Welcome to the villages of Lostock & Chew Moor

240

Schools

St. Thomas's School & Mission, Lostock

75 children were provided with tea and on January 6th the school opened under the care of Miss Smith.

It would appear that from the opening day there was continued education in accordance with the principles laid down, until 9th September 1946 when St. Thomas's C. of E. School became a Junior Mixed and Infants School under the control of Bolton Education Committee. The School was finally closed in 1964 and pupils transferred to the new Primary School at Deane.

The school building remained unused until a lease was obtained by a community organisation known as the Lostock and Chew Moor Social Development Association in February 1967. For several years the school was the focal point of the social activity of the two villages, with organised art shows, galas, plays, etc. until financial difficulties brought about the disbandment of the Association at the end of 1970 and the building was then used as a pre-school Playgroup.

THE First World War was just beginning when a "temporary" wooden church in Lostock was built by combining two Sunday schools.

St. John's School, Chew Moor

The Act of Parliament for Inclosing Chew Moor in the Township of Lostock, dated 11th June 1808 further enacted that a plot, of land was to be assigned for the use and benefit of a schoolmater, to be employed in the instructions of the children of Lostock and its immediate neighbourhood, in the English Language and in reading the Bible etc.

This part of the act was implemented and two acres of land on which St. John's School stands was awarded by the Commissioners for the purpose stipulated by the Act. About that time two cottages were built by subscription, one as a dwelling house for the schoolmaster and the other as a school. One of the upper rooms in these premises was used by the Vicar of Wingates for public worship on Sunday evenings for many years.

In May 1878 this school was made a public elementary school and placed under Government inspection. The old buildings remain and were continued in use, but accommodation was insufficient and it was necessary to build a new room adapted to present requirements for the schoolmaster.

In February 1882, is had been decided that the school was inadequate to the needs of the place and a new room was completed on land adjoining the old school. Formerly a 2 storey building had its middle floor removed and was converted to a very useful infant school, with the master's house put through repair. Accommodation was provided for 200 children including the infants room. The School continued the education of the children of the District until it closed in 1928 and local education was centralised at St. Thomas's School, Lostock. Now it is split into 3 Residential dwellings.

The Industrial School (Lostock Open Air School)

Lostock Open Air School can be seen on the left hand side To the rear lies St. Thomas's & St John's Lostock "temporary wooden church"

with the classrooms on the right of Tempest Road

Built in 1870 at a cost of £5000, "to rescue poor children from unsuitable condtions" The Industrial School at Lostock provided accommodation for 180 boys and every bed in the establishment was occupied. The Government awakened to the sense of its responsibility with regard to the waifs and strays of humanity, for in 1854-5 an act was passed instituting "An Act for the better care and reformation of youthful offenders". This measure was subsequently amended by the passing of the Industrial School Act 1861.

Boys snatched from a life of sin were taught useful trades, such as tailoring, shoe-making, joinering, cotton spinning and agricultural or domestic pursuits. It admirably carried out the purpose for which it was designed.

Census records for 1871 record the children attending the school.

By 1875 girls were also being admitted to the care of the Industrial School.

In June 1924 the Industrial School was closed by order of the Home Office, and negotiations were immediately started by the Bolton Education Committee to acquire the land and buildings for conversion into a different type of school.

By order of the Board of Education dated 6th March 1925 the proposal to utilise the former buildings of the Bolton and County of Lancaster Certified Industrial School as an Open Air School was approved, and steps were taken to adapt the premises for the purpose intended.

On the 27th October, 1928, in the presence of a representative gathering of nearly 400 townspeople including the Mayor and Mayoress (Sir Thomas and Lady Flitcroft) and other dignitories, the school was formally opened at Lostock Open Air School.

An illustrated booklet was prepared setting forth the main features as fresh air and sublight, proper diet, rest, the hygenic way of life, individual attention, medical treatment, special educational methods and also that children selected to attend would be those who had no definite illness but were delicate, anaemic or suffering from mild chronic ailments, and who were unable to profit as they should from education in the ordinary elementary schools.

The institution was closed as an open air school in 1986 and reopened as a place of learning for children with social and emotional needs.

Lostock school to house refugees?

The former Lostock Open Air School in Bolton is being earmarked as a temporary base to house dozens of Kosovo refugees. The council-owned building has been flagged up as one potential site after a recent inspection visit by council bosses.

August 2000 - The building which had stood proud for 130 years was demolished to make way for nine luxury homes. It had a heated indoor swimming pool and taught "delicate children" in the open air and evenutally closed in 1996. The last of the remaining 31 pupils were transferred to the new Stocks Park School in Horwich.

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