School. 1893 with later addition to right
c1960-1969.
Designed by the architects to the Hanley School
Board, R. Scrivener and Sons of Hanley; contractors, T. Godwin
and Sons of Hanley.
Interior tiles probably by Minton Hollins.
Reddish brown brick in Flemmish bond with moulded
blue brick copings to plinth and string course, moulded
terracotta tile dresssings to caves and stacks, ashlar voussoirs
and pargetting in gables; plane tile roofs that to front central
range is hipped to left with glazing to hall roof; tall brick
stacks with moulded cornices to angles between ranges at
frontand to rear. Vernacular Revival style. Occupies a sloping
site. Plan: central main hall surrounded by classrooms expressed
as central single storey range with a lower one-and-a-half
storey range to front and single tall storey on basement to
rear, all between ranges at right angles to main block to either
side with single tall storey to front and on basement to rear.
Front has three bays: 1-4-1; the outer bays break forward (that
to left more prominently) and have gables with pargetting, that
to left incorporating inscription H.S.B. (Hanley School Board);
centre range with two gabled attic roof dormers with similar
pargetting.
Entrance off centre left in angled porch has
8-panel door with divided fanlight and surround with voussoirs.
End ranges have wide tall tripartite windows that to left has
three 6/6 sashes with pilaster strips between, and divided wide
cambered arched multi-pane overlight and voussoirs to arch. To
right a central pair of 4/6 sashes with fanlight with central
circular glazing bars between narrow tall 4/6 sashes with
fanlights all with voussoirs. Central range has 4/4 sashes and
3/3 sash all with blind fanlights with pargetting and arches
with keystones, another 1/1 sash. Casement windows to attics.
Left and rear elevations have similar tripartite windows and
gables with pargetting, one to rear incorporating date.
Interior: extensive use of fine tiling to dado in
entrance hall, main hall and classrooms with cream, buff, white,
dark red, brown, and dark green glazes. The dado incorporates
panels of embossed tiles with a variety of patterns and is
surmounted by moulded tiles; the tiles have been close set
without grout. Above the dado to the main hall on two sides are
glazed partition walls with panes of coloured glass; sliding
part glazed doors to classrooms. The main hall has 8 bays and a
part glazed roof with false hammer beam collar truss with upper
king strut. Clerestory lights between some classrooms.
Classrooms retain fitted slate boards in moulded tile surrounds
and fitted cupboards with 4-panel doors. Tobins inlet
ventilators to some rooms. To attics are gas jets. The school
was close to the Minton factory.
Many of the tiles are similar in design to those
illustrated in the Minton China Works catalogue, c1880-1890. The
school interior retains an unusually fine collection of embossed
tiles. It was originally known as the Wellington County Infants’
School.
