History of Thoresby
Thoresby Street School was opened on August 18th, 1902.
It had accommodation for 460 mixed seniors, 460 mixed juniors and 402 mixed infants! During the First World War, the school was taken over for military use and soldiers were billeted there. Pupils were moved to temporary accommodation; some to the Church of the Transfiguration and others to Wawne Street and Middleton Street schools.
The senior department reorganised as a Central Senior School for Girls in 1920. Many of Thoresby’s pupils were evacuated during the Second World War. Those that remained were not expected to attend the morning after an air raid. Calling the register in the afternoon must have been a distressing task.
After the war the girls’ school developed into a Technical School. A Junior High School for girls was formed in 1970 and mixed primary pupils remained at the site up to the age of 9. Reorganisation in Hull in 1988 formed th
Reorganisation in Hull in 1988 formed the current system that exists today, with Thoresby Primary School offering education for children from 3 to 11 years old
Our School Bell
Every morning the children of Thoresby Primary School arrive in the playground to the sound of the school bell. Rung at 8:50 by pupils in year 6, the sound can be heard throughout the neighbourhood, calling the local children to school. It is a daily reminder of Thoresby’s place at the heart of the community.
The school was the last of 37 Board Schools to be built in Hull, and when it opened in August 1902 the bell was installed. The bell was ‘cast’ at the factory of John Taylor and Co. of Loughborough, Leicestershire. The same company cast the bells of St. Paul’s in London, Holy Trinity Church Hull, and York Minster. Our bell is made of bronze, weighs half a hundredweight (about 25 kilograms), and still has its original ‘clapper’. The bell had been painted black over the years (sacrilege!), and this seriously affected the tone. It took a great deal of time and effort to chip off the old paint before the bell could be sand-blasted and then coated to avoid the bronze turning green!
One of the school’s teachers, Mr Paul Grantham, coordinated the dismantling and reinstatement of the bell, liaising with Mr David Stipetic, the clock custodian for Hull and Steeple Keeper of the Church of the Holy Trinity. The bell had to be sent away to Barnsley for the work and only returned at the end of February, to the great delight of the children.Having lain silent for many years, it was restored to full working order in 2002, Thoresby’s centenary year. Parents, pupils, governors, staff and former Thoresbians worked together throughout the year to raise the money needed to pay for its refurbishment.
The Thoresbian
The Thoresbian was first published in 1929. At that time it was the magazine for ‘Thoresby Street Central School’. The Thoresbian contained information about forthcoming changes at the school, such as new staffing arrangements and details about the school uniform. It also reported on events such as Parents’ Evening and Sports Day, and it provided a celebration forum for achievements such as perfect attendance.
In a section of the magazine entitled ‘Old Thoresbians Association’ reunion events were advertised and clubs such as the walking club and the cycling club were promoted. Thoresbians have always been proud to have attended this school and the Thoresbian magazine was just one way in which old pupils were able to keep in touch with each other and with current news of the school.
At the time of the school centenary in 2002, a commemorative centenary edition of the Thoresbian was published. It celebrated one hundred years of the school in Thoresby Street and included vivid memories of former pupils. These reminiscences revealed an abiding and deep affection towards the school and an appreciation of what a difference it made to their lives.
