South Yorkshire Times — Saturday, 9 January 1954

Extra Holidays for Mexborough, Denaby Children

About 550 children shivered for 30 minutes as they sat in classrooms where the thermometer registered six degrees above freezing point on Wednesday in Rossington Street Junior and Infants’ School, Denaby.

After 30 minutes, the headmaster of the Junior department, Mr Hall, sent the children home for the morning. The children were told to report back at the school after dinner and during the afternoon normal school routine was carried out.

The reason for the cold classrooms was a defect on a colliery boiler which supplies the school with heat. On Tuesday, the children were sent home after the Christmas holidays, the children were unable to continue at school.

Mr Hall told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter that with the exception of a few amendments, the hot water system at the school was the same as that installed when the school was built in 1899.

On Wednesday afternoon and yesterday, Mr Hall reported a “good return to work.”

A similar fault at Pitt Street Infants’ School, Mexborough, was discovered on the first day of term, Tuesday, and the 229 pupils were sent home. School re-commenced on Wednesday.

Footnote: Minimum temperature for an Infants’ School 60 degrees; minimum for a Junior School 55 degrees.