.
It accommodated two classes – usually Classes 1 and 2 – in two quite large separate classrooms. They were heated by coke stoves and had a long passage which formed the cloakroom along the playground side and which connected the two classrooms.
There was no indoor toilet or water supply.
Pinfold Lane School, 1982
For many years the Council School provided education for most village children, though some did proceed to Grammar School by County Minor Scholarships, later Selection Tests. In 1953 the Infant School was transferred to a new building in Little Church Lane.
In 1955 on re-organisation of education the Pinfold Lane building became a Secondary Modern School for village children over 11 years of age. Junior children transferred to the new Infant School building and the Infants transferred to the National School.
Upon completion of Pennington Lane Secondary Modern School (later called Royds), Phase 2, the senior children transferred there in 1960. Pinfold Lane School was closed and extensively repaired, altered and refurbished, re-opening in February 1962 as Methley Junior School.
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