Page 355 - J Delaney - City of Cessnock Education and Schools

386.

WE S T 0 N S C H 0 0 L

The successful tenderer was Mr. Montague Audet of Mt. Pleasant Road West Maitland,
with his quote of £4,824.13.6. ($9,649.36). He was authorised by the Department
to proceed by Contract No. 583, dated 11th August 1915.

The new school had eight (8) classrooms, each twenty four (24) feet
by twenty one (21) feet, a Headmaster's room ten (10) feet by ten (10) feet,
and a staffroom sixteen (16) feet by twelve (12) feet. The new school was
completed and occupied on 1st May 1916.

The Education Department's records show the following list of new
furniture supplied to the new Weston School for that date:-

10 Dual Desks (No. 2) cut to 8 feet 4 inches
24 Dual Desks (No. 3) cut to 8 feet 4 inches

2 Large Tables
5 Small Tables
l Sewing Press
l Stock Press
6 Book Presses
8 Chairs
1 Sewing Table

The grading of Weston Primary School was raised on 18th January 1918,
to that of a 'Second-Class' School.

The new area of "Soldiers Settlements", (now called Loxford), which
had been opened up to returning soldiers following World War 1, sought a new
school. An inspection on 12th May 1920, by the Education Department showed
that most of the children from this new area attended Weston Primary School.
The enrolment at Weston School at the date of this inspection was 346 primary
pupils and 155 infants. The Inspector reported that this total was lCO in
excess of the existing a c cor.~o dation. On 29th December 1920, the Education
Department recommended to the State Parliament the following:-

(Al That consideration of a school at Soldiers Settlement
should be 'shelved'.