There are many minor primary schools in the Netherton, Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Gornal, Wrens Nest Estate, Kates Hill estate, Russells Hall Estate, Kingswinford, Dudley and Sedgley districts of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. While their individual histories and roles in society are only minor they have as a whole, like all the more noted local primary schools, contributed greatly to the general enlightenment of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley.
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St Chad's Roman Catholic Primary School is a primary school located in Sedgley, a town in the West Midlands of England that since 1966 has been located within the borough of Dudley. It is twinned with St Chad's Roman Catholic Church, though non-Catholic pupils are allowed to attend. Many pupils from St Chad's later attend Bishop Milner Roman Catholic School in Dudley.[1]
The first part of the school on Catholic Lane was opened in the late 1950s, with further sections being added during the 1960s, 1970s and up to present day. This was to replace a 19th century building which still remains on parish grounds.[2]
| Type | Community School |
|---|---|
| Location | Robert Street Lower Gornal Dudley West Midlands DY3 2AZ England |
| Local authority | Dudley |
| DfE URN | 103821 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 3–11 |
| Website | www.roberts.dudley.gov.uk |
Roberts Primary School is a primary school located in Sedgley, West Midlands, England, on the border with Dudley. It was opened in 1894 as Robert Street School (taking its name from the street in which it was located) and in 1972 became Roberts First and Middle Schools with the leaving age increased from 11 to 12.[3]
The First and Middle schools merged in 1984 to form a primary school, although the leaving age did not drop back to 11 until 1990.
The school also has a nursery unit for 3 and 4 year olds.
Construction of a new school building began during 1998 within the grounds of the original school, and pupils transferred into the new facilities (which are also open for community use) in May 2001, with the official opening taking place on 13 June 2002 performed by The Duke of York.[4] The original school was the oldest in Sedgley by the time of its demolition.
On its completion, the current school was among the most modern primary schools in the West Midlands and is still impressive almost a decade after its construction.
The current head teacher is Mr David Baker, who joined the school as a class teacher from Foxyards Primary in the late 1980s.[5]
Straits Primary School is a primary school in Sedgley, West Midlands, England. It was built in 1968 to serve the (then) new Straits housing estate. The current headmaster is Mr Adrian Slack, who has been at the helm since September 1997. On his arrival, the school had been placed into special measures by OFSTED inspectors who had criticised the school heavily under its previous management.[6][7] It came out of special measures in 1999 and is now one of the strongest performing primary schools in the whole Dudley borough. The general foreman for build was Mr Thomas S Wheeler.[8]
The newly-founded Milking Bank Primary School was briefly based in mobile classrooms on parts of the school grounds on its opening in September 1989, as the new school was not ready for use at this time. This arrangement lasted less than a term, however, as the new Milking Bank school was ready in November that year.[9]
Bramford Primary School is a primary school located in Woodsetton, Sedgley, which is in the West Midlands of England. It was opened during the 1950s to serve the expanding Woodsetton area and was expanded in 2004 to include a new sports hall and several classrooms. The head teacher is Mr. Len Hazlehurst, who was appointed in September 2006 to succeed the retiring Mr. Derek Noakes.
Redhall Primary School is a primary school located in Lower Gornal, West Midlands, England. It was built during the 1890s by Sedgley Urban District Council as an infant, junior and secondary school, as well as including the first nursery school in Dudley. (no others were opened in the area for some 60 years afterwards).
It is situated just east of Lower Gornal village centre, with the infant and junior schools at opposite sides of the road. The secondary school closed in 1964 on the opening of Ellowes Hall School almost a mile away on the Stickley Estate which had been built before the Second World War.
In September 1972, a reorganisation of local schools saw the infant school become the first school, with the age range altered from 5-7 to 5-8. The junior school's age range was altered from 7-11 to 8-12, and it became the middle school. However, the traditional age ranges were restored in September 1990 and the infant and junior schools came back into existence.
The infant and junior schools continued to operate as separate schools until they merged to form a primary school in September 1997, although the two schools continue to operate on separate sites at each side of the main road between Sedgley and Kingswinford.
The vast majority of 11-year-olds leaving Redhall move to Ellowes Hall School, with a small number moving to schools like Dormston and High Arcal.
The school's current head teacher is Mrs Nicola Stanley.[10]
Church of the Ascension Primary School is a Church of England primary school situated in Kingswinford, West Midlands, England.[11]
It is situated in the Wall Heath area of the town on Dudley Road, right next to the village centre. It has served the Wall Heath village since 1870, although the current buildings were opened in the 1960s.[12]
The school's current head teacher is Mr Richard Green. Education is provided for pupils aged 5 to 11 years, with some classes containing pupils from two age groups.
Wrens Nest Primary School is a primary school located in Dudley's Wrens Nest Estate, West Midlands, England. It was built during the late 1930s to serve the new council housing estate which was being built at the time. The school's current headteacher is Mrs R Wylie.
The school expanded in September 2006 to accommodate pupils transferred from the nearby Sycamore Green Primary School, which had closed due to falling numbers on the school roll.
The school's kids had a day out at Seisdon in Stafordshire every may between 1999 and 2004. They have also viseted the South Staffordshire Railway Walk, Baggeridge Country Park: a large and diverse country park located between Wombourne and Sedgley (a town in the borough of Dudley, which has won the national Green Flag Award for 11 years,[13] Bluebell Woods in Perton an internationally important site for Bluebells;[14] the village of Wombourne, the Wom Brook Walk and the Bratch Locks on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in the nearby village of Bratch in the 1990s.
Sycamore Green Primary School was a primary school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is most notable for being the first school attended by the English football manager Sam Allardyce. He was a pupil at the school between September 1959 and July 1966.
The school was completed in the late 1950s to serve the new Old Park Farm council housing estate which was constructed on farmland which straddled Dudley's border with Sedgley. It took its name from the street in which it was situated.
Sycamore Green closed in July 2006 due to falling numbers on the school roll which saw the local authority decide that it was no longer viable. The majority of the remaining pupils and staff were transferred to nearby Wrens Nest Primary School, which was expanded to accommodate the pupils from Sycamore Green.
The last Headteacher at Sycamore Green was Mrs Barbara Chard. She took over for one year from the long-serving Mr Alan Greenhalgh, who retired in July 2005. Mr Greenhalgh took the helm after the closure of his previous school Flax Hall Primary School in July 1989.
The closure of Flax Hall saw Sycamore Green take over that school's premises on nearby Eve Lane as an annexe until there was adequate classroom space at the main Sycamore Green site. In December 1991, an extension at Sycamore Green allowed all pupils to be taught at the main site. The old Flax Hall buildings were then converted into a community centre.[15]
The school buildings are now used for the Sycamore Centre which is a Key Stage 3 Pupil Referral Unit serving Dudley. This was opened in September 2006 along with the start of the new school year.[16]
Most Sycamore Green pupils moved to Wrens Nest Primary School on the closure of their old school.[17]
Old Park School is a special educational school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is situated on the Russells Hall Estate and was built during the 1960s to give education to pupils aged 3 to 19 years with special needs.
Blowers Green Primary School is a primary school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is situated to the south-west of the town centre on Blowers Green Road, and was opened in 1939, to serve an area which had expanded rapidly over the previous 30 years.
It currently has around 280 pupils aged 3–11 on the roll. A nursery unit was added during the 1970s for 4 year olds (expanding to include 3 years old during the 1980s), while the 5-7 infant school became a 5-8 first school in September 1972, the same time that the 7-11 junior school was reorganised into an 8-12 middle school. However, the traditional age ranges were reinstated in September 1990.
Most of the school's pupils transfer to Holly Hall School or Castle High when they reach secondary school. However, before the introduction of comprehensive education in September 1975, pupils who passed the 11+ examination had the option of attending either the grammar and high schools or the neighbouring Sir Gilbert Claughton School.[18]
Sir Gilbert Claughton went comprehensive in 1975 and took in the majority of Blowers Green pupils until intake was stopped after September 1988 and the school closed completely in July 1990. Since then, Castle High and Holly Hall have been the main destinations for Blowers Green leavers.[19]
The school has a high percentage of ethnic minority pupils, the majority being of Asian, and Afro-Caribbean origin.[20]
Dudley Wood Primary School is a primary school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It is situated in the Dudley Wood area near the border with Brierley Hill. The school currently has a total of 356 pupils (including nursery classes) aged 3–11 on roll and the head teacher is Mrs Carol Sibley.
Between September 1972 and July 1990, the school also provided education for 12 year olds.
The school serves an area which contains a mix of private and council-owned properties that were mostly built after the Second World War.
St Edmund's and St John's Church of England Primary School is a primary school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England.
It was formed in September 1970 on a merger of St Edmund's School (Birmingham Street) and St John's School (St John's Road). The school is situated on BeechWood Road, Kates Hill. It opened as a 5-11 primary school but the age range was altered to 5-12 in September 1972, only to revert to 5-11 in September 1990.[21]
The old St Edmund's School, built during the 19th century, re-opened as Dudley Centre Mosque in 1978 to become the place of worship for the town's growing Muslim community.
The old St John's School (built in 1840) is still in existence and its buildings were sold off to the private sector, with a new owner renting out the building as offices to several local businesses.
Sledmere Primary School is a primary school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was built in the late 1950s to serve the (then) new Sledmere Estate, which stands approximately one mile south-east to Dudley town centre.
Notable former pupils of the school include Kaleigh Grainger (1989–1997), who was unicycling champion of the world in 2000 at the age of 14, and the comedian Lenny Henry (1963–1969).
Kates Hill Primary School is a primary school located in the Kates Hill area of Dudley in the West Midlands of England.
The original school was Kates Hill Council School, built during the 19th century to serve the recently developed area which housed hundreds of families drawn to the area due to the Industrial Revolution. But a large percentage of the surrounding houses had been demolished by 1940, and the school closed shortly afterwards.
The current Kates Hill Primary School was built in 1972 on the site of the original one in Peel Street (which closed due to a fire in May 1969), just before the surrounding area was redeveloped for council housing. It provided education for pupils aged 4 to 12 years. The school's nursery unit was expanded during the 1980s to allow entry for 3 year olds. Since September 1990, following the departure of the last 12 year old pupils (at the same time as the 11 year olds), Kates Hill has been a 3-11 school.
When the school was first opened, the majority of pupils leaving the school moved up to The Blue Coat School, but this closed in 1989 to a merger with The Dudley School to form Castle High School, which is now the main destination for pupils leaving Kates Hill Primary.
In 1997, Kates Hill was the lowest-ranked primary school in the whole Dudley borough and the joint sixth in the country in terms of Year 6 SATs results, but a subsequent change of management has seen the school's fortunes improve dramatically.
| Established | c.1960 |
|---|---|
| Type | Community School |
| Location | Chester Road Netherton Dudley West Midlands DY2 9RZ England |
| Local authority | Dudley |
| DfE URN | 103824 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 3–11 |
| Website | www.netherbrook.dudley.gov.uk |
Netherbrook Primary School is a primary school located in Netherton, West Midlands, England. It was opened in about 1960 to serve the southern part of Netherton and was originally known as Bowling Green Infant School and Junior School (becoming first and middle schools in September 1972), until the school's name changed to Netherbrook in September 1984.
The infant school provided education for 5-7 year olds, while the junior school served the 7-11 age range. However, the first school served the 5-8 age range and the middle school served 5-12 year olds.
In September 1990, Netherbrook was redesignated as a 5-11 school.
Netherton Church of England Primary School [7] is a primary school located in Netherton, West Midlands, England. It was opened in January 1989 on a merger between Yew Tree Hills First School and Netherton Church of England Middle School, situated on Highbridge Road in the buildings of Yew Tree Hills First School.
The infant school was opened in 1953 as Yew Tree Hills Infant School providing education for children aged 5 to 7 years, but reorganised to a 5-8 first school in September 1972.
The Church of England middle school began life as a junior school for children aged 7 to 11 years, opening in 1907 and remaining in use until December 1988.
It had been intended that the new merged primary school for 3-12 year olds (a nursery unit had now been added to the Yew Tree Hills site) would open in September 1988, but building work was not completed in time for the start of the 1988/89 academic year and as a result the merger did not happen until January 1989.
The age range was changed from 3-12 to 3-11 in September 1990 in accordance with the reinstatement of the traditional age ranges in Dudley after 18 years of three-tier education.
The old middle school was sold off for private use and is currently a furniture store.
| Established | 1913 |
|---|---|
| Type | Community School |
| Location | Northfield Road Netherton Dudley West Midlands DY2 9ER England |
| Local authority | Dudley |
| DfE URN | 103775 |
| Students | 420 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Ages | 4–11 |
| Website | www.northfield.dudley.gov.uk |
Northfield Road Primary School is a primary school located in Netherton, West Midlands, England.
The school opened in 1913 and the original building still exists today along with a 1930s addition and more recent mobile classrooms.
The school has around 420 pupils on its roll, aged 5–11 years, although between September 1972 and July 1990 the school was also open to 12 year olds.[8]
In early 2008 it was reported that the school may relocate to a new site near Hillcrest School on Simms Lane.
Russells Hall Primary School is a primary school located in Dudley, West Midlands, England. It was opened in about 1960 to serve the Russells Hall Estate, which was being developed at this time. The school is situated on Overfield Road.
Brierley Hill Primary School is a primary school situated in Brierley Hill, West Midlands, England.
It is situated on Mill Street near Brierley Hill town centre and has been in existence since about 1900. It is situated on the edge of the Chapel Street Estate, which was developed in the 1960s as a council estate consisting entirely of flats having previously been the site of 19th century terraces. Some of the school's pupils live on this estate.
The school is one-form entry and has around 190 pupils aged 3–11 on the roll (between 1972 and 1990 it was also open to 12 year olds). Its headteacher is Mrs Susan Cameron.
Flax Hall Primary School was a primary school located in Sedgley, West Midlands, England. It was built in the 1950s in Eve Lane - on the border with Dudley - to serve a newly completed council housing estate which was developed on adjoining farmland. Pupils attending were aged 5 to 11 years, but from September 1972 the school also provided education for 12 year olds.
Falling numbers on the school roll during the 1980s saw the local authority decide that it was no longer viable, and the school closed in July 1989, merging with Sycamore Green Primary School. However, the Flax Hall buildings were retained as an annexe to Sycamore Green until December 1991, when an extension to the main Sycamore Green site meant that all pupils were taught there and Flax Hall was converted into a community centre.
St John's Primary School was a Church of England primary school situated in Dudley, West Midlands, England.
It served the Kates Hill area of the town and was built in 1840 along with the neighbouring parish church on St John's Road. The area of Kates Hill was expanding as a residential area at this time, mostly housing workers who were moving into the Black Country during the Industrial Revolution.
The school remained open for 130 years, finally closing in 1970 on its merger with St Edmund's Primary School (on Birmingham Street in the town centre) to form St Edmund's and St John's Church of England Primary School). The new school was located at a building on Hillcrest Road.
The old St John's School, now 170 years old, is still in existence and for most of the time since the school's closure the buildings have been in commercial use. The current occupants of the building are a recruitment agency.
St. Edmund's Primary School was a primary school for pupils aged from 5 to 11 years. It was located in Dudley, West Midlands, England, and was opened during the 19th century. The school merged with St John's Primary School during the 1970s to become St Edmund's and St John's Primary School; it relocated to a site on Kates Hill. The old buildings of St Edmund's have been retained and are currently used as Dudley Central Mosque, although there have been ongoing plans for it to be relocated to a new site in nearby Dixon's Green.
Olive Hill Primary School is a primary school located in Halesowen, West Midlands, England. Its current head teacher is Mrs Theresa Jordan, who was appointed in September 2005 to replace the retiring Mrs Pam Greenhalgh, who had been head since September 1999.
By the late 1990s, the Walton buildings were becoming increasingly surplus to requirements, and plans were drawn up for new ICT and animal care facilities to be opened at the main Halesowen College site in Whittingham Road. A new building at Halesowen College was completed in the summer of 2003, and the 70-year-old Walton buildings were sold off for redevelopment by Barratt Homes.
By the summer of 2004, the site of Walton Girls School had been transformed into a development of private houses and flats.