St James School (Scan from 1992)

The original school was built in 1842, in Salop Street in Dudley, near St James Church and was designed by the architect, William Bourne of Dudley.

It was built to accommodate 300 children, but probably never taught that many.

It was moved to the Museum in 1991 using funds generously provided by the Charles Hayward Trust. Today you can see it as it would have been in 1912.

Originally boys over 7 were taught in one part of the building and the girls and infants in the other. In 1868 the two halves were amalgamated to form a mixed school.

The school building suffered from poor natural lighting and unsuitable heating and by 1904 conditions were so bad that it was recommended that the school be closed. Dudley Education Committee was reluctant to do this and in 1906 moved the mixed school to another school, while St James continued as an infants school only.

Improvements were made in 1912 and it continued as a school right up to 1980.