Stanley Secondary Modern

This page has been added in addition to the schools page due to the amount of photos and school magazines received courtesy of the late Mr Brian Elliot BA, teacher of English and History at Stanley Secondary Modern.

School Photos

This set of photos are from the 1960s

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A Visit to a Coal Mine

School Magazine 1962

One Tuesday afternoon, Mr Routledge took a party of twenty four boys from our school to Newmarket Silkstone Colliery. We left the school at 1.30 and made our way to the mine. When we reached the mine we had to sign the visitors book.When we had all finished signing the book, we were put into groups of eight. The deputy in charge of each group took us to our lockers to get changed into our old clothes. When we had got our helmets, we made our way to the lamp shed, We each got a lamp and a belt to fasten our lanterns. Then we were given two pieces of metal with a number one each one. One was round and one was square. The round one was to get down the mine, the square one was to get back up from the pit bottom.

By now we were ready to go down the mine. So we made our way to the cage. We went through a door and came to the cage. We gave the man the round piece of metal. Then we stood in the cage, side by side in groups of eight, and the deputy in front of us. The man shut the cage door and a bell rang and we were on our way down. When we were half way down the cage seemed to be going back up. When we reached the bottom of the mine a man lifted up the cage door.

The pit bottom was lit up. The first place we went to was where the pit ponies were kept. One of the boys, called Leslie Dickinson, told us that his father had told him there was a pit pony that had eaten too much hay and it was too fat to get up the shaft!

After we had seen the ponies, we went to a cage about two hundred yards away from the one we came down in. After that, we walked up the Flockton Shaft which was very steep. The conveyor belt was running all the way down the drift.

When we reached the cage we were counted and put into groups of eight. Then we gave a man in charge of a cage our square piece of metal. When we got back to the pit top we took our lamps and batteries back, and our helmets.

Then Mr Austerfield, the man in charge, took us to the showers. We all got undressed and went into the showers. A funny thing happened in the showers. A man asked me to wash his back. Roy Bartholomew thought the man whom I was washing was Jimmy Harwood, so gave him a clout on the backside. The man said to me "Go steady old lad".Then we came out of the showers, dried ourselves, changed into our clean clothes and made our way home.

Roy Bartholomew 4E

Stuart Ansell 4E

Shock Tactics at School - Stop Smoking Campaign

The programme on the 18th July was arranged with the cooperation of the Chief Medical Officer for Stanley Urban District, Dr Taylor and Miss Edwards, Deputy County Nursing Officer.

A display of suitable posters filled the assembly hall and when the "Anti Smoking Mobile Unit" paid a visit to he school every pupil saw the demonstration film and exhibits. Dr Bowker (School Medical Officer) and members of the Nursing Staff were interested onlookers.

The headmaster and staff fully supported the campaign and 95% of the teachers either gave up smoking altogether or substantially curtailed the number of cigarettes they smoked.

The appeal to the pupils was made through suitable slogans such as "Smoking is an expensive way of damaging your health", through films, leaflets and other exhibition material. The financial approach was particularly effective - 20 cigarettes a day, £80 p.a, which amount would provide two weeks holiday on the Riviera or a sight seeing tour on the continent.

Pupils reactions in a written questionnaire the day after the demonstration were many and varied. "I was shocked". "We have had a warning our parents never had". "Smoking does not appeal to me anymore". "I used to smoke but now i have seen the other side of the smoking lark, I have given it up". "I will not smoke when I am older and I shall try to encourage my father to stop".

The "shock tactics" method of giving the children the hard facts and allowing them to make their own decision on smoking now or in the future seems to be a better approach to the problem than the provision of "smoking rooms" in the school or other similar gimmicks.

We had the customary four Christmas parties during each of which a mountain of goodies was gobbled up in less than a quarter of the time it had taken Miss Durrans, Mrs Cluderay and the 4th form girls to bake them. Earlier in the term we had the annual Harvest Sale which had raised (thanks to the generous gifts of parents)the sum of £23.11.4d towards the cost of these orgies.

A wonderful iced cake generously presented to the school to be raffled at the Harvest Sale was won (amid cries of "fixed" and "put up job") by a member of staff who had foolishly promised it to the Librarians if he won it. They kindly shared it next day at break with the staff and prefects.

The Drama Club put on a Nativity Play at the Carol Service which produced some enthusiastic and enjoyable singing with the orchestra taking a very active part. The Brass Band Members gave us a Carol at School Christmas Dinner (masses of 3d pieces in the pudding) which fell the same day as the Talent Spotting which is reported later in this magazine.

The canteen tables have been tastefully retopped in grey - the previous surface having been worn down over the past 4 years by the energetic wiping of the servers. The Headmasters office has acquired a very modern electric fire and the library boasts 9 fluorescent tube lights in place of the 4 old globes.

Plate glass roofing has been renewed along the corridor and at the moment walls, a new corridor and doors are appearing mysteriously in the top passage by the gymnasium as indoor lavatories are installed. The school garden by the W.R Classrooms has been grassed over and looks very inviting for the summer.

Experiments with hair colour and style were all the rage in the autumn term but this fashion seems to have died down now - along with the craze for wearing pointed toed wellington boots a size too small and double the usual price!

We have survived a minor epidemic just before February half term which brought average attendance down to 59.9% and the pupils enjoyed the unexpected days holiday on March 16th when the staff were summoned to a meeting to discuss the new Certificate of Secondary Education Examination.

All in all it has been the usual busy time for us - and we are looking forward to a packed summer term.