Our History
Trinity opened it’s doors on September 5th 1966, with 68 children in three classes with Mr. R. Weald as Headteacher.
Trinity replaced the original St. Paul’s C.E. School, which was in the building where Crow Orchard School is today, and Blaguegate Methodist School, Liverpool road. The Churches entered a three-way partnership with the Local Authority, hence Trinity with our badge depicting the Methodist Scallop, the Bishop’s Mitre and the Red Rose of Lancashire.
Mr. R Weald left Trinity and Miss E Harding was Headteacher from January1972-December 1975. Mr A Bain was Headteacher from January 1976- July 2006. Mr.R.Kershaw from September 2006-July 2019. Mr A. J. Currie was appointed in September 2019.
In 1976 there were very few bushes or trees within the school grounds. The side of the school adjacent to the Churchyard was just an earthen bank which sloped down from the footpath to a narrow path alongside school, bringing down mud whenever it rained. Within the next couple of years, due mainly to Mr. Tom Bowen, Head of the education grounds staff in the area (also Churchwarden at St. Paul’s Church) we put in a kerb to hold in the soil. The kerbstones had been “ rescued” by Mr. Bowen from Stormy Corner when it was demolished. We then planted almost 200 trees in the bank and around the school, we later planted trees all round the perimeter of school. The school field was levelled out, way back around 1930, by young miners who were out of work and wanted a pitch to play football on. The mine shaft is “capped” on top of the Greenhill. There was a “flash” at the bottom of the field which they filled in.
The first addition to school came in the years 1999-2000, when our bid for extra teaching space, supported by a letter to the Minister for education from one of our parents, Mrs. D. Eaton, was successful. It comprised of two rooms, built on to the Hall between KS1 and KS2. The larger room was funded by the Department for Education and the smaller room by ourselves, having raised the £5000 needed from money raising events.
Our next addition to school took place during 2004 and 2005.This was a major project. A corridor was built outside our Early Years and KS1 classrooms and a new Nursery class was built. A new entrance area was built and the Office and Staff toilets were repositioned.
Our bid for a Nursery class began in 1999 and turned out to be a long and difficult process. The main stumbling block was the perceived “over provision” of Nursery places in Skelmersdale even though these were outside the area of “old Skelmersdale”. We had, for several years ran a Pre-school group in a demountable classroom on the playground, but, after submitting two bids, we were granted an official Nursery status in 2001, much to everyone’s delight. We continued in the demountable until we moved into the new classroom in 2005. We held an official opening of our new Nursery on 1st December 2005. We were joined for the occasion by Rev. J. Booth, chairman of the Liverpool Methodist Circuit and the bishop of Warrington, Rt. Rev. D. Jenkins.
Many of our school traditions started in the late ‘70’s early 80’s. Our May Queen processions with Maypole dancing was first held in 1978. Our Easter hat parade, with decorated egg display and egg rolling began the previous year, 1977. School holiday trips began soon after the school opened and we have visited the Isle of Man, Morecombe, Barmouth, Fairbourne, Llandudno and Scarborough, for many years during the first week of the Easter holiday.
Our Nativities, involving all the children, and summer productions, involving all KS2 children, have always been a delight to see. Our summer productions, musicals with a few Choir concerts, started in 1982, with “Will Wanderers Win” and have included “ Gone with the Wiz” “ Midsummer Nightmare” “Oliver” “Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat” and two musicals written by Mrs. V. Rowlands “Ruth Razzamataz” and “Esther”.
We have been distributing Harvest gifts to nominated people in our area since the late ‘90’s.
Trinity have always participated in all inter school sports and activities, being successful at Netball tournaments, Swimming Galas and football, winning the Merseyside cup in 2003 followed a few weeks later by finishing runners- up in the Liverpool cup played at Anfield.
Annual events have including visits to Beacon View to show our Easter hats and going there to sing carols – visiting the Community Centre on the Greenhill to sing carols for the Pensioners Club- attending the Skelmersdale Players Pantomime. In 1977 we recorded Songs of praise for radio Merseyside, in St Paul’s Church. In 1977 we also celebrated the Queen’s silver jubilee with a gala on the field, it included a “pram race” around Lancaster Crescent, School Lane and Kiln Lane, for parents and staff.
In 1986, along with all Skelmersdale schools we lined the route to see Princess Diana and Prince Charles on their visit to Skelmersdale (we were on the grass verge on Glenburn Road).
We have always enjoyed a special relationship with St Edmunds school, sharing many activities together including our joint carol singing.
In 2016 Trinity celebrated its 50th anniversary – it was an amazing week of celebrations and special visits from members of the Trinity family.
Trinity has continued to grow and thrive over the years. In 2019 we opened our very own Trinity Forest School on site – a beautiful, natural area which inspires pupils to develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning. In 2020 we opened our brand new 2 year old room called ‘Seedlings’. At Seedlings, we are dedicated to supporting and teaching our children to discover their own unique talents and learn the important foundation skills for all future learning.
Trinity continues to provide a supportive and caring environment, inspiring teaching as well as access, for the children, to the latest technologies and resources. We concentrate on embedding the basic skills, whilst deepening learning and engaging our children in a purposeful, relevant and exciting curriculum. We give children the platform from which to ‘let their light shine’ and be the best they possibly can be in the sight of God.
The future is bright …
One of our future plans is to establish Trinity School as an ‘Outdoor Centre of Environmental Excellence’. This will involve our trained and highly skilled ‘Forest School & Eco Team’ and children offering CPD and lessons to organisations and children in our dedicated outdoor classroom.
We also plan to offer high quality out of school provision for 2 – 11 year olds in Old Skelmersdale and beyond for 52 weeks a year to meet the needs of our families.
