Chesterfield St Helena School, also known as Chesterfield Girls' Grammar School and St Helena School, Chesterfield, was an all-girls high school in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, teaching 11- to 18-year-old girls between 1892 and its closure in 1991. The building now serves as an Area Education Office for Derbyshire County Council.
History
The early days
In 1882, education for girls was still considered to be of minimal importance. Fortunately for the young female residents of Chesterfield, a group of influential businessmen, satisfied with the arrangements for the education of their sons, decided they wanted to improve the opportunities for their daughters. As a result of this, a school was set up in the Congregational Schoolroom under the supervision of Miss Walton. The school seems to have thrived, for a report of a Harvest Festival held in October 1889 states that it was held in the presence of about a hundred parents and friends. The schoolroom was appropriately decorated for the occasion and an interesting programme of vocal and instrumental music and recitations was performed. Prizes were presented by the Mayor, Mr. B. Douglas Esq. The Mayor proposed the vote of thanks to Miss Walton and this was seconded by Mr. Voules, Headmaster of the Grammar School.
The school continued to minister to the educational needs of the young ladies of the town until 1892 when the following advertisement appeared:-
So the Chesterfield Girls' Grammar School came into being. The original school building, located at East Bank, Sheffield Road, Chesterfield, still exists today and is now used as offices.
The school was to remain at East Bank until 1911, and during that period secured a reputation for providing a good all-round education for its pupils. In the Midland Railway Guide of 1899 a full page advertisement was devoted to include a sufficient variety of subjects to ensure proper development of all the faculties of the pupils.
By 1904 there were 112 pupils in the school and the number increased each term. The joint headship between Miss Wilkes and Miss Stevens came to an end when the County Council took over the responsibility for the running of the school in 1906. Miss Wilkes was designated Head Mistress and Miss Stevens Second Mistress. It was from this time that official records were kept and from these it would seem that, besides Miss Wilkes and Miss Stevens, there were nine other teachers in the school.
Plans were proposed for the erection of a new, purpose built school on vacant ground opposite East Bank. Before these plans could come to fruition, the school had increased to such an extent that number 68, St Helens Street was purchased to house the kindergarten and two lower forms of the school. Intake age was 4 years for both boys and girls, the boys leaving at the age of 11 to continue their education mainly at the local Grammar School.
In 1909, plans for the new school buildings were passed and work started, though it was not an easy site to develop owing to the severe slope of the land on the east side down to Infirmary Road. The best materials were used, local brick from the Wasps Nest Brick Works in Brampton, a roof of Cumbrian Slate topped off with a copper covered cupola. Masons were employed to dress the considerable quantity of stonework with the exception of the window sills which were cut by a special machine recently invented. Inside, the Assembly Hall was built to accommodate three hundred students and was to have an oak parquet floor whilst the rest of the school was to have floors of Canadian Maple parquet. There were those who regarded this huge office rising from the ground with scorn, predicting that there would never be enough students to make use of the accommodation provided. To overcome the slope on the east side of the site and provide a playing area for the children, the land was terraced and substantial retaining walls were built to prevent any danger of movement of the land. The bottom terrace was grassed over to provide a playing field. The lower ground floor contained two covered play areas built so that they could easily be converted into classrooms.