Schools in connection with St Mary Magdalene. Barker's Lane Aston-on-Mersey

SCHOOLS: ASHTON-ON-MERSEY. The foundation stone of the schools in connection with St Mary Magdalene's Church was laid on Saturday last. The architects for the schools are Messrs Whitelegg and Whittaker of Manchester. The building will be situate off Barker's Lane and will accommodate 94 infants and 206 boys and girls in the mixed department. The infants' room will be 37 ft  8 in by 20 ft and the mixed school is 57 ft by 37 ft  6 in; the former is raised 3 ft above the latter, and will form a platform with proscenium opening 18 ft wide by 12 ft high for entertainment and parochial purposes, and the mixed school will form the auditorium. For school purposes the mixed department will be divided by movable glazed screens into four rooms which will accommodate 96,33, 44 and 33 children respectively. There will be lavatories and cloakrooms for each department, two of which will be used as retiring rooms for the performers at entertainments and for this purpose are situated one on each side of the infants school or stage. There will also be a cookery classroom in the basement 20 feet square, having its windows entirely above ground. [Builder 9 November 1895 Page 340]