| Motto | Strive to Achieve |
|---|---|
| Established | 1909 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Type | Middle school |
| Religion | Secular |
| Headteacher | Ronald Stewart (1996-2008) |
| Location | Village Road[1] Cramlington Northumberland NE23 1DN England |
| Local authority | Northumberland |
| DfE URN | 122330 |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Students | 465 in 2008 |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Ages | 9–13 |
| Houses | Arcot, Blagdon, Hastings, Plessey |
| Colours | Yellow, grey and blue |
Parkside Middle School was a middle school in Cramlington,[2] United Kingdom from its foundation in 1909 until 2008, when middle school functions in the town were transferred to Cramlington Learning Village.
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The school was built in 1909[3] for the sum of £10,000, which was considered a significant price at the time. The former stone school which had been used since 1853 became a parish hall.[3] It was officially opened on 13 September 1909 by Sir Francis Blake, 1st Baronet, of Tillmouth Park, at the time the Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland. [4] According to the Wansbeck Telegraph, "Several hundred people assembled at Cramlington village to witness the opening...there was a rendering of Ye Mariners of England by the children...and a photographic view of the group [was] taken."[4]
It was certified as a secondary modern school, and thus children who did not make the grading requirement on the 11-plus went there. On 17 November 1914, the school was occupied by the British Army for use during the First World War[4], and thus a half-timetable was put in place. No lights were allowed in the school due to the threat of Zeppelin raids, one of which occurred on 2 April 1916 over Cramlington.[4] During the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, teaching staff were reduced to one member of staff and average attendance to 55% due to the outbreak. One pupil died in early 1919 from the disease. The first few years did not go well, with a focus on inspections which recorded an outbreak of scarlet fever in November 1915. The following month, the temperature was recorded at 48 °F (9 °C) inside the school.
The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII visited the school in 1921. During the 1926 general strike, it was noted by an inspector that many children had inadequate footwear due to the poverty caused by their parents suffering ten days away from work.
During the Second World War, the teaching staff was reduced to only two male teachers due to conscription. In the first week of September 1939, part of the school was taken over as a military hospital[4] and air raid shelters were built on the school fields. Following the Education Act 1944, the school reopened fully on 9 April 1945 as 'Cramlington Modern School.
In 1977, it was considered significant to record in the logs that the school was renting a video recorder for the first time.
The school was closed on 21 July 2008 and its pupils transferred to Cramlington Learning Village, ending a 99-year history of education at the same site. The schools records were forwarded to the National Archives for safe keeping.[5]