Hyndburn Park School

[Ivor]

In my reply to one for the ladies, I mentioned the making of the stage for the Mikado. I am Ivor Gears and my sister is Bronwen Gears; she was in the Mikado.
I became an FE college lecturer in the '70s and came to realise the stunning effort that the staff of Hyndburn Park put into the production. No one at the school in those days was studying for any exam (some were-more later)Keeping the pupils motivated with almost no money or resources and it appears, no curriculum to work to, I now know must have been an uphill task.
The staff responded with flair and invention.
The Mikado project seemed to take over the whole school and gave everyone something to work towards. I suspect that the confidence and self esteem generated by being involved stood everyone in good stead for the rest of their lives, possibly far more than any exam success.
Another example of the Hydburn Park staffs commitment was to encourage final year boys to attend evening classes in engineering, which were held at the school because it was an evening institute.
You left school at 4 and returned at 7, three nights a week. Consequently, most of the final year boys left with a qualification, which led to an apprenticeship.

[Karateman]

I went to Hyndburn Park from about 1956/7 to 1964....Nursery, infants and Juniors. Then went to Rhyddings. Teachers I remember in Juniors......Mr Dean, Mrs Wallwork, Mrs Sagar, Mr Boothman, Mr Leeming....must have been more.....

Names I remember, me phil Coates, Brian Colquitt, Barbara Hornsby, Stephen Clegg, Colin Perrow, David Ince, Colin Bowman, Sheila Gilrane, Susan Starkie, Howard ?, ? Ashton, Eric Stott, David Alderson, John Smithies, David Nixon, Alan Duxbury, Steven Ward, Garry Standring, John Holt.......

Anyone any photos of the time.....


Phil