Parents at Rossington Street School

November 1959

South Yorkshire Times November 22, 1969

Parents at Rossington Street School

Grandmother Mrs. Kathleen Taylor went to Rossington Street Junior School, Denaby, as a child, as did her mother before her and her daughter after her. Her grandchildren carry on the tradition to this very day.

Now she is back at school teaching the little children how to master the intricacies of knitting, together with other parents and friends involved in instructing in crafts ranging from pigeon fancying to sewing and the making of ships in glass bottles.

The parents have instilled, a great -family spirit” across the polished floors of the small, black-bricked building, and swept away the barriers which so often spring up between school life and home life.

They have been invited to come into school to help in any way they wish, and they have jumped at the opportunity with °mat zeal.

Engrossed

In one classroom, Steve Dononue holds an audience of fascinated boys in rapt attention as he unfolds the oceanic mysteries of the Cutty Sark knifing through the Atlantic, encased in a little glass bottle.

Housewife Margaret Pearsall smiles as another cuddly gonk or a colourful pin-cushion leaves the production line… She is teaching some of the girls out to sew.

And there are many others, a local councillor has been in to explain the miners sport, pigeon racing, and his cage birds proved a major attraction.

“This stems from the recommendation of the Plowden report,” said the headmaster, Mr H Hall, “We called a meeting of parents and friends in the summer to promote closer cooperation between families and schools, as the report advocates, and the result was the formation of a Friends of the School Association

“Arising from discussion among the Friends, I have invited parents and friends to come into school whenever they wish, to help with the children.

Now at least 4p attending day helping with preparation materials, mounting pictures, backing boats, assisting the short dresses, constructing medals models are keeping the children happy when they cannot not out in the wet weather.

Said Mr Hall: “We are trying to encourage as many adults as possible to come into John the in the school work, not merely for something to do, but in a genuine desire to enhance the education of the children.”

An everyone enjoys having this opportunity,” said Ted Corney, a member of the Friends’    committee. “The parents are not teaching, Just helping or instructing in special creative skills”.

But is it a success from the child’s point of view?

“I’m sure it is,” said Mrs. Taylor.”There isn’t one unhappy child in the whole of the school.”