The material below is taken from the web page Unless otherwise indicated, content is copyright Peter Higginbotham and may not be re-published without permission.
Ancestry UK

Moorside, Fulwood, near Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire

On April 1st, 1960, the Moorside Approved School for Senior Girls was certified to operate in premises at Blackbrook Road, Fulwood, near Sheffield. The site had originally been constructed as a children's cottage homes development by the Ecclesall Bierlow Poor Law Union in the early 1900s. The homes were take over by Sheffield Council in 1930.

The School site is shown on the map below from 1920, when it housed pauper children.

Moorside site, Sheffield, c.1920.

A group of children lived in each cottages with a house 'mother'. The site had its own school, infirmary, laundry etc.

Former Moorside School, Sheffield, 2006. © Peter Higginbotham

Former Moorside School, Sheffield, 2006. © Peter Higginbotham

Former Moorside School, Sheffield, 2006. © Peter Higginbotham

Former Moorside School, Sheffield, 2006. © Peter Higginbotham

Former Moorside School, Sheffield, 2006. © Peter Higginbotham

In its new role as an Approved School, the site accommodated up 84 girls aged between their 15th and 17th birthdays at their date of admission.

In 1973, the School became a Community Home with Education (CHE).

In the early 1980s, Vietnamese 'boat-people' were housed at the site. In 1988, the buildings were converted to private residential use.

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.

  • The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 4DU. Has some Inspection Reports and a few other documents.

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)

Except where indicated, this page () © Peter Higginbotham. Contents may not be reproduced without permission.