History of Thornton Grammar School

A new beginning for Thornton Grammar School in its impressive new building in 1944, and here showing the story of where it came from and just how this new beginning came about.

It is rare for a school to have a moving image record of its history before and after the Second World War, but Thornton Grammar School, on the outskirts of Bradford, is fortunate enough to have this film, not only tracing its history but providing a fascinating look at its construction and opening, by Clement Attlee, in 1944. It also has footage of the army who occupied the school during the war doing rifle training and getting themselves into tip top condition.

The village of Thornton is best known as the birthplace of the Bronte sisters. The original school, at School Green, was founded in 1673. The school is still at the same site that is seen in the film, only now with a new teaching block. It became a comprehensive school in the 1970s, re-named Thornton Upper, before reverting back to the title of “Grammar” and becoming a grant maintained school in 1993. It is now a foundation school with a comprehensive admission policy. The troops that occupied the school in 1940 were of the 54 Air Defence Company, who referred to the school as “Hull Camp”. Among the girls at the opening in 1944 would have been a 12 year old Billie Whitelaw.