Meadowcroft Girls' Approved School, Hutton, Lancashire
The Meadowcroft Approved School for Girls was opened by Lancashire County Council in 1969. It occupied purpose-built premises at Pope Lane, Hutton, near Preston, where up to 20 inmates could be accommodated.
Hutton Schools site, c.1970.
The girls, who were mostly aged 14 to 16, though some could be older, lived in house groups of five under the supervision of a housemistress. The School provided special facilities for girls who were pregnant and was the only institution of its type in the country. Prior to its opening, unmarried mothers in approved schools had to part with their babies as soon as they left maternity homes. At Meadowcroft, the girls were able to keep their babies with them after confinement at a local hospital.
In 1973, the School became a Community Home with Education (CHE).
The School buildings no longer exist and the houses of Meadowcroft Gardens now occupy the site.
Records
Note: many repositories impose a closure period of up to 100 years for records identifying individuals. Before travelling a long distance, always check that the records you want to consult will be available.
- Lancashire Record Office, Bow Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 2RE. Has School Management Sub-Committee minutes (1968-70, 1974-80).
Bibliography
- Higginbotham, Peter Children's Homes: A History of Institutional Care for Britain's Young (2017, Pen & Sword)
- Hyland,Jim Yesterday's Answers: Yesterday's Answers: Development and Decline of Schools for Young Offenders (1993, Whiting and Birch)
- Millham, S, Bullock, R, and Cherrett, P After Grace — Teeth: a comparative study of the residential experience of boys in Approved Schools (1975, Chaucer Publishing)
Links
- None identified at present.
Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.
