Records of Henry Bloom Noble Primary School: memories of students from Tynwald Street Girls' School and Fairfield Junior School

This fonds consists of records created by Henry Bloom Noble Primary School. The school invited past students to the school open event in April 2016 (held at the Fairfield Junior School site). The memories consist of a photocopy of 4 pages of handwritten memories and 70 handwritten postcards containing reminiscences from past students from Tynwald Street Girls' School and Fairfield Junior School.

In 1872 the Education Act was established and the Isle of Man Board of Education came into existence on 27th June 1872. Education was now compulsory for children ages 5-11 (later extended to ages 5-13). Local School boards were elected in each town and parish and in approximately 1873-1874 a Douglas Board School was founded. The school was split into two departments, one for girls and one for boys. From local newspaper reports the first Douglas Board School was known as the Wellington Board School and was situated in the Wellington Buildings on Duke Street. In 1878 the Douglas Board School moved to temporary premises on the Loch Parade (Loch Promenade). The accommodation however was inadequate, and the problems of spacing and class numbers were reported as early as 1880.

In May 1884 the school moved to newly built premises on Tynwald Street. The school continued as a mixed school until approximately 1907, where the boys' department permanently moved to newly built premises on Demesne Road. The school on Tynwald Street was now known as Tynwald Street Girls' Board School and provided education for female infants and juniors. By 1958 the official name was changed to Douglas Tynwald Street Junior Girls' School.

In 1973 the Tynwald Street Junior Girls' School amalgamated with Demesne Road Boys' School and became a known as Fairfield Junior School on Tynwald Street. Male and female infants aged 4-7 years old moved to the premises on Demesne Road and became known as Ballacloan Infants School. Fairfield Junior School was now a mixed school and educated students from the ages of 7-11 years old. In 2010 it was noted that both buildings on Tynwald Street and Demesne Road were failing to meet modern education standards. There was also a Department for Education and Children initiative, to amalgamate infant and junior schools to form singular Primary Schools Island wide. Construction work for a new school building began in 2010, and in May 2014 Fairfield Junior School and Ballacloan Infants School amalgamated to form Henry Bloom Noble Primary School. Both schools remained on their separate sites until the summer of 2016. In July 2016 the Fairfield Junior School site closed its doors permanently and its students moved (along with the Ballacloan Infants School) to the newly built Henry Bloom Noble Primary School on Westmoreland Road, Douglas.

This fonds is currently closed to public access under the Isle of Man Public Records Act 1999; closed for 30 years until 1 Jan 2047. Please contact the Isle of Man Public Record Office for further information: public.records@gov.im

Please see our website for catalogues: www.gov.im/pro .

Catalogue created by Eleanor Williams, Records & Archive Officer March 2019

Crown copyright (duration - 125 years from the end of the calendar year of production)

Accruals to be expected in line with the Isle of Man Department for Education, Sport and Culture's record retention schedule

• S6 - Records of Douglas Board School Girls' Department;
• S7 - Records of Tynwald Street Girls' School; and
• S9 - Records of Fairfield Junior School;