The School

Wylam

Wylam is a village in Northumberland straddling the River Tyne midway between Newcastle and Hexham. As a colliery village during the 18th and 19th centuries, it became famous as the home and workplace of several railway pioneers. George Stephenson was born here, and the simple cottage where he was born is now owned by the National Trust. Experiments performed here in the early 1800s demonstrated for the first time that a steam locomotive running on iron rails could be used as a means of traction and, appropriately for the village where railways were born, there were two railway stations in the village until as recently as 1968. Now there is no trace of the collieries, or the ironworks that manufactured locomotives, and most of the working population travel to Newcastle. But Wylam remains a thriving village with a population of around 2200 and a strong community spirit.

Wylam First School

The first County Primary School in Wylam opened in 1910 in the building that is now the Falcon Centre, but prior to that there was a British School in the village occupying a building that still stands on Woodcroft Road.

The School has occupied its present site since 1974 and provides education for children from nursery age to nine years for Wylam and the neighbouring community. There are 133 pupils in four classes, and a nursery that provides pre-school education for 50 children over two daily sessions. The school is highly fortunate in the dedication and professionalism of its staff, which comprises a teaching head, six teaching staff (1 part-time), a full-time auxiliary and support staff. The school is justly proud of its academic and other achievements. Over and above the high standards regularly attained by the children in the SATs, recent successes include the first prize gained by Year 4 for their entry in a regional science fair. The school also takes seriously its contribution to the local community. Each year the children distribute harvest gifts and provide Christmas entertainment and hospitality to the elderly of the village.

The most recent addition to the school is the Nursery, which opened in 1993 with funding from Northumberland County Council. It is widely agreed that the Nursery has been a considerable success and is a great asset to the school. The Nursery, together with the Reception class and Year 1, make up the early years.

The school benefits greatly from the contribution of parents both in and out of the classroom. An active and enthusiastic PTA has done much to provide additional resources for the school and parental help has been to the fore in an environmental project to develop the school grounds and with sports coaching.