Sacred Heart School Byermoor.

Written By: Miss Sheila McGahon.

Following the construction of the first temporary Church in 1869, Father Mathews the Parish Priest, began the establishing of education for the children of the Parish. The Church building was combined to share Services and formal schooling. On the 4th March 1871 teaching began. A total of 48 Pupils began attending, which gradually increased in number throughout the following years. Pupils had to pay for their lessons, the charges being as follows: Standard 1 2d (old pence) per week Standards 2 - 6 3d (old pence) per week If more than one child per family. 2d (old pence) per week.

That same year, in July, an outbreak of small-pox occurred at the School. A number of Certificated Teachers took charge, with Assistants and girls who were paid Monitresses. (figures show a total of 10 Teachers and 2 Monitresses served at the School between 1871- 1883). Miss Blanche Lamb (of Gibside Hall), and Miss Elizabeth Surtees (of Hamsterley Hall), often visited the School, where they distributed sweets and held parties for the children. In 1876, following the building of the new Church, the old building was now used solely as a School. In 1880, it was recorded that the number of pupils now totalled 164. (81 Boys and 83 Girls).

On October 14th 1881 tragedy struck, following a violent storm, a fierce wind battered the School and the whole wooden structure collapsed and was destroyed. It was said at the time, apparently the two main doors had been left open and the wind had simply swept through the building with disastrous results. The outcome was, the children now had to take lessons in the new Church. Shortly afterwards, work commenced on the building of a new School, also two houses (standing off the main Newcastle road). One house for the Headmaster and the other for the School Caretaker.

On the 5th January 1883, the new Roman Catholic School at Byermoor (pictured above, on the left with a current school photograph on the right) was formally opened. It was built at a cost of £1,600. One of the Benefactors was the Marquis of Bute. An average of 150 children attended School. In 1905, the School was enlarged to three classrooms and one large room, big enough to use for two classes. The Girls and Boys playgrounds (or yards), were divided by Sheds. In the Girls Shed, a stove was kept, where children brought their cans of tea, to be left to keep warm, along with their sandwiches. Children walked long distances to School in those days, some, from Sunniside, Andrews House, Marley Hill, Burnopfield, Leazes, Tanfield and Rowlands Gill.

Pictured on the left are Teachers of the 1940’s: Back Row Mr Frank Doran, Mr James Kehoe (Headmaster), Mr Eric Smith. Front Row: Miss Winifred Clark, Miss Clare Arnold, Father Austin Pickering (Parish Priest), Miss Alice Kehoe.

Life at School flourished, the children being given a good grounding in religious and academic studies, with lots of activities. School Concerts were very popular. From the 1920's the Girls attended weekly Cookery Classes at the Board School, Marley Hill and were given excellent tuition in the art of Domestic Science. The Boys attended weekly Woodwork Classes at the School in Burnopfield.

Pictured above on the left: Mr Nicholas Kelly with the football team of c1912, with pupil Tom Kehoe second from left.

Pictured on the right: A school team with Mr Matthew White.

Down the years, Byermoor School produced many good Football Teams and kept a good record in other sporting activities, winning a number of Honours and gaining Cups, Medals etc. against other Schools, a number of it's former Pupils going on to become professional footballers at top Football Clubs, another became a well-known Test Cricketer, playing for England on a number of occasions. This excellent little School, with it's dedicated teaching Staff, has throughout the years played it's part in the formation, both morally and educationally, in helping towards forming the characters of it's past Pupils, which has enabled and prepared them to face with confidence, the trials, problems and challenges of the outside world.

Former Headmasters of Byermoor School: Mr Nicholas Kelly, Mr Daniel Henry, Mr Matthew White, Mr Matthew Coleman, Mr James Kehoe, Mr Henry Gardner, Mr Anthony Hannon, Acting Head Miss Kim Bradley, Mrs Margaret Sands, the current Headmaster is Mr Denis Godfrey.

A School Class of 1949:

Back Row: Moya Dwyer, John Gavin, David Young, Edward Bond, Kelvin Mc Hugh, Hugh Mc Ginn, Kevin Mountford, Tony Doran, Billy Callaghan, Alan Nash, Mary Connor, Pat McGhee, Ann Dunphy, Maureen McDermott.

Middle Row: Barbara Cairns, Patricia McConnon, Margaret Ratcliff, Catherine McGee, Monica Hagan, Ann Joyce, Sheila Graham, Sheila McTaff, Kathleen Harbron.

Bottom Row: John Hall, Tom Smith, Dennis Clark, Kevin Connor, Michael McCormick, Tom McGee, Vincent McTaff.

The current Staff 2005 are:

Mr Denis Godfrey Headteacher, Mrs Kim Bennett Deputy Headteacher, Mrs Angela Smith year 5/6 Teacher, Miss Rachael Tate year 3/ 4 Teacher, Miss Helen Willey Reception Class Teacher,

Mrs Tracey Mothersdale Classroom Assistant, Mrs Susan Turnbull Classroom Assistant, Mrs Lisa Williams Classroom Assistant,

Mrs Kelly Hodgson School Clerk,

Susan Broughton Dinner Supervisors, Sarah Storey Dinner Supervisors.