Stoke (Council) School (Briton Road & Annexe)

I started attending the above boy's school in 1955. For the first year we didn't use the main school in Briton Road, but in an annexe somewhere in Wyken, near Sewall Highway. The actual buildings were of single story construction which had the look of some kind of army camp or similar institution. I remember they were very cold in winter and not particularly comfortable in summer. Does anyone else remember this annexe, and do you know the actual location of these buildings?

I too attended Stoke Primary school in Briton Road, beginning in the Infants in January 1970 under headmistress Mrs. Roberts, followed by Juniors under Miss Oldham - but all my time was at the main Briton Road building. However, our sports days were always held at what was called St. Margaret's Field, but was always known to us as simply 'The Annexe'. I vaguely recall buildings still being there in the 70s, but are now long gone. They were, I think, roughly as you described, and if this is the place you remember, then those main school buildings were on the Wykeley Road side of the field - or on the right if you were looking from Ansty Road. This Google Street View link should take you straight there.... http://maps.google.co.uk There also used to be a smaller building used as a changing room in the opposite far-left corner of the field, which stayed up for a while longer. I vividly remember our Junior sports day there in 1976 during the long hot summer drought.... a teacher stood 'on guard' in the changing room to make sure that anyone entering to use the toilet didn't also have a drink of water to rehydrate our parched little bodies! They must've thought a few thirsty lads would quickly drain the reservoir!!! I hope I have the correct place for you. Cheers, Rob

As a followup to my previous answer, here are a few pictures for nostalgia's sake! This first image is a postcard I was fortunate to find on eBay showing the main school building from the Stoke Row side of the street. These next three shots are from the Library Pictures, the first showing Briton Road looking up towards Stoke Row, followed by two photos taken from Stoke Row before and after street improvements - looking towards what I always knew as the sweet shop next to the Infant school entrance. They were certainly my favourite schooldays!

I attended the wooden hut 1952 to 1954. The head teacher was Mrs. Dixon or Dickson. The building was at the rear of Wyken Grange Road. It served as a scout hut but was burnt down.

With a female head teacher I imagine you are referring to the infants or junior school. The place I went to was for the first year (i.e. 11-year-olds) of the secondary modern school. I think our buildings were made of brick that (as I said above) had the look of an army camp or similar institution. I was there in 1955.

The school annexe was a single story wooden building with two classrooms plus a kitchen area. It was located at the rear of Wyken Grange Road. The head teacher was Miss Dixon (or Dickson), but I cannot remember the name of the other teacher who always played the piano for our morning hymn sing. At the end of the school day, we sang 'Thank you for the world so sweet' after putting our chairs on the tables. The building was used as a scout hut after it was no longer a school, but was burnt to the ground. Most of the children moved to Stoke Junior but I (la-de-da) went to King Henry VIII. Less of the la-de-da now, Miss Dixon was a devoted member of teaching staff in Coventry, who had a passion for children's well-being. I owe so much to that lady. She was a match for any primary school teacher that I have ever known.

From memory, Stoke Council secondary school annexe was behind the houses in the Wyken Grange Road, Wyken Ave, Sewall Highway triangle. One of the entries leading to the school was in Wyken Grange Road, roughly opposite to Wyke Road. The Headmaster, when I was there,1956, was Mr Bailey. I also remember a teacher used to park his lovely Panther motorcycle /sidecar combo in the playground. I have just looked on google street view, and the entrance leading to the annexe is still there, next to Green's shoe repairs. There was a shoe repair shop here back in 1956, as this was where I used to buy my football studs.

Oh Philip, how I remember singing "Thank you for the world so sweet" after we had put our chairs on the desk at the end of the day when I was at St Marys' infants school. The thought of it now brings a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye......from someone who didn't really like school.

Me too Tricia and Philip,". Thank you for the world so sweet ,thank you for the food we eat. Thank you for the birds that sing,thank you God for every thing Amen". See I can still recall the words 60 years later and I hated school but also loved singing that song.

I also remember the words Jan.

I am so sad for anyone who did not like school, now, or in our school days. Let me state though that I was no model pupil, far, far from it. I liked school, even though there were days that I would rather forget. The one thing that the grammar school did make up for was my long periods of absence when I was in Paybody Hospital. Even after the age of seven, I must still have missed at least two years in total, but the school did its best to keep me on target during my absence. It was as though being at school was a better option than hospital. At home, I had my own room with a desk, so I was made to feel like a little Sir Echo. My school work had a sense of importance. I often completed my homework in the Gulson central library before walking to my Mum's shop in White St, for the six o'clock journey home. I never had detention for not doing homework or poor quality work. My detentions were always for talking in class. You see, I have not changed. Thank you so much for your comments to my post on this thread.

My wife attended Stoke Sec Modern in Briton Road; however, it wasn't co-ed when she was there (about 1956-60 or 61) and she thinks that the boys and girls had effectively separate buildings. The Girls' headmistress was a Miss Parncutt, who finished her days in Ford's Hospital. She was aware of "the" annexe, but thinks it had more than two classrooms; one classroom in her time was set up for a sewing class (with sewing machines!) and another for shorthand and typing, with typewriters. She said that it became co-ed the year following her leaving. There is a website

There was another school building (brick) on the corner of Ansty Rd & Wycliffe Rd which had several class rooms.

It was DEFINITELY Miss D M Parncutt. As you will see if you look at the website.