HISTORY A BRIEF HISTORY OF DOVEDALE INFANT SCHOOL Sandra Bowden Dovedale Infant School, in South Liverpool, is situated on Herondale Road close to Queens Drive ring road, and the world famous Penny Lane. Many famous people have attended Dovedale School, including two of the Beatles - the young John Lennon and George Harrison, and the newsreader, Peter Sissons. Their names are recorded in the admissions book dating back to 1943.

Dovedale Road Council Infants Department, as it was then known, opened on August 9th, 1915 on the present site. There were 264 children on the roll when the school opened; the majority of the children had transferred from Grove Mount Infants School, and there were 50 new admissions. There were seven teachers and the Headmistress was a Miss Margaret W. Griffiths who remained in that post until she retired in July 1933.

A logbook kept by all the headteachers since the school opened provides a detailed history of the school, and also demonstrates how education has changed over the years.

During the first and second world wars, the school remained open with little disruption. However, in February 1918, the school was closed for one week so that the premises could be used for the purposes of food rationing.

During the Second World War, the school was evacuated to Wem in Shropshire and Greenfield in Clwyd. Some children, however, stayed in Liverpool and received part-time education. During this time the children and teachers took part in air-raid warning practices and some of the shelters are still standing in the playground. In May, 1940 the children were fitted with gas masks.

In June 1942 school meals were introduced and in 1944 all the children of 4 years of age were given cod liver oil and orange juice daily.

The building was remodelled and extended in the 1970's when the wooden building on the present hall site was demolished and the school was modernised with internal sanitation, toilets, washroom and classroom facilities.

The present building consists of 9 classrooms, 2 wet areas, 6 toilet blocks, a staff room, an administration officer's room, a headteacher's office, a welfare assistant's room, a support teacher's room and a hall which is the assembly hall, the gymnasium, the dining hall, the theatre and the concert hall.

The yard is shared between the infant and junior schools.

Dovedale Infant School is a good school which aims to provide the best possible education for the children attending the school. It caters for children aged 4-7 years of age, drawn from a wide range of cultural, social and economic backgrounds. The school believes in educating the whole child, providing a broad and balanced curriculum which allows each individual child to develop their full potential, academically, physically, socially, morally and culturally, teaching respect for one another and preparing them for adult life in a multi-cultural society.

Over the years the school has been involved in many initiatives organised by the Liverpool Education Authority and was recently the first infant school in Liverpool to gain the Healthy Schools Award.

Created and maintained by Frans Coenen, Last updated 5 July 1999