On this page I hope to tell you something about the school that the Rev W. T. Sankey established. This school was for the sons of gentleman and was opened in 1863.

Rev W.T. Sankey employed the services of a Mr George Goldie (1828-87) who was at the time an architect. It was then built by Goldie and Childe. St Paul`s soon had 200 pupils and a very good reputation.

For 1863 the school fee were quite high at 24 Guineas per year, payable at 8 Guineas per term there was also a fee for medical attendance that was 10/6 per year.

Holdays were also well planned out 5 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Easter and 5 weeks during the Summer.

The school was run with a very strict regime. Morning roll call was at 5.45 in the summer , and 6.45am in the winter, and work began immediately. They had a break for breakfast, then more work from 8.30 to 10.30am and from 11.30 to 1 pm.

The afternoons were devoted to outside games, when the boys were allowed to walk as far as the bridge or New Street. School did not stop at tea time but restarted at 6pm until 8.30pm, then it was lights out at 9.15pm.

Lessons at the school would include, Latin, Greek, French, German, Mathematics, History, Logic, English Literature,and a little Science. Then on Sundays and saint``s’ days, there was an hour’s religious study.

The school was founded in the manner of the Grammar school so as to provide a good all round Education. This is what the school built it’s reputation on .While it was run by the Rev W.T. Sankey everything was alright . After the death of Sankey the school was run by ‘tyrants’ who wielded the birch incessantly. This I'm sorry to say spelt the end of a very good school. In 1882, the school put in place a new management team and new masters, but this did not help and the school closed its doors for the last time in 1895.

Fire Damage to the building

When the building was sold

When it was a school run by Franciscan Monks

The varied uses of the building today