Normanton at the present time (1928) has seven elementary schools, a Grammar School (for boys) and a Girl's High School. The elementary schools are situated in various parts of the town, and the following particulars of each school may be interesting.

The Woodhouse Council School built in 1876, provides accommodation for 743 scholars, at the present time there are on the roll 454.  

The Queen St. Council School, built in 1890, 'provides accommodation for 588, on the roll are 585.  

The Normanton Common Council School, built in 1876, provides accommodation for 756, on the roll are 824.  

The Dodsworth Church of England School, built in 1876, provides accommodation for 395, on the roll are 201.  

The Normanton C.of E. School, built in 1898, provides accommodation for 531, on the roll are 451.  

St.John's Roman Catholic School, built about 1889, provides accommodation for 278, on the roll are 205.  

Whitwood R.C. School built 1898, provides accommodation for 287, on the roll are 171. These schools are under the management of the Normanton Education sub-committee.  

The Normanton Grammar school was founded in the 16th century by John Freston, of Altofts, who died in 1594, and who, as previously stated, by his will directed his executors to purchase land and property in trust, the proceeds from which to be used for the upkeep of the school and the free education of a certain number of scholars. The old school in its latter days had lapsed into a very unsatisfactory state, and when Mr. Abbott, the last master, died in 1888 it was permanently closed, and on the 8th August, 1895, the building was sold by auction at the Black Swan Inn, to Mr. Walker of Cleckheaton, for £210, and thus passed away another old landmark that had been in existence in Normanton over three hundred years.  

For a period of five years - from 1888 to 1893 - I have been unable to find any records of the Grammar School and its endowment. It would appear that, as far as Normanton was concerned, when the old school was closed the endowment was lost. But we find that on the sixteenth of May, 1893, a scheme was adopted by the Charity Commissioners, providing for governors to be appointed to manage and administer the trust. This body consisted of eleven representatives and two co-opted members, and as the list of names contains some old Normanton residents, who at that period took an active part in the public life of the town, it will not be out of place if I give the full list, showing by whom they were elected or appointed.

The Rev. James Frank Bright, Master of University College, Oxford,
Lewis Amherst Selby Bigge, Esq., Fellow of the College, Oxford,
and the Rev. T.H.W. Matthews, M.A., Headmaster, Leeds Grammar School, were all three elected by University College, Oxford.

Professor Arthur Smithells, Leeds University, elected by Yorkshire College, Leeds,
C.J. Foster, Esq., Normanton, elected by West Riding County Council,
John Horsfall, Esq., Normanton, elected by Normanton Local Board,
Charles Keith, Esq., Normanton, elected by Normanton School Board,
Mr. Alfred Hawkins, Normanton, elected by Normanton School Board,
Mr. W.E. Swain, Snydale, elected by Snydale School Board,
Mr. W.E. Garforth, Altofts, elected by Altofts Local Board,
and the Rev. S.C. Whalley, elected by the vestry, for the parish of Warmfield.

Colonel E.A. Mackie, Manor House, Heath, and Percy Tew, Esq., Heath Hall, were both co-opted under the scheme.  

The first meeting of governors was held on 26th July, 1893, when Mr. Percy Tew was elected Chairman, which position he continued to hold until 7th April, 1909, a period of over 25 years. Mr. Tew was succeeded as Chairman by Sir W.E. Garforth who occupied the position until his death, on 1st October, 1921. On 3rd October, of the same year, Mr. G.S. Butler was elected Chairman, and still continues to hold the position with Mr. R.M. Currer-Briggs as Vice Chairman. 

The first Clerk to the Governors was Mr. W. Walker, Barrister-at- Law, Wakefield, who was appointed to the position in 1893, but only held the post until Feb.1894, when the late Major Norwood, of Wakefield was appointed and continued to act as such until Dec.1919, when he was succeeded by the present Clerk, Mr. T.R. Robinson.   The present Normanton Grammar School occupies a site called Mill Flatts field. The land (3 acres) was purchased from the Vicar of Normanton on August, 7th 1894, at a cost of £726. The contract for the erection of the building was made with Messrs. R.L. Leake and Sons in July, 1896, and the school was opened on the first of November 1897, by the Earl of Crewe; the Governors of the school and other persons interested in education also took part in the opening ceremony. After the ceremony the party adjourned to the Assembly Rooms and partook of luncheon, provided by Percy Tew, Esq., Chairman of the Governors. The school opened with fourteen scholars, eight of whom were awarded foundation or free scholarships by the governors. But the number has steadily increased year by year, until at the present time there are 274 scholars on the roll. The first headmaster was Mr. Corbett Wadsley Atkinson, M.A. Emmanuel College, Cambridge (Late second master of King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford). Mr. Atkinson resigned in August, 1904, when Mr. C.E. Brittain, B.A.MSC. (his first assistant) was appointed to the Headship and still holds the position.  

The first Girl's High School in Normanton was situated in Queen Street, and was under the management of the County Council. But in the early part of 1908 the management was taken over by the Governors of the Grammar School. In the same year the site of the present Girl's school was purchased at a cost of £2,002 and the new school vas opened for scholars in May 1912. Miss Chambers was first Headmistress of the Girl's school and held the position until 1911, when she resigned and was succeeded by Miss M.E. Martin, B.A. Miss Martin held the position until 1920, and Miss E. Robinson, (Math.Tripos Cantab) was appointed as her successor. Miss Robinson held the position until July 1924, when she resigned and Miss E.H.Cull (Math.Tripos Cantab.) was appointed to fill the vacancy. Miss Cull held the position only two years, when she resigned (Dec.1926) and was succeeded by Miss K.L.L. Reeve, who still continues to fill the position.   The new school was built to accommodate 150 scholars, with accommodation for Evening Classes under Normanton Technical Committee. The number of scholars however has grown in late years, until at the present time there are no less than 240 girls in regular attendance, including 13 in the kindergarten.

Governing Body  

The foundation known as Normanton Grammar school and its endowment is new regulated by a scheme which was adopted in 1907. The scheme provides for a governing body called the governors which shall consist of 16 persons, fourteen of whom are appointed for three years as fellows: -

Three (of whom at least one shall be a woman) by the Master and Fellows of university College, Oxford, one by the Council of the University of Leeds,
Three (of whom at least one must be a woman) by the Yorkshire West Riding County Council,
Three (of whom one at least must be a woman) by the Normanton Urban District Council,
Two by the Altofts,U.D.C.
One by the Parish Council of Warmfield,
One by the Parish Council of Sharlston,
and Two co-opted Governors, appointed by resolution of the Governors, each for the term of five years.

''Scholarships, or free places to be called Foundation Scholarships, in the form of total exemptions from the payments of tuition fees, shall be maintained in the school.
 
The number of such scholarships shall be not less than sixteen nor more than thirty, to be awarded on entrance to children as far as possible equally to boys and girls, who are, and have for not less than three years been scholars in any of the public elementary schools in the ancient parishes of Normanton and Warmfield.''

In the year 1920 the Freston Charity was bringing in to schools about £600 per annum. But this amount was occasionally considerably reduced by the fact that the property cost considerable sums in upkeep. In April of the same year we find the Governors discussing with University College, Oxford, the question of selling all the Freston Trust property, and on August 24th. 1920, the College agreed to the sale. The property was sold by auction in the same year for approximately £40,000, and the money was put into investments which now yield a regular yearly income to the schools of between £900 and £1,000.  

At the present time the Yorkshire West Riding County Council has a large share in the management and control of the schools, and provide for a large number of free scholars. At the time of writing (0ct.1928) there are in the boys' school 164 County Council scholars and 9 foundation scholars enjoying free scholarships, whilst the number of free scholarships now being enjoyed in the girls' school are 142 by County Council scholars and 7 by Foundation scholars.  

The provision for Technical Education and the establishing of regular evening classes in Normanton are of comparative recent date. This is explained by the fact that it was not until the year 1889 that the Government decided to include technical instruction as part of our national system of education. In that year the Government passed a bill conferring upon local Authorities the power to levy rates for the purpose of promoting technical and manual instruction in their districts.
 
Prior to that date this kind of education had been left to private enterprise and voluntary effort, and it may be truly said that the first system of technical education had its origin in, and was carried on for hundreds of years by the old crafts guilds which flourished all over Europe during the middle ages.
 
The first Normanton Technical Schools were managed by a committee which was set up under the name of ''The Normanton Technical Instruction Committee and by perusing the old minute books we find that they did good initial work and had a somewhat chequered career, and to them some appreciation is due from those who are enjoying the provisions of the schools today.
 
One would like to dwell at some length on the early history of those schools and give the names of all those who took part in their establishment, but the reader would perhaps find it tedious, and it may be more interesting to deal with them as we find them at the present time.  

During the last five years the number of students attending the schools shows a remarkable increase. In January, 1922 the number enrolled was 344 but this number increased year by year, until in 1927 it reached no less than 941 students.  

With such a large increase of students the accommodation became totally inadequate, and experimental laboratories, machine tool room and smith's workshop have been added. But even with these additions there is still a lack of accommodation. The school has been fortunate in receiving many bequests of machines, tools and other apparatus; by far the most important being the valuable collection of minerals and geological specimens bequeathed by the late Sir W.E. Garforth.  

The school offers generous provisions to students. A boy or girl on leaving the elementary school may have free entry to the Technical School (Evening) for the first year. For the second year there is also free entry to the Technical School provided the student has made eighty per cent of the attendances and has taken the second year examinations. There is also free entry for the third and succeeding years, plus half the cost of text books and instruments and if the student has to travel a distance of over two miles to attend the school at least half the cost of travelling expenses are paid. The standard of the work has been raised, and the school now provides 8th. year courses in most of the important subjects, and advanced students are prepared for the various professional examinations. The school has also a well established Employers' Prize Scheme, and the work done by this scheme may be judged by the quantity and quality of the books distributed on Speech Day.

Mr. C.N. Barr, M.B.E., B.SC. is the present (1928) Principal and Organizer.