Memories of the Leeds school with the playground on the roof

Green Lane Council School boasted more than 100 years of educating the children of west Leeds.

Formerly Green Lane Board School it was constructed in red brick in 1874 and closed in September 1982.

It was well remembered for its rooftop playground for the girls.

The classrooms were located on the first floor beneath the series of decorative arches. Boys and girls were taught separately with the boys classrooms on the right and the girls left.

The central arch on the ground floor was flanked by the girls' cookery rooms, left, and the boys' woodwork workshops, right.

The central arch was, at one time, open at either end and provided shelter for the pupils during wet playtimes.

Within a short time the school was catering for 1,035 pupils from ages three to twelve or thirteen.

The School Boards were abolished in 1902 by an Education Act and Education Committees from the Town and County Councils were appointed to take control of elementary education, hence the name change to Green Lane Council School.

At one time the school was an annex to Park Lane College and later it became a furniture store for the Education department. For a period prior to demolition in August 1994 it remained empty and was badly vandalised.

The image, taken in 1986, is published courtesy of photographic archive Leodis, which is run by Leeds Library & Information Service. They also run heritage blog The Secret Library Leeds, which provides a behind the scenes look at the Central Library and highlights from its special collections, including rare books hidden away in the stacks.

HAS THIS PHOTO BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES? Share them with Andrew Hutchinson via email at: [email protected] or tweet him - @AndyHutchYPN

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