Former schoolteachers and pupils from Mexborough will be the subject of the latest exhibition at Fox Gallery.
The gallery, based at Mexborough Business Centre, will focus on the 120-year history of secondary education in the town, including some of its most influential alumni and staff from over the years.
It was in 1904 that Mexborough and District Secondary School was established in response to the Education Act 1902 which mandated that councils provide education for children beyond primary school.
In its early years, the school didn’t have a permanent base so lessons were held at places like the civic hall, methodist chapel and hospital.
In 1910, its new purpose-built home opened on what became College Road, becoming the first mixed school in West Riding. It gained grammar school status in 1931 until 1968 when it transitioned back to a secondary modern and moved to a new site on Maple Road.
The old grammar school is now the business centre, filled with a range of local businesses.
Fox Gallery was opened in September 2022 by creative director Helen Watson. The latest exhibition also celebrates their second anniversary and how they turned an old grammar school classroom into a bright and airy art space.
Helen has worked with Mexborough and District Heritage Society to curate the latest exhibition. It will feature school reports, old uniforms, school equipment, past issues of the Don and Dearne school magazine, and photos from the heritage society’s archive.
There will also be display boards about some of those who studied there. Poet Laureate Ted Hughes is perhaps the most famous. Other ex-pupils include former Bishop of Whitby Gordon Bates, Donald Watson who founded the Vegan Society, local rock legend Graham Oliver, BBC radio presenter Tony Capstick, and Coronation Street actor Sally Carman.
“A lot of our educational heritage goes unheard of. We had a grammar school as wealthy people from Mexborough’s thriving industries wanted to educate their children. Mexborough also had the first sixth form in the area that opened in 1964.
“There were so many influential people and personalities that went to school in Mexborough. We’re also interested to hear more about the women who went on to be successful,” Helen says.
The exhibition runs from Saturday 14th September until 25th October. Fox Gallery is open Tuesday to Friday 10am-2pm.
