Wigan Album

Wow, what memories, I left there in the spring of 1981.

I left there in 1976

Housing estate there now. Considering the hellish time I had at that damn place, it's the best thing that happened to it...

great school, left in 1985 and was there when someone set fire to it. Great memories, bad dinners, and didn't like sociology.

Great school whitley

I was there and I was bullied to death. Teachers knew what was happening and didn't do a thing. I have been left with a lot of anxiety problems.Should sue the education department. So many years have passed and not one apology from anybody. Lots of people stood around and wouldn't help. Just one apology is all I ask. My crime. I was shy, I was small, I was thin as a rake. I couldn't fight back.

SJB what was your name? I would be interested in swapping stories if you don't mind.

good days our time was one of the first year boys were allowed if any one remembers me, and mike jones and john leyland

When were u there Paul Henry I was there until1884 I think some crap teachers some bullies but I got there not bullies just home economics didn't like me !!

Yeah I was there 84 -86 I think. Was treated badly. Bumped into a few people since who seem to have amnesia about it all.Selective memory and all that. Anyone who remembers me will remember I was bullied and teachers were a waste of space.

I remember you Wayne and John you both in the same tutor group as me I was a year older. Round about 75 I think.

yes i remember you. i wonder what they are all doing now any body out there please reply

Feel sick looking at this photo. Terrible, terrible school. Rife with bullies who seemed to rule the place and teachers who didn't give a crap. One of the happiest days of my life was the day I left and never had to go back

I left in 1974

I loved this school, very fond memories. Was there from 1982-1985 I think. Some of my friends were Phillipa Dodds, Nicola Holland.

The school actually closed in July 1990. It burned down in October 1990, after the builders had moved in and started to demolish the building.

Think I know who you are Wendy, but not 100%..I do remember Phillipa Dodds, Nicola Holland. from my year tho, even dated Phillipa a couple of times, which is what brought me here :)

Hated this place with a passion. Was friends with Paul Henry and yes, he was bullied, like you would never believe. I did try to stand up for him once or twice but ended up being hit and threatened also. I was lucky in the sense I was quite large (rugby player type) so never really got picked on by the cowards. Paul and I bunked off quite a lot and walked into Wigan from Whitley as we couldn't stand the idiots on the bus journey home. Teachers couldn't give a crap. Worse school ever! Only went there as I didn't get into Denary High...

i remember it well me and willy kenny pey mccoy we was in mr battersbys miss michels class and i still cant spell

Whitley High School despite being located in the most affluent area of Wigan near Wigan Lane had a bad reputation, and also you enter the school from the back by crossing the main line railway that was very dangerous before the footbridge was built.

I was there 85/88 the teachers were always on strike spent most of school time in starburst arcade with Jason Massey and warren lindly there were a few bullies there who i would like to meet nowadays

Hey Stu, my parents told me about this website and I managed to track this page down, Jason Massey is my dad! Anyone have any stories about him as a teenager they’d be willing to share? I’d like to jump him with some tales he forgot about

Hey j Massey 2 I went to hawkley hall and Whitley with your dad how’s the old boy doing these days tell him hi from me. I live in Australia these days and have done for 17 years, your dad had the coolest BMX in school it was a torker 280 he thought he was the dogs bollocks 😂 and in 1985 your dad got famous it was the challenge cup final at Wembley wigan vs Hull at full time there was a pitch invasion and your dad was on the pitch and shouted into a microphone HI GUYS IM JASON MASSEY and was heard on tv around the world. You’re dad was a good school mate i hope he’s doing well

I left there in 82 with our John(Fairhurst.Cracking school.loved it apart from the few Richard heads.They know who they are.!!

Hated this school with a passion. Bullies, crap teachers. Always bunked off cause never got taught anything. Worse school ever. No one gave a fudge about you.

Went here 84-87 Pennington house if I remember correctly. Had fun but really didn’t learn anything. Lots of fighting and bullying from the start but fortunate to not be involved. Have fond memories overall but when I hear some of the stories it does make me quite sad the awful time people had. Best thing was the 6p toast at break!

Just found this site. I was there from 1974 to 1979 including 2 years in the 6th Form. I didn't have a great time there and when I got the A level results I needed to get into University I never looked back. Which I guess was the same for a lot of my contemporaries. Pity really - some people I would have liked to have kept in touch with.

Left in 1978. Not a bad school really. Some of the teachers though left a lot to be desired.

I was a teacher here in the late 1980s and my daughter Julie and son Andrew were pupils and had a good time. On Fridays in June and September after school we had a ride to Blackpool to enjoy our favourite amusement, smelly stockingfeet at the Fun House on the Pleasure Beach, went on the Big Dipper, Dodgems, Revolution and other things before the park closed. Then ice cream and chippy tea and back home to Hindley. Great memories.

Left 1980 was a great school at the time thanks to many good teachers Mr Hewit Mrs Turner Miss Lyon Mr George Sanderson Ms Walker Mr Fallows Mr and Mrs Paulus and not forgetting the head Mr Robinson ty for I had a great schooling and succeded in my life

'The Plaster Board Prison' - did my time '78 - 81', took a few knocks, had some laughs and met some good people amongst the idiots. Mr Hewitt & Mr Hilton were great Teachers, can't say the same of the rest (apart from the Girl's P.E. Mistress who's name escapes me ?)

Didn't Kay Burley (Sky News) go to Whitley High School?
She seems to have done okay for herself, despite many adverse comments about the school..

Didn't Kay Burley (Sky News) go to Whitley High School?
Yes, she did. I belive that she began her first year at the school in 1974 when it had changed to the system which no longer had the 11+.
Colin, there are a lot of mixed feelings about the school and these are due to various reasons.
Firstly, it depends on the years the person (pupil, teacher, caretaker...) attended the school.
Wigan Girls' High School was regarded as an elite school as its intake (girls only) came via the passing of the 11+ exam. Thus, considering, these female pupils were more intelligent than the pupils who did not pass the exam. Additionally, there was the understanding that those female pupils who passed the 11+ would further achieve. This school, in those years, was a gateway to further education (college, university...) - to a position of status.
Please understand, these were different times and different thoughts to the ones I have as intelligence does not always only play the part of gaining a pass as many pupils, especially at such a young age, suffer from exam nerves or anything else which may reduce the chances of passing the exam.
There was also the understanding that these young females were disciplined and motivated to succeed. Of course, this is questionable. But, in those years of the school being a strong part of the 11+ grading system, methods of teaching and learning were sometimes different to the later years: those of the mixed ability system.
We must recognise that bullying and other negative issues are not only part of our modern society as these did occur in those years and probably in all different kinds of schools. But, as many people now know, teachers had far more freedom to punish and discipline was very different to today. Therefore, pupils had less freedom to bully and punishment for such actions was severe.
If we consider what has been mentioned, we sometimes see that opinions vary when violent behaviour is spoken about as many ex-pupils, when talking about their time at school in the fifties or sixties, mention the aggressive behaviour of certain teachers rather than other pupils.
To quickly put all of this in to some kind of picture, times changed and the school (WGHS/Whitley High School) changed. There were times of greater unemployment and frustration, which sometimes greatly changed the moods of many adults and children. Changes in education, rules, structures, employment etc. changed attitudes and environment.
Hopefully, as someone mentioned, those pupils who do not have nice memories of the schools they attended, managed to establish a normal life. Sadly, some did not or have not overcome those scars which were inflicted in those school years.

Thanks Ian, I didn't realise that feelings ran so high, wish I hadn't posed the question.
If you thought that was bad you should have been with our older generation when the cane and constant humiliation was the order of the day. Before I was five I was twice terrifyingly and agressively told by a demented teacher that I going to burn in Hell for all eternity for reading the Beano on Sunday and going to my grandmothers funeral in a Protestant church, locked in a cupboard until the night cleaners found me and once sent to shovel coal into the basement boiler for some minor misdemeanor.
Yes I survived and did reasonably well, hated School and still sometimes feel .......................... but that was the 1950's for you. What fun!

Colin, please understand that I was not saying that the fifties and sixties were easier than the following decades, just different.
Naturally, it would take pages of writing to cover the topic in detail. What I was trying to put across was, each school year was different and introduced different pupils. Also, what was occurring at that particular time had a great effect on pupils. For example, the football hooligans of the seventies went beyond football matches and the anti-establishment attitude which became extremely noticeable in the punk era of the late seventies spread. These raised the aggressive behaviour of many youths and some youths were school pupils and took this behaviour to school.
Some teachers felt that things were out of control and did not have answers to the issues which they were facing, because they were facing so many changes.
When the education system started to change WGHS and to begin the years of Whitley High School, many changes were needed and these caused confusion and chaos. After all, WGHS had been a school for girls and there hadn't been a great need for a male teacher. Also, there hadn't been a need for certain facilities, such as toilets for male pupils.
Obviously, I cannot go into all of the details. But, just try and picture the chaos, confusion, dissatisfaction, frustration, disappointment, anger, rivalry, social differences, misunderstandings and much more which was going on.

Regarding your era, I know that it was extremely difficult. I have family members who grew up in those years and I have heard terrible stories about school and certain teachers. I have heard about some of the aggressive behaviour and actions of some of the teachers at WGS, which I can only describe as sadistic. For example, one teacher or, as they preferred, Master, found pleasure in freely punishing a pupil by punching that particular pupil in the lower area of his back - known as a kidney punch. Canes and rulers were regular used on pupils and words to belittle pupils were freely used in such a distasteful manner.
One of my close friends has told me much about the school she attended. One humiliating experience she suffered was, her class (all girls) had to totally strip in the school hall and two teachers (nuns), with canes, marched around all the girls; as they did so, they poked and hit certain girls shouting insults about the way they (pupils) looked.
I am quite sure that there are many shocking facts and some ex-pupils have never disclosed the real truth.
In all walks of life, there are good people and there are bad people; no profession is exempt.
Colin, I am extremely pleased to hear that you survived and did reasonably well. My close friend also survived and had a successful career. She also is a woman who is kind and warm-hearted. I am proud to be considered a very close and trusted friend.

Thanks Ian, I think that in reading your story it tapped into some deep crevice of my mind on how cruel some so called educationalist were, having said that there were a few teachers who were very kind and supportive, normally it would be those I think of.

I attended Whitley school from 1972 until 1975.
And I can honestly say they were the best schooldays of my life.
I never witnessed any bullying either from the pupils or the staff.
That is not to say it didn't happen. I'm merely saying I never witnessed any.
In my experience there, a couple of the teachers wern't strong enough to control the odd rowdy pupil. The majority of the teachers were more than capable without resorting to punishment. A warning was more than enough!
I have a lot to thank Mr Wright, Mr Pigot, Mrs Hoyle, Mrs Moss, Miss Watson and Mr Critchley for.
Fantastic teachers.

I was in the same year as Kay Burley at both Gidlow Middle and Whitley High. We were the first year of 'comprehensive' education so it was confusing. I left after the sixth form in 1979. My experience was different to many and. yes, the above is my photo and I am sorry to those for whom it has brought such bad memories.