~ Tapton Secondary Modern ~


Darwin Lane - Sheffield - England

Tapton Secondary Modern School opened on 5th January 1960 with 660 pupils.

The pupils came from 3 local schools who lost their senior school to provide the pupils. These 3 schools, Springfield County, Nethergreen, and Crookes Endowed became Junior schools.

The Headmaster was Mr Sam North and the Deputy head was Mr Cyril May and there were three other specialist teachers and eighteen form teachers.
The School Hymn

These things shall be! A loftier race
Than e'er the world hath known, shall rise,
With flame of freedom in their souls
And light of science in their eyes.

They shall be simple in their homes
And splendid in their public ways,
Filling the mansions of the state
With music and with hymns of praise.

Nation with nation, land with land,
Inarmed shall live as comrades free;
In every heart and brain shall throb
The pulse of one fraternity.

New arts shall bloom of loftier mould,
And mightier music thrill the skies,
And every life shall be a song,
When all the earth is paradise.
(J Addington Symonds)



Street Guide showing school location

This was to be a new life for the pupils with many changes in their school life. School uniform, travelling to school by bus, homework, playing fields, gymnasiums and hot showers after sport.

This site is dedicated to the early years at Tapton and came about as a result of my obtaining my class photo (3ec1 of 1960) from David Beaumont following my contacting him via http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk

I emigrated to Australia in 1961 and although I have visited Sheffield 3 times since then I don't have the same opportunity to visit the places of my childhood and so the Internet has provided this ability. Knowing how I enjoyed viewing the photo I decided to share it with others via the web. I then went off in search of other photos and found some on the official Tapton site. I have reproduced them on my site so that they don't disappear when someone decides to redesign the official site. I believe they would now be out of copyright but if this is not the case please let me know as I would not want to use your material without permission.

I have long forgotten the names of many of the people in the photos if I ever knew them. I would like to hear from anyone who can assist in identifying the people or provide background to any of these photos.

If you have any other photos you would like to share on this site or if you have better copies of the ones I already have, please email me. I would like to restrict this site to the early years from 1960 to 1964.