Board or Local Authority or Academy Schools

Summit School at Stansfield - now Stansfield Hall C.E./Freechurch Primary (pictured right)

The Temple Methodist's Day School was the first to be actually taken over in by the newly appointed School Board (under the chairmanship of Gordon Harvey) in Summer 1894 and it  formed the basis of Summit Board School. June 1897 saw the completion of the term for which the first Littleborough School Board was elected and it was marked by the formal opening of the Summit Board School, the first school building to be erected by the Board albeit further work was required to complete the school. In 1917 the Joint School (Stansfield) formed by amalgamation of Summit Board School and St James School. In the short term, the latter school building retained for younger pupils. This arrangement ended when in July 1986 as the Stansfield school for younger pupils (ex St James School) closed following extension of the main school. The official opening of Stansfield Hall County Primary School following extension was on 8th April 1987

Smithy Bridge Board School (pictured right)

In July 1896 it was reported that the Education Department (presumably the UK Government) had recently condemned the chapel building and as a result the Littleborough School Board (LSB) decided to build the replacement school nearer to Dearnley. However, this was rejected by the Department and a site next to the canal and close to the existing school was chosen for the new school which opened in January 1900. The school was extended in the early 1950s and later modifications made.

Littleborough Central School.(pictured right)

The ultimate aim of the Littleborough School Board came with the building of this school. On 2nd May 1902 the foundation stone for Central School stone was laid and below it was placed a Time Capsule. Just 10 months later Central School opened to receive pupils of which 534 transferred from the Peels Street/Victoria Street schools. In June 1904 grants were given by Lancashire CC to Littleborough UDC for increasing Cotton Technology teaching at Central School. Between 24th and 28th March 1953 50th Anniversary Celebrations were held at the school. The diamond Jubilee was later celebrated on Saturday 30th March 1963. Central school closed down in the early 1990s and was demolished in 1993. The Time Capsule was recovered and is preserved in the History Centre.

Littleborough Community Primary School (see here)

The pupils and staff moved from Central School into the old High School building in September 1994. In April 2021 Planning Permission was sought for a new school building which will result in the older buildings being demolished excluding the separate Sports Hall and the infant building which would be retained for the Children’s Centre. Construction of the new school commenced in September 2021 and the children and teachers etc move into the new school on 1st March 2023. (Photo - School moved into in 1994 on the right with new school under construction left).

Littleborough High School (2 pictures below right)

In 1964 the new High School was built on Calderbrook Rd at a cost of £242,000. In April 1971 Lancs CC announced that they intended to “make a significant enlargement of the Littleborough Comprehensive High School on Calderbrook Rd by providing accommodation for about 900 pupils mainly of the ages of 11 – 16 years”. Work started later than planned and on 31st March 1973 J Murphy of Wigan signed the contract for its construction. The contract called for construction to commence in April 1973 and the works to be completed by October 1975. Completion occurred in stages with a New Science block opened in September 1974 and new Junior Block in January 1975. Despite being a successful school during the mid-1980s proposals arose regarding combining Littleborough & Wardle High schools with it operating from the two sites but it was later proposed that henceforth all high school provision would be at Wardle and Littleborough would be closed. Following much local opposition the school eventually closed in 1990 with secondary education being provided at Wardle or Hollingworth High plus some students opted for Todmorden. Proposals for a new school were made in 2022 but they have been put back to around 2025.