Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School

In January 1937, an assistant priest Fr. Hurley, started classes in the Sacristy for children of the Parish. The Sisters of Mercy undertook the tuition. Children started at the age of four and a half and remained until they made their First Holy Communion at the age of seven.

It had been hoped for some time that a Parish Hall would be built, but the need for a school was recognised as being more urgent. Therefore all efforts were channelled in that direction. One third of the cost came from parish funds and donations, the rest from the Diocese. Great credit is due to all those who worked so hard for the building of the school. To await a Ministry of Education grant towards the main fabric of the school would have meant an indefinite delay in starting the building, so it was decided to forego the grant and build the school using money collected originally for a Parish hall. In 1960 the Parish school opened and quickly became a major part of Parish life. Soon after his arrival, Monsignor Creede founded a PTA, following on from his venture in Chadwell Heath, where he started the first one in the Diocese.

The Youth Hall was built on the same site in 1969 and is used for various parish activities. One very successful enterprise was to use the Youth Hall for a Playgroup where the very young took their first learning steps. In 1999 a new nursery block was built and in July of that year the Playgroup closed. However a Mother and Toddler group still continues to meet there on Tuesday afternoons.

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