Background to Lochwinnoch Public School

“The Big School”

The Big School was opened on 4th February 1905 by the local MP Sir Charles Bine Renshaw. Plans for a new school were underway from the turn of the 20th Century and were finally adopted in late 1901. The cost was estimated to exceed £9,000 which equates to £15 per head as the building was designed to accommodate 600 pupils. The site cost £600, the building and furniture around £6000 and site preparation, landscaping and playgrounds £2,000. The Plans had to be submitted to the County Council and then forwarded to the Education Department for final approval.

It was not a smooth process to get the school built. The ratepayers were unhappy about the cost and questioned why it was sized for 600 pupils when the current public school it would replace only had 300 pupils. The size was justified on the forthcoming railway and the expected increase in population. Furthmore, the cost had risen to £10,000 because the Department of Education had refused the plans no fewer than four times. One of their key requirments was for the addition of a large hall which has resulted in the cost increase. The addition of the central hall is probably one of the school’s key attributes. An advert for tenders was finally released in November 1902.

The building is in a Continental Renaissance style and the walls are built with Annan red sandstone. Internally it comprises four classrooms on the ground floor and six on the upper floor, each capable of accommodating sixty pupils. An arcade connects each side of the hall and the staircases, similarly for the upper corridor. Male and female teachers’ rooms are provided on the ground floor and assistant teachers cloak room and toilet on the upper floor. Cloak rooms and toilets for the pupils are located immediately inside the main entrances. If memory serves there was a large double sink in the main entrances adjacent to the stairs with a couple of bars of carbolic soap. Regarding toilets my recollection is of outside loos, one for the boys and one for the girls on either side of the school. The girls building is still there but the boys has been demolished. I'll never forget the tracing paper like Izal loo rolls in these cubicles of pain. Where was the Andex puppy when I needed it most? The staircases were designed with special regard to safety and ease of passing to and from classrooms – ie they were wide! One of the upper rooms was suitable for cookery classes and another adapted for art lessons. Physical education was taught in the hall. As well as heating radiators there was a system of hot air ducts combined with extraction vents connected to the roof thus ensuring a constant supply of fresh air.

The contractors were as follows: Digging, George Buchanan, Kilbarchan; Mason and brickwork, R Snodgrass & Son, Beith; Joiner, R Connell, Lochwinnoch; Plumbing, John Lambert, Ardrossan; Slating, James Reid, Beith; Plastering, Daniel Tait, Kilbirnie; Cement work, Stuart’s Granolithic Co; Tiling, The Porcelain Tile Co, Glasgow; Steel and Iron works, Redpath, Brown & Co, Glasgow; Railings & Gates, P & R Fleming & Co, Glasgow; Heating & Ventilation, James Boyd & Sons, Paisley; Ventilators, Donald & Donald, Glasgow; Play Grounds, Daniel Cunningham & Sons, Kilmacolm; Gas Fittings, James Milne & Sons, Glasgow; Lucas Lamps, N G Haran & Sons, Paisley; Groundworks, W & T Samson, Kilmarnock; Seating, The Bennet Furnishing Co, Glasgow; Painting, John Guy, Lochwinnoch; Grates, Joseph Thomson, Paisley; Blinds, R Cochrane & Sons, Paisley.

The resident inspector during the majority of the work was Mr A Cassidy, Paisley and for the latter part Mr McLetchie, Troon. The plans and general supervision of the building was by Mr C Davidson, FSI, architect, Paisley. The picture below was taken by Mr Robert Williamson, owner of the Calder Glen laundry, and is the first ever taken of the school. Unfortunately it is a scanned copy of a printed version so the quality is not great but it is fairly obvious that the landscaping is not yet complete.

Food was provided for children coming from outlying areas. An elderly widow was employed to prepare soup and a slice of bread which was charged one penny. As there was no kitchen the food was prepared in the basement and the janitor carried it up in pots to the hall. As there was no seating the children had to sup it standing up. A kitchen of sorts was added in the 1950’s. Food was not prepared here but was brought to the school in large containers from which it was served. The original meals on wheels. School meals seem to be a bit like marmite – love it or hate it no half way house. I must say I hate marmite but I loved school meals. “Seconds” were frequently on offer, sometimes at the cost of helping to put away all the tables and chairs. I remember one of Mr Newal’s punishments to enforce discipline for any act of “flying food” – stand facing the wall, take one step away from it, then lean forward with your face pressing against the wall. The in-class variant was to face the blackboard where he would make a large circle of chalk which your face squished into. Happy Days.

In my day (1960-1973) the school was known as a Junior Secondary School meaning it provided education from age 5 till 15. Primary education till age 12 followed by three years of senior school education, leaving school with no O-levels or Highers. During the development of the plans for the school Joseph Johnstone spoke of the need to provide technical and secondary education. Lochwinnoch provided that from age 12 till 15. Mr Kennedy and his woodwork class can be seen in the Classrooms gallery accessed from the Big School Menu. The UK was still an industrial economy and most pupils left at 15 and sought a trade of some sort. My dad and his brothers and sister all left at 15 and became tradesmen at either Joe’s or Hunters Cabinet Works. My dad was keen I took a different path and I completed my education from 1973 till 1980 at Strathclyde University and the University of Birmingham. Lochwinnoch is now solely a primary school with all pupils going on to senior school with the opportunity of gaining formal qualifications.