Wardley Colliery Board School was opened in August 1879 for the education of the growing number of local children. It was a single storey building with a caretakers house at the entrance and to accommodate up to 180 infants and cost just over £1500 to build. The children then completed their education at Bill Quay Board School which opened two years before Wardley and had a large Junior Department
Prior to the building of the school, some Wardley children were taught at the National School at High Heworth which was opened in 1870. It was located between two waggonways and the school log book of October 1872 states that "nearly all the Wardley children are absent because of a strike at the colliery" and on April 25th 1873 it records "withdrawn: 16 (children) mostly from Wardley, on account of a girl being killed on the waggon way  up which the children from Wardley come". The waggonway was the Ouston to Pelaw main waggonway with its branch line to Heworth Colliery, the school was situated between them. It was common to walk the waggonways from place to place.  Mary Jane Gilchrist, who's father was the manager of the "Wardley Hotel" at Bill Quay, would have walked all the way to school up the waggonway in 1870. Under Section 8, the mines regulation Act 1872, boy's between 10 and 12 years of age had to have at least 20 hours of instruction a week. In 1873 12 part-time students from Wardley and employed at the colliery received instruction at the National School. This increased but rapidly dropped when Wardley school opened. Earlier, Wardley children may have received their education at St.Mary's School which had been built at the edge of Heworth Dene in 1815 and was the first school in the district.
There is reference to a new school at Wardley in October 1873 and that 60 or 70 pupils who normally attended Bill Quay Wesleyan school (which had opened on October 21st 1872 with 174 pupils) were attending there instead. However, by 1874, most of the pupils had returned as the master of the new school had died. The school was probably the pit "drill-shed" which, among other things, in March 1874 was used as a day school, although it was said to be "eminently unsuitable for the purpose".
Before Gladstone's Liberal ,Government passed the education Act of 1870 most working class children were part of the labour force, either at work or within the family. The law empowered local Boards to make by­-laws which could enforce children between the ages of 5 and 13 years to attend school unless there was "reasonable excuse" for non attendance.
The father of Wardley girl Lydia Robson told the Wesleyan school principle teacher that "too much work unfits her for school and, so that she may come every day, he requests that she be allowed to go very slowly"  It was also recorded that colliery girl Mary Trainer had only made 20 attendances in the first half of the year. The "Mundella's" Act of 1880 made education compulsory.
Heworth's local school board were determined that the children got their education and arduously carried out its duties. A Summoning Officer, John Steer of Pelaw, was appointed in February 1876 to ensure maximum attendance, He did not find the task an easy one as in his first report to the Board at the end of 1876 he states "the abuse I receive from the Wardley people is something scandalous". One parent had shaken his fist in Steer's face and threatened to give him "a good hammering if he came near his house again". Also, he was told that there had been a meeting at Wardley "to put down the tyranny of the School Board" and that "if they could not do it by fair means, they would do it by foul". The authorities were not deterred and that year 95 notices were served and at the Gateshead County Court Petty Sessions in August 1880 a Wardley woman, Ann Murphy, appeared due to her daughter Mary Elizabeth attending school only 12 times out of a possible 125. She said she was a widow and kept the child at home to assist her. She was ordered to send the child to school. Thomas Courtley of Sinkers Row was also summonsed for the offence,
Heworth Local Board had decided during 1877 to build a Board School for infants at Wardley but, due to the situation being so urgent, a deputation of three presented themselves to the Board in February 1877. They requested a temporary school until the new building was made. A committee was delegated to visit Wardley and it was recommended that "two cottages owned by the colliery should be rented at an annual cost of £20 as a temporary school for infants". Elizabeth Ditchburn, the headmistress at Felling's Chemical Works Infant School, was appointed to the temporary Infant School in May 1877. Bill Quay Wesleyan school entry for June 4th states  “Admitted several new scholars this morning from Wardley. A few have left in the infants school and gone to Wardley school which opened this morning". By August Miss Ditchburn had resigned through ill-health. Harriot Pickering replaced her but she resigned in December 1878 but withdrew it when she failed to get an appointment in her home town of Driffield in Yorkshire. Miss Pickering took over the new Board School when it opened in August 1879, Until the end of the Local Board organisation in 1903, the school had a further six headmistresses at various times.
A number of plans were submitted for the new school in April 1877 and one was selected to hold 170 infants.  A site was chosen on land close to the colliery and owned by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners who were willing to sell it for £50. The Boards architect, George Ord, prepared detailed plans and a tender of Harrisons of Gateshead for £1,521 16s 3d was accepted. In July 1878 a loan of £1,987 (which would include school equipment) was obtained and was to be paid back over 50 years at 3 ½%.
After the building of the 5 Heworth Board Schools there was much interest in their performance, especially when examination results were directly related to the grants awarded to them. The Inspectors report of 1880 showed the percentage pass from 99.3% at the Felling Infants School to 64.9% at Wardley Infants. The national average for England and Wales was 80.4%. Wardley's income per scholar in a table of Heworth's 8 Mixed and Infants schools was 3rd bottom. Felling Infants received the highest grant per child. The running costs of Wardley school in the year ending June 1883 was £203 l1s Od. Teachers salaries were £130 4s 9d. Books etc £1 lOs 1 ½d. Fuel, Lighting and cleaning £35 19s 1d. Replacement of furniture and repairs £5 1s 2d. Rent, rates, insurance etc £3 13s 9d.  Calico for use of the children £3 17s 7d. "Rewards to the children" £3 4s 6d. School fees were still charged and this amounted to £31 9s 8d. In 1891 fee-paying schools were abolished.  Back to the top
In the older census record it was not unusual to find that no two children of a large family were born in the same pit village. Families didn't have much and if the pit closed, was on strike, or they wanted something better, it was easy to put everything they owned onto a horse and cart and move elsewhere. The Principle Teacher at Bill Quay referred to this when he wrote on Oct.29th 1875 "Two boy's left, parents removed from the place. This system is very injurious to the school. The miners don't appear to stop long in one place and after their children have been to school a few weeks in many cases they go away". By the 1880's it was to people's advantage to settle in a community. The Education Act had been passed and free and better schools were being built, a growing trade union movement was gaining strength to improve conditions for its members, "Reading Rooms", welfare halls and recreation grounds and chapel life in the pit villages was flourishing.  Some of the pupils who obtained prizes at the school in September 1882 remained in Wardley all their lives, as did their children until most of the pit village disappeared in 1939. In 1884 pupils in standard 1 were:

All of Felling's school children assembled together on a lovely summer day June 24th 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. Mr.A.S.Palmer on a white horse, followed by the Rev,Dr.Steel, lead hundreds of Wardley, Bill Quay and St.Mary's pupils to the assembly point which was a field at Heworth Grange farm (it stood at the corner of Grange Road and Sunderland Road Villas) between the farmstead and the Ouston waggonway. Every scholar was presented with a mug with the Queens likeness painted on one side and the figures 1837-1887 on the other, a medal was pinned on every childs breast and everyone given a Union Jack to wave.
A school inspection in October 1883 found the children to be "very backward in arithmetic but have done fairly well in reading and writing. The singing was too loud and the voices too harsh. The order deserves praise. A good merit grant, though not earned is recommended". In 1899 at Bill Quay school were five staff who lived at Wardley Colliery. They were George Brown, 11 Third Street, Certificated Assistant. Margaret J.Forrest, 31 Reservoir Street, Assistant Ex Pupil Teacher. Charlotte Knaggs, 9 Third Street, Monitress. Sarah 3.Corfield, Second Street, Monitress, and John Goodrum, 8 First Street, Monitor. There were two types of Assistant Teachers. The Certificated Assistant had obtained their qualification via training college. Pupil Teachers qualified after 5 years training at elementary schools, first being appointed as "Monitors" at a salary of £5 17s per annum. As Wardley children finished their education at Bill Quay these were probably clever pupils who were offered and accepted the position of "Monitor". Certificated Teachers received a higher rate of pay. None of the five teaching staff at Wardley School were local people. The Headmistress was Barbara Brown of Elswick, Newcastle, The others were Martha Butler, Eliza Doxie, Isabel Appleby and Emily Smith. The caretaker was Mr.E.G.Browne. One of the managers of the school was Lionel Maddison, a miner of First Street, Wardley, who had been elected to the School Board in 1896. One of the family, Billy Maddison, is a Wardley school governor in 1996! A number of Wardley residents served on the School Board at the turn of the century. Alfred Septimus Palmer 1875-99, mining engineer of Wardley Hall. Joseph Hopper, 1881-84 and then April 1885-87, miner of Third Street.  (Hopper was the first working class representative in this position), Claude Bowes Palmer 1899-1903,mining engineer of Wardley Hall
The pit heap was originally on the north side of the colliery in front of the school and, in wet conditions, the children would arrive at school very dirty. After complaints to the pit owners, John Bowes and Partners, a much needed wall was erected in 1907 which kept back the accumulation of dirt which resulted after heavy rainfall. Felling Council also provided a footpath leading from Third Street to the school entrance which became known as "the ashfelt" among the children who would have been cleaner and more comfortable in their classrooms after the improvements.
During the national strike of 1926 the pit heap was removed by local workmen and their families who riddled the heap for small coal to make "duff balls" which they used to sell as fuel or for use in their own homes. The children would help with this work and Nora Dixon, who was eight years of age at the time, remembers singing the ditty "Duff balls, duff balls mak'in all the day, we'll hire a barra ta take 'em to Jarra to pass the time away”.  It was discovered how dangerous it was to have pit heaps close to school buildings after the Aberfan school disaster in 1966 when 116 children and 28 adults died after the colliery waste tragically slid onto the school with disastrous consequences.
Due to overcrowding at Bill Quay, and probably the extending of compulsory schooling from 11 years of age to 14 years in 1902, a Junior Department of Standard 1, 11, 111, was added to Wardley School in 1908/9 from plans prepared by Felling architect Henry Miller at a cost of £2,567 95. Mr.Miller's renumeration was 1 1/2% of the total cost. This resulted in two separate playgrounds for boys and girls with different entrances and accommodating up to 340 pupils. The girls and infants yard was beside the caretakers house with the infants using the original entrance, The first batch of 81 Junior pupils arrived from Bill Quay on September 19th. At this years annual prize giving Mr.Bell, a school manager, said "Every child should endeavour to attend school regularly, that he was pleased to learn from their teacher, Miss.Swinburn, that their conduct was good, which was as important as good attendance. In the present age there was a tendency among children to be disrespectful to their parents. He would be very glad to see the children try to give the same obedience to their fathers and mothers as they give to their teachers. They would be better men and women for it".  Back to the top

Wardley Colliery closed on December 30th 1911 and the inhabitants suffered a double blow when a national coal strike was called in February 1912. It was reported in the local press that "much distress is being felt in the district .... it is gratifying to know that the school children may be provided with a meal in which to start the day. The provision of meals at school is one of the modern safeguards for the protection of child life". John Taylor, who was in charge of the sinking operations at the new Follonsby pit, also won the "respect and esteem of all those who came into contact with him" when he formed a fund for a soup kitchen to help the unemployed Wardley workmen and their "poor bairns". In later years the Miners Welfare Hall would provide meals for the children of striking miners, a breakfast before school and a meal at dinner times.
The school inspectors' report of 1912 say's that the work of "both departments is well arranged and carefully supervised by the head mistress. The teaching is vigorous and the classes well managed. The attainments, with few exceptions, reached a credible level. In the Infants Department the mechanical difficulties of reading have been successfully overcome and the children attack new and long words with confidence. Handwriting is good and the crayon drawings and plasticine modelling from nature considerably above average. Among the Juniors, the composition of the girls, the geography and Morris Dancing of Standard 111 and the writing, drawing and modelling in paper and plasticine in all the classes are worthy of praise. The observation classes are thoroughly prepared and suitably illustrated",
One of Bill Quay's teachers, Miss Ethel Duncan, was transferred to Wardley in September 1913. She had started her three year pupil teacher training with Wardley girl Charlette Knaggs on July 18th 1902. Miss Duncan's sister, Mrs.Taylor, was the school caretaker and a widow, The family had originally owned South Wardley Farm and eventually Mrs. Taylor married South Wardley farmer and widower George Amos who, shortly after the birth of his son John, had lost his wife. Mrs.Taylor returned to live at South Wardley Farm where she grew up.
School games and sport's day were held in a field on Wardley Lane, located on the left as you cross the Newcastle to Sunderland railway line bridge on the way to Bill Quay and near Gallon's farm. It is now used by Graham Lamb, who owns Quarry Park Riding School, for grazing land and to stable horses. He hopes, in the future, to convert the old Wardley pit head buildings into an equestrian centre. The riding school field is also the site of the original Wardley Cricket Club with it's wooden pavilion which was later moved to the Miners Welfare ground at the end of West Crescent.
A new school caretaker arrived in 1918 who was to remain there for the next 30 years. He was Mr Joseph W.Salkeld who, with his wife Sarah and two daughters came from Felling Shore. One of them, Ethel, married local cricket enthusiast Benny Wells. At one time Mr.Salkeld's duties included that of truant officer for the School Board. He passed away aged 74 years in 1954.
Nellie Ellison, the daughter of Jimmy and Susannah Ellison who had the shop at the corner of Wardley Lane and Sunderland Road (now a pretty white house), was educated at the colliery school and went on to teacher training college at Sunderland and from 1926 to 1937 taught at the school until she married another local teacher, Jack Smith. In those days married women had to leave the profession and Nellie had to leave her teaching career. Some of the other teachers at this time were Bella Forsyth, Florrie Clark, Miss Robson and Miss Thompson who's family had a butcher's shop at Felling. Due to many men enlisting in the armed forces, married women were brought back into teaching during the Second World War. When this rule was permanently changed, Nellie, along with many others, including Mrs.Jean Harvey, the Follonsby Lodge Secretary's wife, returned to teaching.
It was at this time that young Wardley footballers were building a successful football team at Bill Quay school. Some of those on the team were the Dryden brothers, Tommy Ions, Tom Pickering, Lewis Felton, Billy Wealans, B.Goldsworthy, B.Gray and Dick Young who went on to have a very successful professional football career with Sheffield United and Lincoln City and retired as manager of Carlisle United. The boys went to Bill Quay school at 11 years of age till 14, the girls finished their education at Wardley and only attended Bill Quay for cookery lessons.
During the 1935 pit strike, when 1300 men and boys were given notice and the management implemented a grading system objected to by the union to re-employ 400 men, the school children were found to to be rushing out of the school at home time to join the strikers and their wives, jeering and "tinpanning" a number of local blacklegs who were guarded by dozens of police constables on their way home from Follonsby pit. When this was discovered the children were kept at school until this daily event had passed. 

When war broke out in September 1939 air raid shelters were built everywhere. Trenches and shelters were dug in front of Wardley school in October to accommodate 222 people at an estimated cost of £621 12s Od. Luckily, they were never used and, as the drainage in them was never satisfactorily completed, they were always flooded and in bad condition. One of the teachers, Mr. Morrison of Stowell Terrace, Heworth, joined the armed forces and was killed in the war.
During the war years both the boys and the girls stayed at Wardley to complete their education. The headmaster was Mr.Edward (Teddy) Foster who had previously been a teacher at Bill Quay school. He was related to the Foster's of Heworth Shore Brickworks at Stoneygate. Another at this time, who taught for many years at Wardley, was George Peter Lewis (his nickname was "Stotty" Lewis) who retired from teaching as Head teacher at Windy Nook school. In the early 1950's, a school kitchen and dining hall was built behind the school. Previously, the meals had been brought in by van and the school assembly hall used as the dining room. At the start of term in Sept.1956, the school again reverted to Infants and juniors only with children who were 11 years of age sitting the Eleven Plus examination and attending either Bill Quay Secondary Modern, Jarrow Central or Grammar School. Bill Quay became a senior and Infant school and the juniors of Standard lla,llb,llla,lllb and lVa were sent to Wardley on Sept 9th along with Bill Quay teachers Mrs.Margaret Mallaby and David Hudson. Wardley teacher Frederick W.C.Phillips was transferred to Bill Quay during these changes. The following January, 306 juniors were on the rolls, new desks and chairs had been supplied throughout the school and an addition classroom was required. Twelve months later there were 9 classes and the school had been completely decorated. At this time, many of the Wardley teachers also helped to organise the miner's sport's day at the welfare ground when the prize giving and tea was held at the Miners Welfare Hall.
As most of Wardley Colliery pit village was demolished by late 1939, the school and the chapel, which was the only other building left standing, were becoming isolated from the community which was moving onto new council estates. The Chapel was relocated to Thorne Avenue and a new Wardley Infants School was built at Keir Hardie Avenue on the Ellen Wilkinson Estate. It must have been of some concern to Miss Bearpark, the first year infants teacher, as every night she would say to the class "Goodnight children, go straight home and keep to the path" the children would reply in unison "Goodnight Miss Bearpark, we'll go straight home and keep to the path'.". The path referred to was "the Black Road" which went from Wardley Colliery to Pelaw Railway Station and it had to be used to reach the school. By February 1954 254 pupils attended and a new teacher appointed.  Back to the top

In the October 1946 Felling UDC report, the council architect had a meeting with representative of the County Education Authority regarding a site for a new school at Wardley consisting of 1 acre for a nursery school, 2 acres for an infant and 5½ acres for a junior school. The school leaving age was raised to 15 years in 1947. It did not affect Wardley school which would remain Infants and juniors.
The new infant school was opened by County Councillor Andrew Cunningham on the 21st December 1956 at a cost of £38,000 and had accommodation for 240 pupils. It was built on the principle of classroom wings rotating from a central hall. Each wing containing two classrooms which were self contained with its own toilets, cloakroom and washing facilities.  Its head teacher was Miss Jenny H. Harland. The first meeting of the school "managers" who later became known as "school governors" was on Nov.27th. Its members were Messrs.A.Cunningham, M.Malloy, Mrs.E.A.Johnson and Mrs.F.Patterson. In Feb.1958 there were 215 scholars on the roll and organised into six classrooms. The premises had recently been inspected and found to be in excellent condition. Miss Harland retired at the end of term in July 1965 and was replaced by Mrs.Connie Ireland. John Riley was for many years the Infant School caretaker. The Colliery school continued as a Junior's only school until 1968 when a new Junior School opened next to the Infant's at Keir Hardie Avenue.  It occupied l½ acres with 3 acres of playing fields and was built at a cost of £74,000. Performing the opening ceremony was Councillor J.R.Foster. The old Wardley School lost its headmaster on December 2nd 1963 when Mr.Edward Foster collapsed and died in a friend’s car at the age of 64. He had been teaching for 44 years. Mr.Joe Nelson was the next headmaster of the school and in July 1964, one of the staff, Mrs.Margaret Mallaby who lived at Heworth, was appointed Deputy Head Teacher. In 1968, Mr.Nelson and his staff, some of them were Mr.Scott, Mr.Robinson, Mrs.Mallaby (she  was Mr,Nelson's sister), the caretaker John Forsyth and all the pupils were transferred to the new building. Mr.Nelson passed away early in 1996. The old colliery board school was closed and vacated early in 1968 after 81 years of teaching pit children. It was burned down on Wednesday 10th April that year by vandals before it was completely demolished. Lot's of the school furniture was saved and stored in the sheds at Heworth school, eventually some of it was sold and the rest removed by Jarrow Education Authorities.When Bill Quay school entered its summer holidays in July 1969 it was as the last time as a Secondary Modern School and senior school for Wardley children. At the start of term that September it was as an Infant and Junior School with pupils at 11 years and over attending the new Highfield School (now known as The Thomas Hepburn School) or Heworth Grange Comprehensive School. Parents now have a free choice of schools for their children. Of the 48 pupils who left Wardley Primary to start senior school in September 1995 the vast majority of them, numbering 43, transferred to Heworth Grange Comprehensive, 3 went to St.Joseph's R.C. Comprehensive at Hebburn, 1 to Thomas Hepburn Comprehensive and 1 to Usworth Comprehensive.
A fire broke out in the Infants Department on October 26th 1969. Smoke Soot and damaged a large quantity of furniture which had to be replaced. The staff and members of the public living in the vicinity worked unpaid during a holiday to clear away most of the damage so the school could reopen on time.
When Mr.Nelson retired, Alan McDonald became head teacher. He left in 1981 to become head of Harlow Green School and retired in 1996. He supported the Local Accident Prevention Council's work in the schools and held cycling proficiency tests in the school yard. In December 1972 Wardley Juniors Nigel Young won the "Cyclist of the Year" award and was presented with the Daniel Garrity Hardy Trophy by Coun.D.G.Hardy.  New Nursery units were approved for Wardley and Lingey House Infants schools in February 1978. Wardley's was to cost £19,500 and to cater for up to 30 children over three years of age. Its Nursery Unit was opened in September 1979. It had been converted from a classroom and was staffed by Jo-Anna Diaz (teacher), Miss Alison Foster (Nursery Nurse) and Mrs. Jean Milburn (Nursery Assistant).
In 1981 the Infant and Junior's were amalgamated and became Wardley Primary school with Brian Howard as Headmaster and Morris Robinson as Deputy. The posts of caretaker were also combined and John Forsyth was transferred to The Drive Primary School, leaving John Riley as caretaker at Wardley.

An attempt was made in April 1995 to take the school out of local council control and become a grant maintained school with control over its own budget. Campaigner Trica Potts said: "The school will be able to manage its money by itself and cut out the middle man and cut out bureaucracy". A ballot was held by the parents of the 329 pupils, only 19 parents approved and the rest overwhelmingly rejected the idea. The school's secret ballot among the staff voted 14 to 1 against the move. The school's chairman of governors Councillor Bernard McWilliam said he was delighted with the result "which shows that the majority of parents have faith in the local education authority and are happy that the school is being properly managed for the benefit of their childrens education".To protect the premises from vandalism and theft and make it safe and secure for children and    staff, security gates, fences and doors were in late 1995 at a cost of c£45-46,000.
The inspectors from the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) visited Wardley Primary in March 1996. The school had 385 pupils, 332 children were taught in 13 classes with an average size of 26 with a nursery class of 53 part-time pupils. Their report found that the school provided a "sound quality of education to its pupils. The school is attractive with good displays, and provides a stimulating learning environment for the pupils. Good relationships between staff and pupils and pupils themselves".
It also added that the school is "a friendly and happy community where pupils feel secure and valued and parents are always made very welcome. Pupils are well-behaved and are polite, courteous and welcoming to visitors". John Anderson who heads the teaching staff of 16 said "I'm delighted with this report which makes some extremely positive comments about the school. Since my appointment some six years ago I have been working with staff and governors to develop all aspects of the school and it is heartening to have our achievements acknowledged by the inspection team. The report referred to some aspects of English and Maths which could be improved upon. As this is a nationally identified issue it endorses the plans which the school had already drawn up to further develop these areas of the curriculum, including the use of computers" Councillor Bernard McWilliams Chairman of the governors said "The head, staff and pupils are to be congratulated on this report".
With the development of private housing estates: South Wardley, the Broadlands Estate at Kirkwood Gardens and the Fishers Estate opposite the Black Bull in the 1960's, overcrowding at Wardley and Lingey House School had to be avoided and a third school was built in 1976. It was to be named Felling South Wardley Junior School and is now known as White Mere Primary and located next to the old Pontop to Jarrow railway line at Gingling Gate. It opened on January 5th and its first intake of 70 pupils were mostly transferred from Lingey House School. As the school was built before the surrounding housing estate was completed, the first day at the showpiece school turned into a battle between education chiefs and parents. Mothers said that an ash path provided over a field had washed away and that families had to wade through mud to reach the school and that the children were dirty, dishevelled and tired by the time they reached their classes. The Public Works Department promised that it would be sorted out in the next day or two. Vandals broke into the school twice within three months of it opening.On March 17th toys were smashed and classrooms wrecked. "Hoppy", the children's pet gerbil had also been stamped on during the break-in.
Since the school has opened, hundreds of private homes have been built around it on a Fairways Estate, bringing the number of pupils at the school to 222 with a staff of eight. After many years teaching at Bill Quay, Miss Nancy Simpson became White Mere Primary's first Head Teacher. She was succeeded in September 1985 by James Dolan who had previously taught at Marley Hill. Other members of the staff in 1996 were Janet Stevenson, Irene Wandless, Linsey Ramsay, Helen Roberts, David Selbeck, Joanne Malley, Christine Gibson and Shelly Metcalf.